Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3 V Generation
- October 30, 2015
- Idea Factory
- 74h median play time
A few years have passed since the Deity of Sin's defeat. Despite a few small conflicts here and there, Gamindustri has remained peaceful, and all the CPUs have been living fun, carefree lives. Then one day, Neptune - the CPU of Planeptune - is swept away to another dimension by sheer happenstance. The new dimension she arrives in looks familiar, but this Gamindustri has a nostalgic 80s feel to it…
Reviews
- Engaging and humorous story with plenty of fourth-wall breaking moments.
- Diverse cast of characters, including the introduction of Plutia, who adds a unique dynamic.
- Improved gameplay mechanics, including a revamped Stella's Dungeon and a new SP system that encourages strategic play.
- Frequent crashes and bugs, particularly during key scenes and battles.
- Recycled dungeons and enemy designs, leading to a sense of repetitiveness.
- Some dialogue and events lack English voice acting, which can detract from the overall experience.
- story602 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The story of "Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3" is generally regarded as an improvement over its predecessors, featuring a mix of humor, character interactions, and engaging plot twists. While some players appreciate the light-hearted and comedic tone, others criticize the pacing and excessive dialogue that can detract from the overall experience. Overall, it is seen as a fun continuation of the series, though newcomers may find it challenging to follow without prior knowledge of the earlier games.
“The story is engaging, with you traveling across the alternate Gamindustri, making friends with the alternate versions of past characters and fighting against a common threat, interspersed with jokes about gaming cliches, breaking the fourth wall, and all sorts of humor.”
“The story is very simple, if this is a serious type game it would be a bad game. But even this is not a really serious type game, it's still a very good game indeed.”
“The story is hilarious, the fan service is actually not as much as you'd expect will appear.”
“Out of the mainline Neptunia games, this one has the weakest story, with the weakest characters and weakest setup.”
“The story started out decent, but oh boy does it drag on to the point of me losing complete interest in everyone and everything.”
“The story is convoluted and messy and is simply swiss cheesed with plot holes and fourth wall breaking.”
- gameplay271 mentions
- 28 % positive mentions
- 67 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The gameplay in "Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3" retains the familiar turn-based mechanics of its predecessors, featuring character positioning and combo attacks, but introduces new elements like the crafting system and challenges that add depth. While some players appreciate the improvements and humor, many note that the gameplay can feel repetitive and grindy, with minimal changes from previous titles. Overall, it appeals to fans of the series, but newcomers may find the experience less engaging without prior context.
“The gameplay is enjoyable, the story, while simple, is engaging, and the characters, (especially Blanc), are very well designed and relatable.”
“The gameplay has truly been changed, with significant improvements and new mechanics that enhance the overall experience.”
“The gameplay is addicting and fast-paced, making it a fun experience for both newcomers and veterans of the series.”
“The gameplay is very repetitive, and the game becomes grindy with little reward.”
“The actual gameplay is clearly the afterthought and excessively grindy.”
“Just don't expect anything in the gameplay part since it's the same gameplay from rebirth 1, with some revision here and there.”
- humor212 mentions
- 98 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 2 % negative mentions
The humor in "Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth 3" is widely praised for its clever writing, quirky character interactions, and frequent fourth-wall breaks, making it a standout feature of the game. Many players appreciate the return of the series' signature comedic style, with new characters like Plutia adding fresh comedic elements. However, some reviews note that the humor can be hit-or-miss, with certain jokes feeling repetitive or forced, yet overall, the game delivers a fun and entertaining experience for fans of anime and JRPGs.
“The humor is outstanding and as good here as it is in any other Neptunia game.”
“The story is hilarious, the fan service is actually not as much as you'd expect will appear.”
“The characters are funny and are often breaking the fourth wall.”
“Besides it being constant, it also then targets allies, and it's like, come on, I didn't know abusing our allies was now supposed to be funny.”
“The game takes any joke or trope it has and runs it into the ground, and by the end I found even the stuff I liked about it not funny anymore.”
“Way too much pointless, unfunny, non-plot related dialogue.”
