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Cover Games, Cyberdimension Neptunia

Cyberdimension Neptunia: Art Imitates Life

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The Neptunia series has always, at least in part, been about taking a sidelong glance at elements of popular culture, particularly those related to video games, and Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online is no exception.

Through its overall aesthetic — particularly its art and music — it both pays homage to and parodies a variety of influences in both the online and offline role-playing game spheres, but in doing so it manages to retain a strong enough sense of its own identity to still be clearly recognisable as aΒ NeptuniaΒ game.

In fact, through the combination of Tsunako’s distinctive character designs, their energetic scripts and their light-hearted, inclusive nature that draws the player in to the experience, there’s a strong argument forΒ NeptuniaΒ games being some of the most immediately recognisable Japanese games on the market today. And I’m all for that.

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Cover Games, Cyberdimension Neptunia

Cyberdimension Neptunia: Narrative, Themes and Characterisation

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One of the interesting things about the Neptunia series as a whole is that it doesn’t really have an overarching “big plot” as such, but nonetheless sees each of its characters getting plenty of development.

Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses OnlineΒ is an especially intriguing case in that, although it is a spinoff title from the main series, previous examples of which have been regarded as non-canonical, it feels like one of the most significant instances of each member of its main cast “advancing” in their overall development and growth.

In fact, in many ways, the factΒ Cyberdimension NeptuniaΒ doesΒ notΒ feature a prominent note that it is a non-canonical installment can lead us to believe that it is a quasi-sequel toΒ Megadimension Neptunia V-IIΒ and its predecessorΒ Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory/Re;Birth3, particularly given the presence of characters who were introduced in those games, such as Plutia and Peashy (Victory/Re;Birth3) and Uzume (V-II). And in that context it’s actually a very significant installment in the series from a narrative perspective.

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Cover Games, Cyberdimension Neptunia

Cyberdimension Neptunia: Action Neptunia’s Latest Evolution

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This article is one chapter of a multi-part Cover Game feature!
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While the Neptunia series is primarily known for being RPGs, developer Compile Heart’s frequent collaborator Tamsoft has had a number of shots at bringing the franchise into the real-time action realm.

Over time, the scale and ambition of these “actionΒ Neptunia” games has expanded considerably, withΒ Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses OnlineΒ marking the most convincing realisation of the formula to date at the time of writing, blending elements of the mainlineΒ NeptuniaΒ games with an appealing and enjoyable real-time combat system.

Let’s look at how “actionΒ Neptunia” has evolved over time, and howΒ Cyberdimension NeptuniaΒ refines the formula.

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Cover Games, Cyberdimension Neptunia

Cyberdimension Neptunia: Introduction and History

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This article is one chapter of a multi-part Cover Game feature!
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The Neptunia series is not only one of the most remarkable success stories in Japanese gaming, it’s also one of the most interesting, diverse franchises out there.

From its humble beginnings as a low-budget RPG with an atrocious critical reception to its current, widely recognised status inextricably associated with Sony platforms, even the most hardened cynic has to admit by now that there’s probablyΒ somethingΒ to this series.

A big part of what has keptΒ NeptuniaΒ fresh and interesting over the years is the fact that it’s not afraid to step outside of its traditional RPG comfort zone and experiment with gameplay styles. And, since we already explored the history of the mainline series when we dove deep intoΒ Megadimension Neptunia V-IIΒ back in 2016, it’s these spinoff games we’ll be looking in more detail today.

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One-Shots

What’s in the Box: Cyberdimension Neptunia – 4 Goddesses Online

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After a slightly longer wait than expected due to a printing error with the soundtrack CDs, the limited editions for Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online are finally here.

As with most ofΒ Idea Factory International’s releases, it’s a substantial but affordable release containing a nice selection of goodies — some practical, some purely to go “ooooh” at. IFI’s limited editions are always reasonably understated and never feel the need to go for the excess of some “Collector’s Editions” — particularly those from triple-A Western publishers — and it’s for that reason I like them. They’re easy and fun to collect and display, and they keep the focus on the game.

So let’s take a look inside the box of this newest one, then!

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