NOT a 3/10 IF you like JRPGs. Better than Trinity Universe, but very different from typical JRPGs.
The Gamespot score for this game is absurdly low. They gave it a 3/10 while the players gave it a 7.8/10. This makes me wonder if the reviewer even spent enough time playing the game, or if they only care about things like HD 3D graphics and not things like the storyline and how FUN the game is. Also, the fact that the reviewer states as a "bad" that, "Characters are disturbingly sexualized caricatures of young girls," and seems to be a female (Kat Bailey) may also have led to a low score.
Back on track though, the people who made this game also made the game Trinity Universe. If you played Trinity Universe and liked its complicated (or rather, "NEW") system, its humorous and wacky storyline and dialog, and its relaxed gameplay, then you will LOVE Hyperdimension Neptunia. If you hated Trinity Universe, then I still recommend this game if you like JRPGs, but you should rent it first.
Now for my actual review:
I usually do my reviews by creating a list of pros and cons about the game, but while creating my list, I realized that due to how different this game is, most of the pros/cons came to rest under a 'neutral' category. So, in the end, I will simply list the major points that stand out from other games in a single list. I will leave it up to the reader to decide if it is a pro or con.
-Very pretty artwork. All of the characters are beautifully drawn!
-Not too difficult in gameplay. Once you get around the game system, the gameplay can be quite relaxing. It isnt an adrenaline rush, but it also isnt a snooze fest. In my opinion, the game can be described as 'casual' when played on Normal mode.
-The gameplay WILL take some getting used to. It is very untraditional and different from typical JRPGs. For some, this can be refreshing and a thrill to be playing something new. For others, it can be frustrating and confusing.
The biggest gripe I see from players is the healing system, which is manually configured by the player, but automatically initiated during battle. The player tells the game which healing technique to use (such as "if HP is 50% or lower") and tells it the chance of performing based on available points (100% = WILL ALWAYS happen, 0% = will NEVER happen). Then, during battles, the technique will be performed based on your settings. This is griped on by many players, but in my opinion, it is quite interesting and worth a try by potential players.
-Fanservice, fanservice, FANSERVICE! Seriously, the game seems to be a total melon-fest, which isnt all that bad IMO. ~_~ There are breasts everywhere and cute anime girls coming out of the wazzoo.
-Silly, humorous, and quirky storyline and dialog. Some players will snicker, some will ROFL, while some will roll their eyes.
-Videogame and Gaming Cultural references. Some players may find it fun that the game references many famous videogames, as well as things that only 'gamers' would understand. Not to mention that the game revolves around references.
-Interesting story concept. The whole story is about goddesses who are involved in a war. The war is a reference to the console wars, and the goddesses each represent a videogame console (PS3, Wii, and XBox). Read more on the Wikipedia site: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperdimension_Neptunia
-DLC is not overpowering. I am a major DLC fan when it comes to these JRPGs like CrossXEdge, Trinity Universe, and Record of Agarest War. I find it, buy it, and DL it. Costumes, Events, Weapons, XP, HP, whatever. However, most of the time, the DLC will turn you into a god within the game... you will become super overpowered and the game will become boring (Has happened to me in all 3 of the games just mentioned. My fault, I know, but still disappointing).
Not for this game though (to date). I currently have every single DLC available and can still play the game without being overpowered!
-Music is meh. The music in this game isn't really all that great. I personally do not find it "annoying" but it doesnt really work too great as catchy BGM. On my settings, I turned it WAY down so that you can barely hear it, but not so much that it completely disappeared. This is a personal preference, but I didnt want absolute silence in the BG, yet didnt want the BGM to distract me.
-Dungeon exploration is simple and could get repetitive. Simply put, the dungeons arent really all that exciting. Each dungeon has 1 of 3 objectives: Get to the exit, defeat the boss, or fulfill a task (such as killing some # of a certain monster). Besides this though, you are simply running around collecting the few scattered treasures and fighting random encounters. That is it. No puzzles, traps, or what-have-you.
-Slow battles? I have heard some people say that the battles are slow. This is somewhat true. You CAN speed them up by skipping the attack animations for you and the enemy by tapping the L2 button. Doing this does speed things up a bit. Other than that, the battles arent TOO bad.
ALSO: The easier the difficulty, the longer the battles (according to the game itself). I am playing on NORMAL, and I find the battles tolerable when using the L2 button skip.
-[More to come as I think of things and as I encounter them]
In the end, I DO recommend that anyone interested in this game at least start by renting it. You literally have a 50% chance of enjoying it and a 50% chance of hating it. It isnt for everyone, and is definitely not like Trinity Universe, although they did seem to tweak it. Some will like it, some will hate it, and some will continue to [complain] about it.
Edits:
3/22/2011