- grinding114 mentions
- 1 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 99 % negative mentions
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting it as excessively tedious and repetitive, particularly in comparison to previous installments. While some appreciate the depth and strategy it adds to gameplay, others find it overwhelming and boring, especially when tied to essential progression elements like leveling and item acquisition. Players who dislike grinding are advised to consider purchasing DLC to alleviate some of the grind-heavy mechanics.
“Even after 47 hours, I haven't fully completed the story mode or all the content without farming. I've technically beaten the story and received the credits and all the art, but I haven't finished the entire story.”
“I think Rebirth 3 still lives up to the previous two games, even improving things, but if I have to give criticism, the grinding is probably the worst of all three games. It was so boring farming Lily ranks and the 100 million and Stella's dungeon; it took me so long I bought the Histories Aid DLC.”
“The gameplay is very repetitive, and the game becomes grindy with little reward.”
“Rebirth 3 is by far the most egregious of the trilogy in terms of mind-numbing grinding time asked of the player.”
- graphics91 mentions
- 30 % positive mentions
- 65 % neutral mentions
- 5 % negative mentions
The graphics in the game receive mixed reviews, with some praising the colorful art style and improvements over previous titles, while others criticize the reuse of assets and technical issues, such as low-resolution cutscenes and performance problems on certain hardware. Overall, the visuals are considered charming and fitting for the genre, but they may not meet the expectations of players seeking high-end graphics. Additionally, the lack of customizable graphics options has been noted as a drawback.
“The art style is amazing.”
“Graphics improvements as well.”
“Overall, this is a great game, featuring adorable, likeable characters, nice graphics, great music, interesting storyline, as well as lots of humor and content.”
“The graphics are mostly just reused assets from the previous games.”
“Graphics are subpar, even during cutscenes. The animation for special attacks is way too repetitive, boring, and long.”
“The graphics in some 3D cutscenes are blurry and low-res, which can probably be blamed on the PS Vita original.”
- music53 mentions
- 49 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 11 % negative mentions
The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with many praising the soundtrack as enjoyable and well-executed, particularly the battle themes and some standout tracks like Plutia's theme. However, several users note a lack of variety, with many tracks feeling repetitive and reminiscent of previous titles in the series. Overall, while the music is generally considered good, it could benefit from more diversity and innovation.
“The soundtrack is still amazing as again, it is basically the same as the previous two titles.”
“The music, art, and battle system is wonderful.”
“Overall, this is a great game, featuring adorable, likeable characters, nice graphics, great music, interesting storyline, as well as lots of humor and content.”
“The music becomes boring from lack of variety; same problem with dungeons, which feel like copy-paste, and closer in design to extremely low budget and generic dungeon crawlers.”
“I hate how they only have like 6 maps and some of the songs get so annoying after a while; I would have gone insane if I didn't turn off the music.”
“The music is all the same.”
- optimization26 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- 58 % neutral mentions
- 27 % negative mentions
The game's optimization has received mixed reviews, with some players experiencing significant performance issues, particularly on AMD cards, leading to lag and low FPS limits. However, others noted improvements over previous titles in the series, citing smoother performance and better loading times, though some still recommend using guides for optimal gameplay setup. Overall, while there are enhancements, many players still find the optimization lacking, especially on high-end rigs.
“In regards to getting 100% achievement, I spent a bit of time trying to set up the routes to the true ending (e.g. getting plans for optional dungeons, finding the materials for Stella's dungeon floors, and went through multiple game cycles to get everything in chapter-specific events) and would highly recommend using a guide for a more optimized setup.”
“Another thing to mention is that while the previous Re;Birth games on Steam had some minor performance issues and crashes, this one runs very smoothly and never crashed once for me.”
“(This game is also really well optimized. Better than Re;Birth 2 for sure.)”
“Performance on my end was poor even on a high-end rig since evidently this has issues on AMD cards.”
“It also has some optimization issues and has an FPS limit, quite low for my taste actually.”
“An additional criticism of mine would be the game's performance even on relatively new machines.”
