Hyperdimension Neptunia

[MrEco]

Is anybody playing this game? I'm really interested in getting it but every single review I've read makes the game sound bad. Regardless though I can't help but find the game appealing. A JRPG with amazing visuals and soundtrack and tons of comedy. I can't find anything bad about that. So has anyone here in Racketboy given the game a chance yet? If so what are your thoughts about it? I don't think it can be as terrible as so many people seem to think but if I'm forced to choose between this and Ar Tonelico Qoga then I want to be careful and not make the wrong decision.

EDIT: Also does anyone know if it has a Japanese vocals option?

[noiseredux]

it's totally on my When-I-Get-A-PS3 list man. I heard about it recently and the concept just blew me away. Haha. NIS is so awesome sometimes.

[MrPopo]

I have a bad history with Idea Factory games. Aedis Eclipse isn't bad but I've only played a little, Cross Edge had an "exploit or die" battle system and being a crossover game the story was terrible. And other Ideal Factory stuff I've heard very bad things about.

I agree the concept sounds very cool, though. Kind of like a new Segagaga.

[Jonesy47]

Im playing it right now and, i gotta say, im pretty disappointed.
Im not sure what i was expecting but i was definitely under-whelmed.
The concept is what hit me as interesting. Everything else after that fact has let me down. The animations are shite. The story is kinda ridiculous, though its pretty funny and cool to see the actions of the current video game hardware companies characterized, though only as shallow, big-tittied teenagers.
The battle-system is pretty retarded also. You have no control over when you heal, which SUCKS. You know it sucks when you die in the first dungeon because the game chooses not to randomly heal your ass.

What can i say? I wanted to like it and tried real hard. Still not getting me, atm.

[Bradtemple87]

I want to pick up a copy, but the reviews across the board are pretty bad.

[J T]

I liked the concept when I heard about, but I also saw getting panned by critics, so I haven't followed up on it.

[saturnfan]

Go with Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland. Got reviews around the 7 range. Unless you hate making items, then don't get it.

[brunoafh]

I haven't had any hands on, but my buddy has the game and I watched him play for a bit. I admit I'm somewhat biased against weird cutesy JRPGs like this (not trying to be a dick), but the game was honestly pretty bad.

The concept is definitely great, genius even, but the game is just... lazily made. The dialogue sections are nearly unbearable (voice acting is very grating, the dialogue is terribly bland), the characters have little to no personality (a major flaw for a game like this), and the combat is medicore at best. All in all, the game isn't a terrible waste of time like a lot of reviews state, but unless this is really your thing and you consistently love Idea Factory games, it's really hard to suggest you put down money on this. I wanted to like it with such a neat concept with the console war thing, but there are many other RPGs that have come out recently and are coming out that are much more worthy of your money.

[the7k]

Haven't played the game yet, but I've read quite a few of the reviews. Honestly, the reviews made me think less of the gaming reviews industry than it did the game itself.

A good chunk of the reviews were by people who out and out admitted that they didn't care for the genre. This would be like asking an American Football fan what they thought of European Football. "Hah! Little girl game for little baby who scrap knee and cry!" A review should be made by a potential customer for other potential customers.

Another good chunk of the reviews blasted the game for sexual depictions of girls. Seriously? I mean, for one, where the hell was this outcry when the latest 'murder simulator' came out that featured graphically exploding people? Secondly, it's a review - not a political statement. When you start putting your slanted views into a review that should be about the quality of the game, you start to raise more than a few eyebrows. How can we trust anything you write from that point on if you can't effectively divorce yourself from the story? Save the 'sexual disservice' piece for the editorial - at least TRY to be objective for the actual review.

Not to say any of this makes the game suddenly good. It could very well be the pile of crap so many have said it is. Even so, if they could have made such a claim without simultaneously calling into question their veracity, it would have been a lot better for everyone.

[MrEco]

Haven't played the game yet, but I've read quite a few of the reviews. Honestly, the reviews made me think less of the gaming reviews industry than it did the game itself.

A good chunk of the reviews were by people who out and out admitted that they didn't care for the genre. This would be like asking an American Football fan what they thought of European Football. "Hah! Little girl game for little baby who scrap knee and cry!" A review should be made by a potential customer for other potential customers.

Another good chunk of the reviews blasted the game for sexual depictions of girls. Seriously? I mean, for one, where the hell was this outcry when the latest 'murder simulator' came out that featured graphically exploding people? Secondly, it's a review - not a political statement. When you start putting your slanted views into a review that should be about the quality of the game, you start to raise more than a few eyebrows. How can we trust anything you write from that point on if you can't effectively divorce yourself from the story? Save the 'sexual disservice' piece for the editorial - at least TRY to be objective for the actual review.

Not to say any of this makes the game suddenly good. It could very well be the pile of crap so many have said it is. Even so, if they could have made such a claim without simultaneously calling into question their veracity, it would have been a lot better for everyone.

Amen. This was half the reason I was in such doubt and ended up asking for help on the subject. Glad to know I'm not the only one who noticed that stuff.

Go with Atelier Rorona: The Alchemist of Arland. Got reviews around the 7 range. Unless you hate making items, then don't get it.

I don't hate synthesizing items in games. But usually I find it a pretty big waste of time if the only way to get some "ultima weapon" is by farming a certain enemy type that happens to be the only enemy with a 1% drop chance on some special kind of material needed in order to create said game-breaking big stick.