Video Game Review: Megadimension Neptunia VII

Megadimension Neptunia VII

Compile Heart

Japanese RPG

Nintendo Switch

The Neptunia series is a fine series of Japanese RPGs full of humor, charm, and of course, anime girls. Compile Heart’s biggest JRPG franchise is also the most meta, featuring the personification of video game consoles, memes, and tons of gamer references. Megadimension Neptunia VII originally released on PlayStation 4 in 2016. It has now been ported onto the Switch, making the second game in the series for players to experience on the console.

In Megadimension Neptunia VII, players control Neptune and other video game console personas in the world of Gamindustri. The characters are warped to a new dimension where they need to team up with a  Goddess to defeat an inter-dimensional threat.

The story is decent, with tons of meta-references and a few predictable moments here and there. The gameplay is solid, which more than makes up for the meh story. The combat is turn-based, but characters are able to freely move around the battle area to set up their next move. Combos and other skills can be successfully set up with good positioning, making the game more strategic than one would think. It’s a pretty interesting system that allows for tons of freedom. It’s a good thing the system is so enjoyable because this isn’t a very difficult game. Still, thanks to the variety in combat approaches, Megadimension Neptunia VII avoids feeling too stale. The game takes around 40-50 hours to complete, making it a solid length for this type of game. Completionists will likely be able to get around 80 hours of content, but the excitement will likely run out before you 100% the game.

Outside of combat, players can bond their party members to boost stats. The extra support systems allow for more character development and gameplay possibilities, which is certainly nice. Most of the dungeons are rather uninspired and don’t really play out in any creative way. If you remove the neat combat system, Megadimension Neptunia VII is a mostly average JRPG. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing though. This is still an enjoyable game and worth your time if the theme and aesthetics appeal to you.

Unfortunately, this Switch port isn’t well optimized. Like a computer game, players can toggle some graphic options to make Megadimension Neptunia VII run better. If everything is activated (Shadows, lighting, etc) the game actually runs terribly. The frame rate is choppy and battles take a bit long to load. If the player is willing to compromise some visuals, Megadimension Neptunia VII can run decently, but still isn’t great. This is bizarre since this isn’t a new title and isn’t graphically impressive anyway. Outside of the portability., this is far from the best way to experience Megadimension Neptunia VII. Still, if you want to be able to play Megadimension Neptunia VII on the go, this port is serviceable, it just won’t be pretty.

The character designs are fine, though they are full of fanservice. Overall the game is full of scenes that aim to titillate. If looking at anime girls in compromising positions isn’t appealing, one should stay clear of this title. Quite a few of the characters look very young too, which can be problematic for some.

The environments are a bit drab, so don’t expect a gorgeous experience. Megadimension Neptunia VII is worth playing for the neat combat and fanservice but doesn’t have much appeal outside of those.

Megadimension Neptunia VII is a fine JRPG held back by tons of performance issues. It’s certainly not a bad game, but it isn’t the best port. It’s worth playing on the Switch for mobility, but it’s recommended that this game is played on a different console. Still, if one is desperate for an anime JRPG with tons of cute characters and fanservice, this Megadimension Neptunia VII will get the job done.