Hyperdimension Neptunia - A Bizarre Debut that Spawned a Beloved Series

A bizarre concept though it may be, it’s also surprising that the subject matter of Hyperdimension Neptunia hadn’t been covered before. Debuting throughout Europe 15 years ago today, Hyperdimension Neptunia received mixed reviews upon its launch. But it went on to birth a hugely popular series of games.

As frequently self-referential as some videogames aspire to be, none have ever been so bold as to offer a tongue-in-cheek commentary of the people that play them and the allegiances that the platform holders willingly provoke. Hyperdimension Neptunia was daring and forthright enough to deliver a unique take on the social angst that surrounds videogaming as a hobby. But what’s more impressive is that it was secure enough to do it all within the visual design of a bunch of scantily clad anime characters. Analysing a series of stereotypes under a thick layer of stereotyping; if nothing else, Hyperdimension Neptunia is confident in the delivery of its themes.

Thankfully, there’s more to Hyperdimension Neptunia than simply a thick coating of in-jokes and fanboy digs. Built upon the solid foundations of Idea Factory’s previous RPG titles, Hyperdimension Neptunia will be familiar to many in the basic presentation of its gameplay. Set in the world of Gamindustri, a slow start soon gives way to a fully 3D world full of opportunity for discovery. Given that a map is available at all times, the exploration element of Hyperdimension Neptunia often feels similar to that of the early titles in the Phantasy Star Online series or perhaps even Final Fantasy XIII. However, the combat is randomly generated, surprising the player at times when they sometimes would rather anything else.

Of course, that tension generated from an unknown challenge is where Hyperdimension Neptunia shows much of its strength. That is in keeping the player determined to push forward. As with any RPG featuring random battles, Hyperdimension Neptunia’s enemies and level system have been fine-tuned so that the player never feels their defeat was unfair – unlucky perhaps, but not unjust.

The battles are a seemingly traditional affair. Turn-based and with a variety of options at the player’s disposal. However, a great deal of personal strategy can be drawn from the combat system beyond simply biding your time until you can transform into a more powerful form. The transformations themselves are a notable addition, but aren’t the only string in Hyperdimension Neptunia’s bow. Once having secured enough energy players will become their alternate form, bringing a change of weapons and skills. Skills can be assigned to the face buttons, and players can customise combos from sequences of button presses. An interesting feature of Hyperdimension Neptunia is the option to utilise any images stored within the PlayStation 3’s internal photo album as the ‘box art design’ for your skills, presenting them when using the assigned skill.

Above the basic skills and transformations however come the traditional elemental summons. Here in Hyperdimension Neptunia, they take the form of well known (and some not so well known) videogame characters from the likes of SEGA, Gust and Idea Factory. These classic characters are capable of inflicting massive amounts of damage, and so are suitably limited in battle.

Hyperdimension Neptunia is often visually arresting in its design. However, it was clearly behind the pack when competing for clarity and comprehensive detail. Given the anime inspiration there are many moments in which Hyperdimension Neptunia slips from an interesting presentation of the videogame console wars to absurdly crude interpretations of console hardware as sexually primed personas. Many will be able to overlook such moments. Others, however, will find the unnecessary sexualisation leaves a bitter taste with what is otherwise a frequently intelligent depiction of certain corners of the industry.

As a videogame attempting to push against the genre’s established boundaries, Hyperdimension Neptunia is more successful than Final Fantasy XIII, but yet it remains firmly rooted in what many gamers expect of RPG tradition. The commentary of the industry is as charming as it is unique, and to knowing fans it’s an intriguing magnetism that many other games simply could never achieve, but without this prior knowledge it’s hard to see just how much of a hook the storyline could provide. The original Hyperdimension Neptunia remains an easy recommendation for a keen fanbase then, but it’s never likely to become anything more than a preach to the converted.