Neptunia Virtual Stars

53%
Game Brain Score Based on 280 reviews
  • gameplay
  • story
  • graphics
Neptunia Virtual Stars Game Cover
If you can get past its confusing story, Neptunia Virtual Stars has a great setting and decent combat that fans of the series will enjoy.
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Neptunia Virtual Stars is a hack-and-slash game set in the digital world of Virtualand, where the planets Emote and Gamindustri face destruction by the Antis group. Players control members of MEWTRAL and the Goddesses of Gamindustri, switching perspectives to battle enemies and save the planets. The game also features a rhythm game mode for a musical twist.

  • PC
  • Play​station 4
  • Play​station 5
  • Windows
  • Play​Station
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

53%
Audience ScoreBased on 280 reviews
gameplay29 positive mentions
optimization14 negative mentions
  • The game features a great cast of Vtubers, which adds a unique charm and appeal for fans of the genre.
  • The graphics and character models are visually appealing, showcasing improvements over previous Neptunia titles.
  • The dialogue and character interactions maintain the humorous and quirky style typical of the Neptunia series.
  • Gameplay is repetitive and lacks depth, with many mechanics feeling unbalanced and poorly executed.
  • The game suffers from numerous technical issues, including crashes, lag, and poor optimization, making it frustrating to play.
  • The story is mediocre and fails to engage players, often feeling like a shallow advertisement for Vtubers rather than a cohesive narrative.
  • gameplay130 mentions

    The gameplay in this title is characterized by a mix of third-person shooting and hack-and-slash mechanics, but it quickly becomes repetitive and lacks depth, leading to a tedious experience. Players noted that while the initial fun fades, the reliance on a few powerful characters, particularly the goddesses, trivializes combat and diminishes the incentive to explore other gameplay options. Overall, the mechanics feel unpolished and chaotic, with many players expressing disappointment in the execution and balance of the gameplay elements.

    • “The gameplay is pretty good, nice ARPG-style gameplay where you can shift between modes on the fly: vtubers use traditional hack-and-slash ARPG combat, whereas goddesses (Neptune, etc.) play more like fast-paced third-person shooters, with lots of skating around and shooting your targets.”
    • “Yet with the right story pacing, and sufficient mechanics, this is a fun game to play.”
    • “Ok, how to describe this newest installment of Neptunia... for starters: it's a hybrid genre of third-person shooting but with hack & slash gameplay mechanics too.”
    • “Gameplay depends on a lot of repetition, very noticeable repetition even for a game from this franchise.”
    • “Even as someone who has played and enjoyed other spinoffs like Blanc vs Zombies / RPG, I can't recommend this title; gameplay is either a scuffed shooter or a mediocre hack n' slash, and the dialog has a lot less charm than usual.”
    • “The game bombards you with mechanics of which half of them you won't even use that much or are difficult to execute while focusing on not getting hit and shooting/slashing enemies.”
  • story84 mentions

    The story of the game has received mixed reviews, with many describing it as mediocre and padded, which detracts from the overall gameplay experience. While some players found it engaging, particularly in the context of a visual novel, others criticized it for being formulaic and lacking depth, often feeling like a vehicle for vtuber promotion rather than a compelling narrative. Overall, the writing has moments of charm, but it struggles to maintain interest and coherence throughout.

    • “The dialogue is the same as always, pretty decent, and in cutscenes they use the 3D models, so any costume changes like adding accessories or turning on the swimsuit DLC shows up in any story content without CG, which is pretty great.”
    • “You're not buying Monster Hunter here... it's a fan service JRPG with a great story, fun characters, fan service, great music, and fun gameplay.”
    • “Unpopular opinion maybe, but I like this game; the story is your classic Nep comedy show, and even the characters feel memorable, but not anything like a classic Nep game (I'm still waiting for one and not another remake).”
    • “The story is mediocre, which drags on the tedium of the gameplay even more.”
    • “I'd also review the story, but I actually got bored of the amount of padding in the visual novel sections that outweigh the rest of the game.”
    • “Even for the Neptunia series in general, gameplay is never the best, but characters make up for it. However, this is the first time I genuinely couldn't play the game just due to how boring it is and how much I really don't care about the story.”
  • graphics32 mentions

