Neptunia ReVerse
Developed By: Compile Heart
Published By: IFI
Date of Release: June 8, 2021
Price: $49.99
In the game industry of our world we have seen countless companies come
and go, bringing us amazing consoles, epic games, and so much enjoyment
and innovation. From the simple joysticks and clunky cartridges of the
past, to the sleek disc-based consoles of today, video-gaming over the
ages has told a rich and and storied saga. Now imagine if you will, a
world where people live and die based on the market shares of their
respective game companies. A world where software pirates and modchip
makers are the scourge of the seas. A world ruled by digitally deified
divas who symbolize the hopes and dreams of their console nations.
Welcome to the digital frontier of Gamindustri!
Neptunia ReVerse marks the fifth outing for this original story, and though it may be a remake of a reboot it is not to be taken lightly.
If Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2 was considered a reboot of the original,
then perhaps that makes Hyperdimension Neptunia Re:Birth1 a reboot of a
reboot, and Neptunia ReVerse is a remake of said reboot! This literal rebirth of the original game took the original
story, polished it up a majorly, and stuck it on top of the
gameplay system that made Hyperdimension Neptunia: Victory so great. As if that wasn't enough, there is now a full on arrange mode for this PS5 remaster, better graphics (including raytraced reflections for *ahem* interesting "undercarriage" views in the overworld), and a solid 4K60 presentation to cap it all off.
I'll be brutally honest here, the original Hyperdimension Neptunia for
PS3 was an absolute slog, with hours of grinding and frankly boring
combat dragging the experience on. The only saving grace was its story,
which made the most of things with its masterful console war allegory.
Thankfully having been moved over to the gameplay stylings of Victory,
ReVerse is propelled high and above its clunky progenitor. With the
far more exciting battle system on offer in this entry, travelling
through the games myriad dungeons and levelling up no longer feels like
such a chore. Unrestrained by the formerly boring gameplay, the story is
now free to take centre stage.
When it comes right down to it, Re:Birth1 was a shining example of what the Neptunia series can offer, and ReVerse for the PS5 has managed to make it impossibly better. I can only hope that if they decide to make
ReVerse 2 that they can match the sheer awesomeness that has been shoved into this title, as the PS5's thus far lacking library could definitely use more JRPG
experiences like these. I for one would gladly play every Neptunia
adventure again if they were to be presented in this wonderfully
streamlined format, and you should too! I can sincerely recommend Neptunia ReVerse to any fan of the series, new or old.
