Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed (PC) Review

Like its RPG brethren (sistren?), Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed is coming to the PC via Steam.  As the title suggests, this is an action game.  Specifically, it is a hack and slash, more akin to Dynasty Warriors than what had previously come in the Neptunia series of games.

Neptunia U follows the two reporter characters, Dengekiko and Famitsu, as they are writing stories about the CPUs and the CPU candidates.  To do so, you will undertake many missions that involve killing lots of enemies (in true hack and slash fashion).  Most battles are done in a team of two that you can switch between at any time.  Little bubbles under your health are used for special attacks, and a third meter (EXE) allows you to go into your CPU form.  In a nod to Senran Kagura, the girls' clothing can also be ripped.  At least you get some EXE meter for it.

The story is divided up into missions, but not all of them have to be completed to advance.  One of my gripes was the missions are given out in batches.  This would be fine but they have some big level spreads that you won't be able to do when you first get them, and their order in the areas is random too.  It makes for too much poking around to find the next mission, rather than having them in some sort of order.  Many of them do have the freedom to pick who you want, so grinding is pretty easy and usually required.  It is a Neptunia game, after all.

After completing the story, a battle tournament called "Gamindustri Gauntlet" opens up.  The tournament is pretty simple, and wasn't much fun for me, but worth doing at least once to unlock Neptral Tower.  That mode is a series of battles and can be pretty fun.  If you enjoy the action of the game, the content is worth the asking price.  If you want to read a little more in-depth about the game itself (and not this port of it), then check out my review of the Vita version.

Performance-wise, my preview build of the PC port was solid.  Load times are noticeably better than the Vita version, save for the hiccup when it loads a tutorial screen.  It looks better than the Vita version, which should come as no surprise.  It is possible to use the keyboard and mouse for the game, but...I wouldn't.  Since it is an action game, a controller is far superior.  The game feels really good with a controller, which is one reason I eventually put my Vita version on the Playstation TV.

Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed is a fun game.  This is the best looking version of the game, and it is so satisfying to play it with a controller.  Neptunia fans should definitely try the game out, even though it is a different genre.  Fans of hack and slash games like the Warriors series or Sengoku Basara might also find the game fun, even if it might be a bit basic by those standards.