    The graphics of the game receive mixed reviews, with some players praising them as a step up from previous titles, while others criticize them for being ugly and plagued by glitches. Many users report significant performance issues, including lag and crashes, which detract from the overall experience, making the game nearly unplayable on certain setups. Despite some positive remarks about the visuals, the consensus leans towards frustration due to technical problems overshadowing the graphical quality.

    • “Graphics are good too.”
    • “Graphics - great as always.”
    • “The graphics are fine, honestly.”
    • “Ugly graphics, it's somewhat tolerable, even found a way to make the gameplay playable (switching between keyboard+mouse and controller in battles), but crashes and freezes without autosave make the game absolutely horrible.”
    • “Basically unplayable due to a graphics glitch that nobody knows how to fix.”
    • “Performance is noticeably sluggish with a powerful rig, yet the graphics are a huge step down from what we saw with Four Goddesses Online.”
  • music28 mentions

    The game's soundtrack has received positive feedback, with many praising its quality and the integration of anime-style music during boss battles, which enhances the gameplay experience. While some players find certain tracks repetitive, the overall consensus is that the music is enjoyable and complements the game's fun characters and story. However, there are calls for a mix of classic songs alongside the new tracks to enhance the nostalgic experience.

    • “The soundtrack of this game is really good.”
    • “It might get annoying to hear the emotional overdrive track a lot, but still a great soundtrack overall.”
    • “The music in this game is top tier.”
    • “The boss fight music has become a Japanese anime song.”
    • “In addition to this, we have the hit count meter and the extra elements from boss battles, with the boss health, the finisher meter, song information, the lyrics all over the screen, etc., making it a nightmare to follow what's happening on the screen.”
    • “Oh, and the music is alright, I guess.”
  • optimization16 mentions

    The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with players reporting poor performance, especially during combat, and frequent frame drops even on high-end systems. Many users noted sluggish loading times and transitions, indicating that the PC port is not well-optimized compared to previous titles in the series. Overall, the consensus is that the game requires substantial hardware resources to achieve consistent frame rates, highlighting a need for improvements in optimization.

    • “The game is not optimized very well, so expect to use high TDP to hit consistent FPS.”
    • “This game feels like it's really poorly optimized.”
    • “Performance is noticeably sluggish with a powerful rig, yet the graphics are a huge step down from what we saw with Four Goddesses Online.”
  • monetization14 mentions

    The monetization aspect of the game has been heavily criticized, with many reviewers feeling that it serves primarily as a vehicle for advertising vtubers rather than providing substantial gameplay. Players express frustration over the excessive promotional content and perceive the game as a cash grab, lacking meaningful content and support. Overall, those seeking a genuine gaming experience may find the monetization approach disappointing.

    • “Worse Neptunia game ever, obviously a cheap cash grab designed to get those weebs that love to watch Hololive.”
    • “You expect the game to feature the vtubers they so prominently display in their advertisements and promotional material, but all you get is a shallow and empty platformer/dungeon crawler that has little to no content in it.”
    • “It feels really clunky and feels more like a cash grab than a game.”
  • humor14 mentions

    The humor in the Neptunia series has seen a decline, particularly after "Neptunia Victory II," as character development has led to a reduction in the goofiness that originally made the characters hilarious. While some players still find moments of humor, such as vtuber cameos, many feel that the series has shifted away from its comedic roots, leaving them wanting more laughs. Overall, the games are still considered funny by some, but the charm of the characters has diminished over time.

