Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters

About

Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters follows the story of the four CPUs and their sisters as they join forces to save Gamindustri from a new threat. Players will engage in fast-paced action combat and strategic planning in this hack-and-slash RPG. With new and returning characters, players will delve into the world of Gamindustri and uncover the mystery behind the strange occurrences plaguing the land.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

79%

Audience ScoreBased on 217 reviews

story45 positive mentions

stability7 negative mentions

The game features beautiful graphics and improved character models, especially with the use of Live2D animations during cutscenes.
The story starts strong and has engaging character interactions, with a mix of humor and serious themes that resonate well with fans of the series.
The new combat system introduces a real-time action element that, while different, adds a fresh dynamic to the gameplay and encourages strategic character switching.

The balancing of the game is poor, making it feel either too easy or frustratingly difficult at times, particularly during boss fights.
There are numerous bugs, including issues with character movement and getting stuck on ladders, which can disrupt gameplay.
The dungeons feel repetitive and lack variety, often reusing assets and layouts, which detracts from the overall exploration experience.

story
175 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
26%
71%
3%
The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising its emotional depth and engaging plot twists, particularly in the second half, while others criticize it for being convoluted and lacking substance in the first half. Many players noted a shift towards a more serious tone, moving away from the franchise's typical humor, and highlighted the impact of real-life themes like COVID-19 on the narrative. Overall, while the story has its flaws, it is often regarded as one of the stronger entries in the Neptunia series, especially for those familiar with the characters and previous games.
- “Nepgear worked well as the protagonist; the story got engaging around chapter 4 and managed to maintain the momentum from there.”
- “The story is just incredible.”
- “This is probably the best story told in a Neptunia game.”
- “The story is a damn mess, making progressively less sense as it goes and then it ends; they even go so far to say that Gamindustri graveyard will disappear too, you know, the place where all the junk is thrown, all of it.”
- “The game, as usual, works a mix of real-life commentary through memes and references (like any post-2020 game with self-awareness relies heavily on commenting about the lockdowns) and a story that starts serviceable and even interesting at times but devolves into a mess.”
- “It's a shame, because the story picks up and ends like no Neptunia game before it.”
gameplay
65 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
65%
11%
The gameplay in "Sisters vs. Sisters" has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the shift from turn-based to real-time combat, while others criticize it for being basic, repetitive, and lacking depth. Although the new mechanics and visuals are seen as improvements, many feel that the gameplay fails to connect with the story and can become tedious, especially in later stages. Overall, while some players found the gameplay enjoyable and refreshing, others deemed it the weakest aspect of the game.
- “The combat gameplay is really fun here in my opinion, especially when you control three characters.”
- “Gameplay is a little different with the new real-time battle system instead of the turn-based style found in previous titles but is easy to adjust.”
- “This new gameplay loop is interesting and for me I welcome it to the series with open arms as long as future titles try to deepen and make the gameplay richer.”
- “So I was expecting this to be really good and it definitely let me down in the gameplay department.”
- “This has the worst gameplay in the franchise.”
- “But despite all the good things it has going for it, it fails in the most important aspect: the core gameplay loop.”
graphics
42 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
64%
7%
The graphics in the game have seen significant improvements, particularly with the transition to a new engine that enhances character models and overall visual fidelity. While many players appreciate the upgraded visuals and the inclusion of live2D elements, some still note issues with performance, graphical glitches, and a lack of variety in environments. Overall, the graphics are considered a step up for the franchise, though not without their flaws.
- “The world sure looks nice, in terms of graphical fidelity.”
- “The graphics as a whole have improved a lot, and the game doesn't feel old (like some of the spinoffs).”
- “They innovated the combat system, upgraded their graphics, implemented live2D, and modeled the nation of Planeptune into playable maps.”
- “The graphics really are not doing anything impressive.”
- “If I set all the graphics to nothing, it looks awful, and still has FPS issues.”
- “The graphics settings are nearly nonexistent however.”
music
24 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
13%
75%
13%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with some praising the new tracks and the return of beloved soundtracks from previous titles, while others criticize the eclectic nature and repetitive loops in certain areas. While the new compositions are generally well-received, some players find the music choices for specific scenes baffling and feel that the overall soundtrack lacks cohesion. Despite these criticisms, many agree that the soundtrack, featuring a blend of new and remixed tracks, contributes positively to the game's atmosphere.
- “There is also some reused music from the older games which isn't too big of a problem to me and the new music slaps.”
- “For music, we have the return of several Megadimension VII soundtracks, which is always appreciated because they're awesome.”
- “The OST is largely Megadimension tracks with some new songs and remixes, making for a solid soundtrack already.”
- “If you're a long-time Neptunia player, you might be put off by how eclectic the soundtrack can be at times.”
- “Some of the music choices for certain scenes are, quite frankly, utterly baffling and bizarre, like the person who decided that was drunk and just tossed a dart at a spinning wheel to make the choice.”
- “Speaking of that tower, do your best to stray away from it if you are doing a casual playthrough; it's extremely boring and monotonous considering that you go through the same stages you've gone through the whole game with the same music loop being in all of them.”
humor