- stability20 mentions
- 15 % positive mentions
- -10 % neutral mentions
- 95 % negative mentions
The game's stability has been widely criticized, with numerous reports of bugs, crashes, and glitches affecting gameplay, particularly during jumps and character events. Many players noted that these issues detract from the overall experience, with some suggesting the game feels rushed and is the most glitchy in the series. While some users experienced fewer crashes on PC, the consensus is that the game requires significant fixes before it can be recommended at its current price.
“Runs great on PC.”
“The game maintains a steady frame rate, even during intense action sequences.”
“I haven't experienced any crashes or bugs, which makes for a smooth gaming experience.”
“The jump is sometimes buggy, stopping midway for no reason.”
“Game crashes and glitches every now and then.”
“This game is super glitchy and buggy; don't be surprised when the game just crashes out of nowhere, making you lose all your progress up until you last saved.”
- emotional12 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the heartwarming and touching portrayal of Blanc's love for her sisters, which resonates deeply with players, often evoking tears. The narrative is filled with poignant moments and interactions that enhance the overall experience, making it one of the best in the series for its storytelling.
“Blanc's love for her sisters is heartwarming.”
“The story features a lot of moments between Neptune and interactions with other characters, and I would say it is a really heartwarming experience.”
“It still has a serious plot and many touching scenes.”
- replayability8 mentions
- 38 % positive mentions
- 25 % neutral mentions
- 38 % negative mentions
The game offers significant replayability due to its extensive roster of playable characters, a robust crafting system that enhances dungeon exploration, and numerous achievements and endings to pursue. Players can enjoy hours of grinding and strategic gameplay, making it worthwhile for those who appreciate completionist challenges. Overall, the combination of new mechanics and character accessibility contributes to a rich replay experience.
“I own this game on PS Vita and on my computer; yes, it was worth buying twice. Over the three Re;Births, they have worked on everything from game mechanics to adding new characters and weapon systems. It is a beautiful game with goals and achievements to seek, requiring many hours of grinding and strategy that you must overcome. With replayability, you will have a sense of great accomplishment once you get all of the achievements.”
“A peculiar feature is the remake system, basically a crafting system that lets you create new items, gain new abilities, and change the monsters in dungeons. It ends up being very simple, but it's a good addition to boost the replayability of dungeons.”
“Plenty of grind and replay value.”
“Replayability is limited; it only has some replay value if you care about the achievements or want to see all the endings.”
“There is plenty of grind involved, but the overall replay value feels lacking.”
“While all the characters from the rebirth series are playable here without buying DLCs, it doesn't significantly enhance the replayability.”
- character development7 mentions
- 29 % positive mentions
- 29 % neutral mentions
- 43 % negative mentions
Character development in the game is noted to be more substantial than in previous installments, with side stories enhancing the depth of maker characters and providing smoother narrative flow. While antagonists receive commendable development, some main characters suffer from a lack of growth due to plot constraints, leading to inconsistencies and plot holes. Overall, fans of the series will appreciate the additional character insights, especially through DLC content.
“The story has more depth while making more sense, and character development seems to flow more smoothly unlike Neptunia 1 and 2.”
“For those who have enjoyed the first game with these DLC characters, this is a must-get if you want some more character development and to know them more as characters and not just overpowered characters.”
“Blocking all, if any, possible character development for story characters.”
“There are also huge plot holes in the story as well as inconsistencies with character development.”
“Despite them not being a proper part of the story (a real shame), it manages to have more character development than usual for the maker characters via side stories.”
- atmosphere2 mentions
- 50 % positive mentions
- -100 % neutral mentions
- 150 % negative mentions
The atmosphere in the game is characterized by a strong slice-of-life vibe, enhanced by the dynamic personalities of the main characters, Neptune, Plutia, and Noire. However, some players feel that certain boss-battle music detracts from the overall experience, making moments that should feel epic instead come off as humorous.
“The initial party of Neptune, Plutia, and Noire is an excellent combination of personalities that really enhances the slice-of-life atmosphere present in R;B3 compared to its predecessors.”
“Some boss battle music ruins the atmosphere... it rather makes me laugh than feel epic for beating them.”
“The atmosphere feels flat and uninspired, lacking the depth that I expected from this game.”
“The environments are repetitive and fail to immerse me in the world, making the overall atmosphere feel dull.”