Developer: Compile Heart, Idea Factory
Publisher: Idea Factory
Platform: PC, PS4, PS5
Tested on: PS5
Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters – Review
It’s hard to keep track of all the different Neptunia games that have been released during the last decade. Over the years we have seen a lot of mainstream entries in the series, but we have also taken a closer look at spin-off titles such as Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars or Superdimension Neptune VS Sega Hard Girls. For the most part, the Neptunia games often have a very lighthearted story, cute and likable characters, and tried-and-true RPG mechanics. This time around, however, we will not be seeing the Goddesses of Gamindustri in the lead, but their younger siblings, as they try to save the world from impending doom.
Story
Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters features a story that’s somewhat similar to other entries in the franchise. A great peril is threatening Gamindustri and the four goddesses have to unite to vanquish said evil. This time, the goddesses have to evacuate the PC continent, and they head out to do so. The goddesses’ younger siblings, however, are tasked to do other stuff, so they also head out to finish their business. Sadly, Nepgear, Uni, Rom, and Ram, find themselves frozen in time only to wake up two years later. Gamindustri has suffered a lot during those years and the goddesses are all fighting their battles, and they’re even down to three now. It’s up to Nepgear to pick up the mantle of her sister and try to save the world with a cast of familiar faces backing her up.
The story flow is what we have come to expect from a Neptunia game, which means that there are a lot of (silly) dialogues present. You’ll often have to go through lengthy story segments to then play a dungeon or two before you once again have to go through a lot of story exposition. This works quite well for the series, and the story here is still interesting enough to keep pressing forward.
Graphics
Graphically the game looks okay. The visual novel segments of the game have very adorable artwork with a few small movements being shown during dialogues. It’s clear that the character art has been updated for this title, which is already a huge plus. Even so, a bit more variety in the animations would have been welcome here, and sometimes the backdrops aren’t really in sync with what is being told in the dialogues. The visuals in the dungeons, however, look a bit rougher, which is a shame. The previous entries in the Neptunia franchise have always been very colorful games, and that’s also the case here, but it feels like the graphics are a bit too simplistic for a modern release such as this. We noticed a lot of clipping when dressing up your characters with accessories. All of that being said, the monster designs are still very nice, and it was still quite fun to explore the somewhat empty dungeons.
Sound
The overall sound design is quite good. You’ll have a varied soundtrack that doesn’t really grow stale throughout the course of the game. On top of that, Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters features many voiced dialogues. We do regret that not all dialogues are voiced, as this would have added a lot more charm to the mix. The sound effects are fairly basic, but they give decent feedback to the onscreen action. Some of the oneliners during combat get repeated to the point they become grating, so a bit more variety here would have done wonders.
Gameplay
Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters is an old-school action RPG with long visual novel segments. The game is quite simple, you can sit back and enjoy the story while completing dungeons in between the story segments. The gameplay loop is straightforward, as there are no choices to be made during the dialogues and the dungeons are quite small. Inside the dungeons, you’ll see the enemies present and you can decide to engage in combat with them. The combat is quite easy to get the hang of as you’ll probably end up mashing buttons to perform simple combos to then switch between party members to chain said combos.
Of course, the game does feature a few more advanced mechanics, such as the Disc Development system in which you are basically able to develop passive buffs for your characters that you can equip. You can constantly keep developing these Discs in order to unlock better ones. The same can be said about the combo system in which you can create combos for your characters. You’ll also unlock more active skills as you progress. Other than that, there’s a very simple gear system present where you can equip a weapon and accessories. All in all, there is enough variety here to make gear (and skill) management interesting.
The biggest problem with the game, as well as with the series, is that it feels as if it’s stuck in the past. The mechanics feel a bit dated, the overall gameplay loop feels more at home on a PlayStation 3 console, and everything feels a bit rough around the edges. The series could use a few more modern touches to make the Neptunia games proper next-gen titles because as it stands now, the niche audience that cares about these titles will only get smaller and smaller. That being said, for a carefree RPG experience, you’re still getting a fairly enjoyable gameplay loop that welcomes casual play.
Conclusion
Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters is an enjoyable new entry in the long-running Neptunia series, but it also shows that the franchise should be modernized to cater to more modern standards. You’ll be treated to an old-school RPG experience with cute characters, a lighthearted fun story, and a fairly entertaining gameplay loop. Even with some dated mechanics in play, this installment proves to be amusing for casual play, and thanks to the interesting characters you’ll want to see the game through to the end. If you’re a fan of the series, picking this one up is probably a no-brainer, but if you’re a newcomer, we suggest that you look into the series as a whole first.
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