Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters review

Little sisters trying their best! 

There’s a problem with a lot of media franchises these days. Instead of telling a comprehensive story laid out across a succession of installments, entries can feel like a meandering string of course corrections. All too often, properties seem less driven by any desire to entertain and more about conforming to audience forecasting and the impulses of wannabe auteurs. The results often end up like Disney’s handling of the Star Wars films, where George Lucas’ groundwork was imitated, nullified, and misinterpreted by the tag team of J.J. Abrams and Rian Johnson.

Similarly, it seems like Idea Factory is struggling to find a focus for the Hyperdimension Neptunia franchise. The last time the core storyline progressed was with 2015’s Megadimension Neptunia VII. But alongside the main series have been eleven spin-offs that take the characters in a multitude of different directions.  With genres that range from musou-style action (Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed), tactical role-playing (Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart), and even a simulated MMO with Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online, there’s barely a genre that hasn’t been adapted for NepNep. But let’s face it- if it wasn’t for the inclusion of the Goddesses, some of these digressions would have been overlooked.

Step it up, Histoire!

Following this trend, the recent Switch release of Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters offers yet another curious spin-off. Sure, it’s one of the property’s better off-shoots and will undoubtedly comfort franchise fans who crave spirited banter between cast members. But with issues like an overreliance on backtracking and side-quests accomplished across repetitive-looking dungeons, Sisters sporadically disheartens.

Fortunately, the plotline has its enjoyable moments, revisiting the allegorical intricacies of market share explored by the mainline games. Like past interactions, Neptunia imagines a world where SEGA is still a key player and a friendly associate of figurative representations of Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony. Sisters VS Sisters’ premise sees the main cast answering a distress signal, leaving the CPU Candidates (symbolizing each hardware maker’s handheld systems) to investigate a laboratory on their own. But without the sage guidance of their big sisters, the younger ones fall into a trap, putting them to sleep for two years.

Pandemic-era Parody

When they awaken, the Candidates discover that the world has drastically changed. The rPhone has overtaken portable systems in popularity, threatening the delicate balance of Gamindustri. This points to a real-life moment when development studios started chasing the mobile market. Seduced by a low barrier to entry, reasonable development costs, and the potential for a financial windfall, many assumed the Nintendo 3DS might be one of the last hurrahs for handhelds. Obviously, \the Switch disproved that concern, and Sisters VS Sisters doesn’t miss an opportunity to reference Nintendo’s strategic decision. That’s hardly the only inclusion of ‘meta’ humor.

Neptunia is at its best when it satirizes real-life events, whether it’s Lastation’s quizzical shift toward puritanism (amusingly, Noire is just as tight-lipped as Sony Interactive Entertainment) or the frenzied crowdfunding and subsequent disappoint of a game called Senmu 3. And with a monster outbreak caused by excessive phone use, the game even pokes fun at some of the actions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic. Local citizens are told to shelter, there are toilet paper shortages, consoles aren’t available at release, and even conspiracy theories surround vaccines. But as fun as the social commentary is, it could have been sharper. Where’s future Gamindustri’s obsession with blockbusters or a tendency to milk franchises dry? Ok, maybe that last one might have been too meta.

Undoubtedly, the pacing of Sisters VS Sisters could have been improved. Not only does the spirited skewering take a while to kick into gear but conversations can be needlessly long-winded. Often, the writers seem to forget that protracted set-ups need a substantial payoff. But the upside is that NepGear offers a pleasing change of pace from her persistently energetic older sister. And beyond the meta-humor, there are some pleasing cameos representing other franchises.

Putting an End to the Trendfluencers

Unfortunately, the property’s erratic trajectory means that Idea Factory rebuilds its combat system for most iterations. Here, Sisters VS Sisters stirs up a limp amalgam of action and strategy- all driven by the tempo of cooldown timer. Parties typically are comprised of three characters, who share a circular battlefield with enemies. You control one member at any time, dishing out as many attacks as you have action points, which gradually refill over time. But instead of waiting for replenishment, Sisters wants you to either dispense different Tactical Skills, swap to another character to increase the damage multiplier, or Goddess Transform to distribute enormous amounts of damage.

But basic attacks can feel insubstantial and enemy attacks can be difficult to read. Although you can use either melee or ranged strikes, both can be imprecise, with the former occasionally shifting your character around and the latter sporadically missing opponents. Enemy telegraphs are quite quick and when they occur, a press of the dodge button isn’t responsive enough to always prevent injury. Likewise, the timing of an overworld strike to gain initiative is unnecessarily intermittent. Idea Factory seemed to recognize these issues and scaled combat against most basic foes accordingly. So, with rapid level growth and competent AI, fights aren’t difficult- even again foes like ally-spawning Trendfluencers.

See Nep Run

While it will take an hour or so to comprehend how Sisters wants you to handle battles, figuring out the different character skills will take longer. Discs are equipable items that grant passive perks like lengthier combos or more effective dodges, but the creation process is a bit esoteric. In concept, it involves using gathered materials, the assistance of an NPC, and the classification of a game genre. But without suitable guidance, it’s difficult to figure out how to influence the outcome or why the creation process takes different lengths of time. (Hints: select the specialty of the developer to earn special abilities. Support items reduce development time). Similarly, there’s a sophisticated combo creation suite, but given the disjointed rhythm of battles, it’s not always apparent when you’ve crafted a winner. Being able to adjust starting member positions seems unnecessary when the CPU is just going to move your allies around on their own.

Sisters VS Sisters’ dungeons are visually attractive, but the overuse of assets means you’ll probably have to use the in-game map to keep from getting lost. Tsunako’s artistry is as good as ever, with Live2D bringing the game’s characters to life. And whoever worked on the girls’ running animations should be given a promotion. It’s a joy to see the characters scamper through each labyrinthine environment. Pleasingly, the game scales adeptly to Nintendo’s handheld, flaunting Live 2D animation and moderately detailed character models. When compared to the PlayStation and PC versions, there is some brief loading before a fight and some occasional flutters in framerate. But largely, the quality is better than many of Idea Factory’s previous ports.

Overall, Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters demonstrates moments of promise, especially when the dialog is referencing the silliness of corporate decision-making or offering a cathartic joke about pandemic panic. But sporadically, any goodwill gained through spirited Goddess banter is undermined by combat that doesn’t quite gel and systems where you have dozens of items, but little use for any of them. Although it’s engaging at times, Sisters VS Sisters feels like Idea Factory tackling new ideas that aren’t fully realized. These girls deserve better.

Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters was played on Switch with review code provided by the publisher