Neptunia Virtual Stars Reviews
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.
There is no doubt that Neptunia Virtual Stars is a perfect match for the world of social media and Vtubers. The execution of this title may not be perfect in the peripheral elements, but overall it is a solid addition to the series. Returning fans and new ones alike will enjoy seeing their favourite Goddesses and getting to know the new characters. The fact that the Vtubers are real outside of the the experience is a big pull for Vtuber fans as they can get to know their favourite stars more deeply through this experience. Even when the main story is concluded, there is still plenty of V-Cubes to collect, new strong enemies to kill and Beatnik to master, making it a title that can't be missed for fans of the Neptunia universe.
Unsurprisingly, Neptunia Virtual Stars hinges on what exactly you're looking for. If that answer is a quirky RPG with tight and deep mechanics, you'll likely be disappointed. However, if you just want a fun RPG that has amusing interactions and cute characters, it will likely be fun. That isn't to say Neptunia Virtual Stars is a bad game, it just doesn't particularly stand out in any positive or negative way.
Neptunia Virtual Stars is a great new direction for the series. It's weird and unexpected, but it's a breath of fresh-air compared to the familiar territory the last few games have been treading. There's a massive amount of love for vtuber culture in this game and it helps lift up the fun and refreshing story. It's a shame that the combat couldn't reach the same highs as the rest of the game, but while it's a major wrinkle, it doesn't ruin the entire experience. Any hardcore vtuber fan needs to play this game, and some clunky combat won't change that.
While Neptune and her friends are just as enthusiastic and charming as ever, both the gameplay and story feels a little stale. It’s great that the developer has managed to seamlessly blend together real V-tubers with the ladies from Gamesindustri, but it’s a real shame that there’s nothing else that lifts this game above average.
While I am a fan of the Neptunia series, I can not lie and say I enjoyed this game. Aside from the unfun gameplay, which has plagued the majority of the latest entries considerably, the superficial characterization and interaction, lazily done narrative and lack of evolution make Neptunia Virtual Stars yet another mediocre title in this franchise that refuses to modernize and overhaul its systems.
Neptunia Virtual Stars is a good game in the long-running series, but does fall short in terms of being a great gateway game.
Neptunia Virtual Stars is one of my favourite spin-offs in the delightful franchise as it contains a brilliant blend of gameplay elements, a wonderful cast of characters, and one of the funniest meta premises in gaming history.
Neptune and her friends return for yet another spin-off in the Neptunia series; their dive into the world of Vtubers is a dull and unremarkable experience unfortunately.
Neptunia Virtual Stars is an intelligent, relevant, topical and timely satire. It does represent a new direction for the series, and is clearly an effort to find a way to stay relevant now that the jokes that previously provided the foundation for the series have lost their relevance. In doing so Idea Factory decided to experiment with the gameplay, and while that wasn't executed to a particularly fine degree, the heavier focus on narrative and the sheer energy of the whole package means that I found it impossible to remain disappointed by the game's rough edges. The rest of it was too much of a laugh-out-loud delight.
I don’t think it’s a total swing and a miss like Super Neptunia RPG was, but that may have made the experience more disappointing considering all the parts I liked.
It isn’t really very often that I’m so negative about a game, but Neptunia Virtual Stars does so many things wrong that I just couldn’t ignore it. Normally, this would be the part where I would say, “only get this game if you’re a fan of the series,” but I’d be wary even then. As little as I’ve talked about it within this review, this game is obviously little more than an attempt to pander to the Vtuber fandom. I don’t say that with any disrespect—if you like Vtubers, then more power to you. But, Idea Factory, next time you make some sort of crossover titles, keep in mind that you’re capable of making quality crossovers—like Superdimension Neptunia VS Sega Hard Girls—and maybe don’t try to patch up a lack of content by slapping Vtubers everywhere like they’re bandages.
Should you play Neptunia Virtual Stars? Unless you’re a fan of the quirky Goddesses, I’d give this one a wide berth. Sure, shooting a range of weird and wonderful enemies is fun for a while, but if third person shooting or hacking-and-slashing is what you’re after, there are way better games to do that in. Ultimately, its annoyances far outweigh its pros, and there’s not much here worth sticking around for.
It’s always a gamble when a new game releases in the Neptunia franchise, since Idea Factory and Compile Heart love to experiment with the IP. As for Neptunia Virtual Stars, I’d say it’s an above-average title and one of the better spin-offs in the franchise, but that doesn’t make it great. Issues with the story and game design harm the title’s overall quality, which is a shame because the game looks and sounds brilliant! If you’re a fan of the franchise, you’ll undoubtedly get more out of the game, but it’s not an easy sell for someone new to the series.
Compile Heart still seems on the right track, but the Neptunia franchise needs to meet higher standards or it will be quickly left behind by the AA competition.
That said, nearly everything about Neputnia Virtual Stars just feels like half-assed fanservice for the sake of fanservice. The gameplay – while somewhat competent – feels undercooked, the story is flat out boring, and the presentation doesn’t do much to salvage the first two. The inclusion of VTuber content is dim bright spot, but it’s not bright enough to bring this game up to any sort of recommendation. Prospective players should just skip this one, and Neptunia fans deserve better than this disappointment.
Neptunia Virtual Stars is best served to either VTuber fans, Neptunia fans, or both. There's little appeal here for other types of gamers. There are many, many better third-person shooters out there, and plenty of JRPGs worthy of a huge timesink. At least you'll get a full-length, fully-voiced adventure for your trouble with Neptunia Virtual Stars, but unless you've really got a thing for the VTube lifestyle mixed with hyper-cuteness, your time is probably better spent elsewhere.
Ultimately, Virtual Stars is a really timely take on the current state of social media and gaming, and just how digital interactions work nowadays. Very relevant given what has recently happened with some JP Vtubers, it's great to see some of this talent reaching Western audiences, even if only as a few snippets. There's even a TV in the main hub that plays Vtuber clips you can watch. If you enjoy the Neptunia franchise, Vtubers, or just looking for an anime inspired shooter/hack and slasher, I really do implore you to check out Neptunia Virtual Stars.
Neptunia Virtual Stars is rough around the edges, but it's surprisingly fun to play and charming in its own way once you get used to it.
Whilst it’s always good seeing the Nep try something new, shooting doesn’t look to be her forte with misses here & there