    • “The game is funny.”
    • “They're funny...”
    • “The vtuber cameos exist and can honestly be annoying sometimes, but seeing Korone in a Neptunia game is kinda funny to me.”
  • stability10 mentions

    The game's stability is widely criticized, with many players reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and a lack of autosave functionality, leading to a frustrating experience. While some users have managed to find workarounds, such as switching input methods, the overall consensus is that the game is plagued by bugs and performance issues, earning it low ratings. However, a few players have reported not experiencing significant problems, suggesting that stability may vary by individual experience.

    • “Ugly graphics, it's somewhat tolerable, even found a way to make the gameplay playable (switching between keyboard+mouse and controller in battles), but crashes and freezes without autosave make the game absolutely horrible.”
    • “3/10 a buggy mess.”
    • “Can't really give a review right now since the game is buggy and all but still would buy and hope for the patch soon.”
  • replayability10 mentions

    The game's replayability is criticized due to a misleading marketing strategy that suggested playable vtuber characters, which are not included. Players express disappointment over the lack of a mission menu for replay value and note that additional playable characters are only available as DLC, limiting the game's long-term engagement.

    • “More playable characters will be available as DLC.”
    • “Faira and Kado are great characters, adding depth to the game experience.”
    • “The game offers a variety of characters, enhancing its replayability.”
    • “However, if you're looking for mission menu for replay value, don't play it.”
    • “❌ mission menu for replay value.”
    • “Faira and Kado are great characters, but unfortunately neither are playable.”
  • character development8 mentions

    Character development in the Neptunia series has faced criticism for stagnation, particularly after "Neptunia Victory," where characters have become less humorous and engaging over time. While the character designs remain visually appealing, the overall depth and evolution of the characters have declined, leading to a perception of redundancy in gameplay and storytelling. This trend has left fans feeling that the series has not effectively built upon its characters' potential.

    • “That convention, however, changed with Neptunia Victory, at which point the following games became sequels. The moment the clock started moving, all acquired character development stuck with the characters, whose point of sale was being a quartet of goofballs. Ever since Victory II, the casting has progressively become less dumb and less funny. While I thought Victory II was as far as they could ever go story-wise, the following games tried to explore new territory while maintaining continuity.”
    • “Overall, for a game titled as the 10th anniversary of Neptunia, they did an amazing job showcasing what modern Neptunia is: interesting character designs and a commitment to continuity.”
    • “I really like the enemy design as there is a fair amount of variety in this game, and the character designs are really good.”
    • “That convention, however, changed with Neptunia Victory, at which point the following games became sequels. Alas, the moment the clock started moving, all acquired character development stuck with the characters, whose point of sale was being a quartet of goofballs. Thus, ever since Victory II, the casting has progressively become less dumb and less funny. While I thought Victory II was as far as they could ever go historically, and the following games tried to move into terra incognita, they kept the continuity. It is until now that I can finally pinpoint the problem: the problem is the characters.”
    • “- Declining character design even worse than many indie games.”
  • emotional6 mentions

    The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by the poignant experience of revisiting characters over time, which resonates deeply with players. While the soundtrack effectively enhances the emotional atmosphere, some find the repetitive emotional tracks a bit overwhelming. Newcomers are advised to start with earlier titles in the series, as they offer more intense emotional experiences.

    • “Come back to see them as time passes; it is very emotional.”
    • “I wouldn't recommend this to anyone as their first Nep game; go play an older one like VII or something, those are emotional roller coasters.”
    • “It might get annoying to hear the emotional overdrive track a lot, but it's still a great soundtrack overall.”
  • grinding4 mentions

    Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious and repetitive, as it primarily involves revisiting previously explored dungeons to farm currency for upgrades. This reliance on RNG for achievements and items contributes to a sense of boredom and frustration after completing the main storyline.

    • “Once you finish the ending, the rest of the achievements or videos require too much farming RNG.”
    • “It's boring and grindy since all it does is send you to earlier visited dungeons to get more currency to buy the upgrades needed to get better shop items.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

Critic Reviews

50% average critic score

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Play time

2hMedian play time
2hAverage play time
2-2hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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