Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1+ Review

Seven years after its initial Japan-only release, Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 + is finally arriving in the West on PlayStation 4. Developed by Idea Factory, Re;Birth1+ is an enhanced port of the 2013 PlayStation Vita and PC title Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1, which itself is a remake of 2010’s Hyperdimension Neptunia for the PlayStation 3. Confused yet? Well, it’s best I don’t even mention the 2020 PlayStation 5 remake, known as Neptunia ReVerse!

Focusing on Re;Birth1+, what does this game have that the original and first port do not have? Not only that, but is it an RPG worth playing anyway? Only one way to find out… welcome to Gamindustri!

The plot of Re;Birth1+ remains unchanged from Re;Birth. That said, if you’ve only played the original Hyperdimension Neptunia, then the story will seem wildly different! The basic premise could be described as a bit of a parody of the videogame industry, with characters representing certain gaming companies, such as Nintendo and SEGA. It’s silly, sure, but makes for a relatively engaging and often amusing narrative that loves to poke fun at the industry and break the fourth wall constantly.

Playing as Neptune, a Goddess (also known as a CPU) that rules over Planeptune, the game opens showing her defeat at the hands of the three other Goddesses. Waking up in a strange land, she has no idea of who she is or why she’s there. Thus, you’ll need to follow Neptune on her journey as she rediscovers who she is, all whilst battling mysterious forces seemingly intent on the world of Gamindustri’s destruction.

Much of the plot unfolds via visual novel-esque dialogue, with static images of characters and text boxes galore. No, seriously, there are so many text boxes! Which wouldn’t be so bad if the story was engaging, but I didn’t find myself that invested in the characters throughout the journey. I will admit, it is funny though, and the constant real-world references and charming banter did manage to win me over. There are so many references and subtle nods to franchises that went right over my head, but the ones I did get (like the Gundam 00 one, for example) had me smiling and feeling ever so slightly smug that I understood that reference.

Re;Birth1+ isn’t the most striking game to look at, although, as I said, a lot of the story unfolds via static scenes. Perhaps not too surprising, as it’s a refined version of a Vita remake of a PS3 title (I think that’s right; this is all a bit confusing), but some scenes would have benefited from more animations. This extends to the 3D models of the characters during exploration and combat, as they can look a little stiff whilst moving. However, some of the super moves or transformations in battle are as flashy and over the top as you’d expect in an RPG such as this, which is never a bad thing!

Audio-wise, the voice acting features both English and Japanese, with the latter being the best way to go. It’s not that the English voices are awful, but some can be rather monotonous and lacking expression that comes across much better with the Japanese actors. As for the music, there are some good, up-tempo tunes to hum along to whilst playing, and I found that the majority of the themes were fitting for the general easy-going nature of the game in general.

As I’ve already mentioned, you'll spend a lot of time in static scenes with characters interacting with one another to drive the plot forward. When you’re not in an event, Re;Birth1+ has you trawling through dungeons, forests, and the like. There is a world map, but this is mainly used to select your next destination or stock up on supplies, with areas selectable from a menu, rather than being able to freely explore.

Whilst traversing, you’re free to move around relatively linear paths, encountering monsters and hunting for hidden treasure by pressing a button to uncover them. Personally, I prefer having chests visible rather than seeking out invisible goodies, but at least it’s optional.

The main focus of gameplay is the combat system. This is a turn-based affair that allows you to move around within a certain range in real time in order to attack. When ready to bring the hurt, each character has a hit box that indicates which enemy — or enemies — will take damage from them. Certain characters, such as IF, have short-ranged attacks, whilst others will be able to damage multiple foes at once. Standard attacks are broken down into three types: Break, Power, and Rush. You can chain them together and form combos, with each one damaging an opponent differently.

See, enemies have both a health bar and a guard bar, so breaking their guard beforehand is more effective at whittling down their health. Break attacks deal more damage to guard, whereas Power ones do the opposite, with Rush moves being used to raise your EXE Drive, which in turn allows a character to unleash a special move.

Customising each character's attacks is also a big part of combat, allowing players to swap up each part of their attack chain. I tried to mix things up every now and again as more skills were unlocked, but once I found a set I felt worked right, I mostly stuck with that. Aside from your standard attacks and combos, you’ll also be able to unleash special moves that cost SP. More akin to how magic is used in other RPGs, these can range from high-damage-dealing attacks to healing party members and temporarily buffing certain stats.

Finally, the Remake system is something entirely unique and is a genuinely intuitive mechanic. This allows you to alter the world to your advantage by using items collected throughout explorable areas. You can increase enemy numbers, obtain new customisation items, and even change previously visited locations in order to find new treasures. It was a fun way to be able to change the game to my own tastes, and I spent a lot of time adjusting certain settings and unlocking new weapons for my party.

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1+ has a lot of interesting elements to it. Although I found some of the fan service and jiggle physics a bit much (hey, if that’s your thing, I’m not here to judge!) and the visual novel method of moving the plot forward not to my liking, I still enjoyed my time with the game.

If you’re after a serious RPG story then this will absolutely not be one for you. However, if you’re looking for something more light-hearted with some genuinely laugh-out-loud moments, and have never played a Neptuina title before, then maybe give this one a go!