16 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a blend of clever dialogue, relatable references, and lighthearted skits that effectively balance darker themes with comedic relief. While some players appreciate the funny interactions and character dynamics, others feel the overall tone has shifted to a more serious narrative, resulting in a mixed reception regarding the humor's consistency. Despite this, many still find the jokes and character-driven humor enjoyable, particularly in the context of the franchise's established comedic style.
- “The jokes are genuinely funny and the game does a good job of transitioning from darker moments to lighthearted moments without downplaying the severity of the situation the characters are in at the time.”
- “Funny dialogue, and outstanding interactions/relationships between all the characters!”
- “I enjoyed all the references (as usual), the characters were funny and cute and awesome, the story was very good, and the English voice cast were still at it!”
stability
9 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
22%
78%
The game's stability has been a mixed experience for users, with reports of frame stuttering, graphical glitches, and camera issues causing discomfort, particularly in tight spaces. While some players have noted improvements and better performance on Linux systems, others continue to encounter significant bugs, especially at high frame rates and during combat. Overall, the game shows potential but still requires further optimization to enhance stability.
- “Runs great with Proton if you're a Linux user (including the opening movie, unlike games that use Media Foundation). I assume this would translate to the Steam Deck as well.”
- “The game runs great in dungeons, but I do experience a little stutter on the world map and in dialogue scenes.”
- “I had issues with frame stuttering and frame rate problems earlier this year even after troubleshooting.”
- “Camera glitches are a cause for eye strain, especially in narrow corridors with uneven walls.”
- “The PC version is oddly buggy.”
grinding
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Reviews indicate that while the game was expected to involve significant grinding, it ultimately offers a more accessible experience with minimal grinding required for leveling up. Players noted that the early game can feel tedious due to limited character availability and challenging mechanics, but the difficulty eases as skills and weapons are unlocked. Overall, the grinding aspect is less pronounced compared to previous titles in the series, though some still find the gameplay repetitive and frustrating.
- “The deep, thoughtful JRPG strategizing you'd be doing is sadly gone now and replaced not by skill, but grinding (or having to fight the boss 1 on 1 while your dead party members just lay there).”
- “It gets way easier later in the game since you unlock more skills and combos and stronger weapons, but it's kinda tedious during early game (it doesn't help that you don't always have the full roster available).”
- “Very long and tedious for the worst button finding, ladder climbing, or block pushing you will see.”
emotional
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The emotional aspect of the game is a mixed bag, with some players feeling overwhelmed by the focus on COVID-related themes rather than character development. While certain characters, like Nepgear, exhibit excessive emotional responses, the overall story is described as fantastic and wholesome, with heartwarming moments and engaging character interactions that evoke genuine feelings. The ending theme also resonates emotionally, enhancing the overall experience for players familiar with previous installments.
- “Like I said, the story is fantastic, wholesome, and again, you get invested into it.”
- “Oh, and the ending theme did make me a little emotional, just listening to it while the credits rolled.”
- “Character interactions were as fun and wacky as always while not being too silly and provided genuine heartwarming and emotional moments.”
optimization
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
29%
43%
Overall, the optimization of the game has received mixed reviews. While some players report smooth performance and support for higher resolutions, others experience significant frame stuttering, graphical glitches, and audio balancing issues, particularly with new characters. The use of Live2D technology has also been noted to impact performance negatively.
- “First things first, finally a Neptunia game that just runs smoothly on PC too.”
- “The performance is good, and unlike the other games, it has support for resolutions and refresh rates higher than 1080p 60Hz.”
- “I had issues with frame stuttering and frame rate problems earlier this year even after troubleshooting.”
- “The use of Live2D also comes at a surprisingly high performance cost.”
- “It's also not the best performance for any of these characters, unfortunately, and one of the new cast members is in serious need of audio balancing or possibly a reshoot: the microphone sounds way too hot and their volume range fluctuates in extremes to the point of making me jump out of my seat when first hearing it during boss dialogue.”
replayability
4 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
25%
75%
Replayability is limited, primarily focusing on the main goddesses, with few additional characters available until the new game plus (NG+). Players may find some incentive to replay through specific challenges, but overall, the lack of diverse playable characters diminishes the replay value.
- “Only the main goddesses are playable for the most part.”
- “Replayability is somewhat present, if you can get past everything listed above.”
- “Until NG+, only the main goddesses and no new characters are playable.”
- “So only the main goddesses are playable for the most part.”
character development
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
50%
50%
Character development in the game has been criticized for being overshadowed by excessive focus on the COVID-like virus narrative, with characters like Uni and Nepgear receiving mixed reactions; Uni remains frustratingly static, while Nepgear's emotional responses are seen as overly dramatic. Overall, the character arcs are perceived as lacking depth and failing to evolve meaningfully compared to previous installments.
- “But they really talked too much about COVID (i.e., this weird virus that the game discusses infecting people) rather than focusing on character development. Uni is still annoying ever since Rebirth 2, and Nepgear still cries about Neptune being lost, which is fine, but she was way too emotional. So basically, expect MK2/Rebirth 2 vibes looking into the story of SVS, but worse.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Recent entries in the series have been criticized for being low-quality cash grabs, but there is optimism as the latest installment appears to be moving towards a more positive monetization approach.
- “Recent entries have been such blatant, low-quality cash grabs that I'm both happy and surprised to see the series going back in a positive direction.”