It’s said frequently the saying “There’s something to be said about a bit of titillation,” but if what you see in the Neptunia series Senran Kagura Ninja Warsdoes is just a bit of irritation, then I’ll take my cap. It’s a shame that the Senran Kagura show was always a thin excuse to see giant-breasted ninjas fighting their opponents’ clothes off. But the fact that when you combine it with Hyperdimension Neptunia and Hyperdimension Neptunia, you have a live-action game of video game nations to compete with. Do you think it’s the ideal team or gamer’s nightmare?
If you’ve never had the pleasure of watching either show and the concepts in each might need a bit of explanation. Senran Kagura is a show about two ninja schools that fight against each other frequently and also engage in food fights and rhythm-based cooking contests. And their clothes tend to fly away in battle.
Hyperdimension Neptunia, however, is a collection of turn-based RPGs set in a universe ruled by kingdoms built into video game consoles. Every character is a variation of a gaming stereotypes that all can transform into more powerful versions in order to take on their foes with devastating force.
Neptunia X Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is the 50-50 (ish) mix of the two franchises that cross over. From the Senran Kagura series, it is a 3D hack-and-slash action that the other games be based on, and from Neptunia, we are treated to a complicated RPG system that makes your character more powerful when you kill more players. Additionally, you can unlock special abilities as well as weapons, and utilize objects, but it’s difficult to determine how similar these elements of RPG can be to the games they come from.
I’m sure that if you’re a fan of either one or both of the franchises featured in this crossover, you’ll enjoy watching the characters interact and engaging in hilarious merriment. If you’re not, you’ll likely wonder why people don’t just be quiet so you can continue playing in dungeons, fighting bad guys. There are certainly certain funny moments here and there however the dialogue does seem to drag on for a long time even if you’re interested in visual novels, it’s a rather superficial excuse for one.
In addition, the gameplay of Neptunia X Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is certainly slightly more engaging. The game’s main focus is of tackling increasingly difficult dark dungeons, along with fulfilling side-quests and missions in order to increase the level of your characters. Combat is filthy however it’s fairly fluid and efficient, but the hack-and-slash style of button mashing can get exhausted very quickly. However, the true excitement of the battle comes from the unique skills you have and your combat styles.
Each of the game’s characters that you can play has specific attacks. Each one is distinctive, and you could even improve and equip them as you gain strength. Special attacks are often devastating with stunning animations showing you doing an array of amazing flips and ninja tricks. Simply playing on with the special attack options keeps your combat fresh and the stamina of your opponent recharges fast in many situations that you don’t even need to press the melee attack button before taking another column of ice from your butt.
The opposite side of the coin is the transformations. These are four distinct palette swaps that can be used in combat that are based on four distinct elements. These modes can replenish the health of your character over time, enhance your attack power, increase the stamina replenishment, and also you can get a few charges every time you go into the Dungeon. They’re pretty cool, but I found myself using the green option with health regen when my health was at a low point as if I was playing the “get free of having your butt kicked” card.
The last thing that could be able to make The Neptunia series Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars worth your time is the final moves. Once you’ve built up enough energy, you are able to execute a mighty finishing move that usually does an incredible amount of damage, including to bosses. In their own way, these moves could keep you entertained for around two minutes but the sheer quantity of characters available makes it worth it. If you’re ever becoming bored by the fight then you are able to change onto one of the different characters that have distinct sets of special attacks and finishing techniques.
In addition to the combat, the gameplay is average however it’s not particularly offensive. The dungeon’s design is similar to what you’ve seen in a myriad of mid-range dungeon crawlers. It’s just little areas connected through thin passages. Then, the shifting between various themes. As I mentioned, it’s not at all off-putting, however, it’s certainly not necessarily groundbreaking or anything.
The music and the visuals are both a lot more than one. The fair is essentially a mid-range one however, it’s designed and executed. There’s plenty of variety and a variety of costumes for the many characters, yet everything is similar at the same time. In the end, at the time’s end, it’s clear that the illustrations did their job admirably that it’s clear that they communicated what they required to convey and were never unpleasant to view.
One thing that could cause some angst to those who have been long-time fans, or at the very least, fans of Senran Kagura having to deal with the fact that the fan service is fairly tame in comparison to that standard for the franchise. Yes, my joke from the opening paragraph notwithstanding, this is mostly about the action and the silly ‘scantily-clad-ninjas-fighting’ dialogue in-between. Clothes are generally firmly in place and there are no suggestions for poses that are a bit too sexy in the event of a loss. However, there’s an exercise game in which the character you choose wears a towel. hope that it will help make you feel better.
In the end, Neptunia X Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is good enough for those looking to shut their brain off with a hack-and-slash game, as it definitely accomplishes this goal. It’s not going to ignite the entire world or anything, but at minimum, it’s an enjoyable distraction from reality for a couple of hours. However after you’ve finished it you’re likely to not leave an impression, unless you’re already immersed with the character or the world.
Development Partners: Compile Heart, Tamsoft, Idea Factory, Acquire
Editor: Idea Factory
Platforms: PS4, Nintendo Switch, PC
Public Release Date:11th May 2022
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