New Generation, Same Results | Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation Review

Since a lot of big western developers have abandoned developing for the PlayStation Vita, it’s become quite a popular device for Japanese developers to release their lesser known JRPGs and achieve front page status on the Vita store homepage. It’s actually become a nice way for gamers, like myself, to try new titles and explore games well out of my comfort zone. Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation is the third Hyperdimension game I’ve played on my Vita, and while it certainly has its shortcomings, there’s satisfying JRPG combat that’s perfect on the go.

If you missed out on the first Hyperdimension Re;Birth game on Vita, the story is basically one giant analog to the actually video game industry. The main city is called (oh so cleverly) Gamindustri, and it features cities like Lastation, Leanbox, and Lowee. Not to spoil too much, but many of the heroes from the first game are incapacitated, and it’s up to Nepgear, the sister of Re;Birth 1’s main protagonist, to team up with allies of new and old to defeat the evil Arfoire and her legion of followers and minions.

I actually quite enjoyed the story’s analog to the real video game industry, as silly as it is. It’s different, and it really is quite refreshing to play a game that doesn’t take itself too seriously. There’s definitely moments that are eye-roll worthy, but for the most part, it’s good, cheeky humor that’ll garner a smile every now and then.

The combat is the same revamped combat from Re;Birth 1, with little extras added. It features a turn-based system, but it’s a little more free form than your average JRPG. Each unit can move around in an individual circle that’s size is determined by their movement stats. In their turn, a unit can move in their circle to get close and attack enemies, or retreat away from enemies’ own attacks and heal or use buffs. Your units can attack anything that appears in their attack range, and your attack range can increase or decrease depending on the weapon equipped. Multiple enemies can be targeted in this hit box, but it can be a little touchy and difficult to hit enemies that are next to each other. I often found myself tapping the directional buttons ever so slightly to make sure I was outputting enough damage, and it became a little too frustrating to do so often.

CPUs, which are powerful units that can transform into HDD (more powerful) versions of themselves, can be used to turn the tide of battles. The protagonist, Nepgear, is a CPU candidate and can transform to her HDD form, which increases all of her stats and provides much more devastating and visually stunning moves. This can be a nice last-ditch effort to try and get the upper hand in battles, and it can be the difference between life and death.

While the combat is very enjoyable, it all becomes much too formulaic. Battles become tiresome repetitions, and encounters bleed together and seem like one never-ending encounter. I eventually found myself playing Re;Birth 2 in bursts to avoid this, and while it helped, I still felt like the combat could have used occasional anomalies to change up the pace.

Environments in Re;Birth 2, much like the last game, can seem a little bland and look like just about every other JRPG background you’ve seen before. Enemies can be altered and new dungeons can appear from buying items in the shop or finding the items, but it still doesn’t make up for the mostly forgettable environments.

A new mode featured in Re;Birth 2 is called Stella’s Dungeon, which is a real-time mini game that tasks you with sending a girl named Stella to dungeons. Once the pre-set time has elapsed, Stella may return with items to use on your party, or even for herself. I didn’t play around with Stella’s Dungeon for a long period of time, but it was a nice addition to get some extra gear to help along the way.

There’s a lot to like about Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2, but there’s a lot that gets in the way and takes away what makes it shine. For as cheesy as the dialogue is, I actually really enjoyed the dumb humor interlaced through it all, and it gave a lot of personality to characters I didn’t thing I would care about. The combat is a quick burn, so it was nice to be able to put my Vita in sleep mode and play Hyperdimension in bursts rather than getting bored through long play sessions.

If you’re looking for a different JRPG to pop into your Vita, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2 is a solid option, and it packs in a lot of content to get a lot of bang for your buck. There’s some annoyances you’ll encounter, but if you can look past them, Re;Birth 2 can be a lot of fun.

This review is based on a review copy of the PlayStation Vita game Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 2: Sisters Generation by Felistella and distributed by IDEA Factory.