Megatagmension: Blanc + Neptune Vs Zombies Retro Review – B-Movie Beauty

When you want to craft an epic reunion for beloved characters which you’ve met over many years, sometimes it’s necessary to introduce a brand new setting. MegaTagmension: Blanc + Neptune Vs Zombies creates this big, beautiful spin-off scenario, featuring a huge roster of iconic characters who we get to see in not only a new reality, but with pleasing new depths.

Introduction

MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune vs Zombies is a Neptunia spin-off action game starring Blanc and Neptune as joint-protagonists. As is customary in the franchise, this change represents a key moment in gaming history, which in this case showcases the alliance of Nintendo (Blanc) and Sega (Neptune) collaborating on various games from the Wii era onwards.

The game is loosely based on the series of Neptunia light novels called Chou Jigen Game Neptune: High School, where the CPU Goddesses are reimagined as high school students. There are several changes though, such as the game having an expanded cast, reuniting several series favourite characters, and also keeping the CPUs’ powers largely intact. This is also the first game in the Hyperdimension Neptunia series to feature multiplayer.

In this spin-off, the characters have very different backgrounds, relationships and origin stories, yet fully retain their usual personalities and skills. They are now high school students with different designs to accommodate their new setting. The CPUs and CPU Candidates go to school to learn more about humans. Alternative-dimension characters such as Plutia, Peashy and Uzume do not come from different dimensions this time, and instead have regular places in the girls’ growing friendship group.

Story

Set in an alternate, declining version of the world of Gamindustri, the world’s goddess-like ‘CPUs’ (Console Patron Units) attend the world-famous Gamicademi school to enhance their knowledge of human affairs and hopefully increase belief in CPUs in the process. Despite low numbers due to declining birth-rates in recent years, the colossal school, which expands across an entire island, is frequented by countless humans, enhanced ‘Maker’ humans and CPUs alike.

Reduced numbers spread fear of Gamicademi’s closure among the students, resulting in the ambitious yet equally lazy CPU Neptune, president of the movie club, beginning production of a zombie movie which will hopefully raise school awareness and amass support. Neptune recruits the amateur novelist CPU Blanc to become her script-writer and editor, after Blanc decides that a movie script will make a suitable substitute for the novel she is struggling to write.

Blanc begins shooting her movie as real zombies coincidentally begin infesting the school. The party defeats the zombies on camera as the movie’s action sequences while liberating the school at the same time. Defeating the zombies results in them transforming back into human form, revealing that the zombies are actually students which may transform into zombies again at a later time, suggesting some sort of temporary curse rather than the text-book virus outbreak which Blanc uses as the movie’s main storyline, with herself and Neptune as the protagonists.

As more girls join the movie club to get their fifteen minutes of fame in the movie, the growing party searches the school for the real source of the zombie outbreak, hoping to stop it once and for all. The party fights through increasing waves of zombies, eventually wrapping up production of the movie in a convoluted plot involving multiple bio-weapon manufacturers battling for supremacy. However, the real cause of the zombie outbreak is something else entirely.

Gameplay

Gameplay is mostly identical to predecessor Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed, where it allows the characters to move freely around each stage and attack enemies. When buttons are pressed with the correct timing, the player can initiate combos, launch enemies into the air, or combine both by performing aerial combos. Players can also utilise up to two different characters during battle and switch out characters at will.

Fan-service is at an all-time high here. Clothing has a durability level, and that durability is reduced by taking hits from enemies. The clothing destruction, in exchange for a reduction of the defensive power, grants an increase in critical hit rate and EXE Drive Gauge, granting a chance to even the odds with a counterattack.

Goddess ‘CPU’ characters can also transform into ‘HDD’ mode, granting a temporary sexy costume which grants handy stat boosts. Once transformed, the EXE Drive gauge slowly drains, and when depleted, the transformation ends. EXE Drive Skills can also be used while transformed; They are powerful but will consume all of the remaining EXE gauge. Players can also perform SP Skills by consuming a fixed amount of the SP gauge. ‘Lily Special’ attacks can also be use by spending 50% of the EXE Drive gauge, however both characters will be required to activate the move once its been unclocked.

The player selects a quest from the World menu, and after clearing it, story events will start, progressing the scenario. The menu can also be used to check and update character equipment, and view various information such as clear conditions and enemy lists. After selecting a quest, characters can be chosen. Up to two characters can participate, but it is possible to play with only one if you wish.

Upon entering a dungeon, clear conditions will be shown, and progressing further into the dungeon will make enemies appear. Defeating enemies will occasionally grant loot, including recovery items that will help clear quests. Once the clear conditions have been fulfilled, the quest is cleared. The amount of experience received is based on enemies defeated during the quest.

‘City Watch’ allows the player to see ordinary conversation events between the characters. While it is not always necessary to see them, viewing these events can sometimes lead to other events or even new quests. Depending on the results of the quest, the Game News channel may report on the successful mission. Not only will a special news anchor report the news, but viewing these events may also yield special rewards.

Graphics/Sound

Being a game built by expanding the content available in predecessor Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed, means that only the new additions to the game aren’t copy-pasted elements; fortunately there’s a lot more content available. Environments and enemies aren’t terribly varied and the overall detail isn’t exactly going to push the Vita or PS TV to its limits, but the fluid animations, variety of character models, fan-servicey clothing damage and flashy combat spectacle more than make up for the shortfalls.

Getting such an impressive collection of characters back together brings with it the risk of voice actors not reprising their roles due to budget or commitment issues, however I’m pleased to say that isn’t really an issue for MegaTagmension. Everyone is back, bringing their unparalleled talents with them. Sadly, there are limits to how far budget can stretch, and that limit falls at the end of the single player campaign. The multiplayer campaign is, unfortunately, only voiced in Japanese, which does feel a little odd.

Replayability/Trophies

In Multiplayer mode, you can play with up to 3 other players to complete missions and defeat key bosses. Alternative, these missions can be done solo. You can either play solo in ‘Ad Hoc Mode’ or you can create a private room. Ad Hoc Mode is recommended, as it’s entirely offline, meaning that should the internet connection deteriorate or drop out entirely, you won’t be kicked out of missions and thus lose valuable progress.

Multiplayer consists of 5 difficulty levels, ranging from 1 star missions to 5 star missions. Harder missions will unlock as you complete the easier ones. There are also Special missions which will only be available on specific days or at specific times.

There is one rather hefty barrier between you and that shiny platinum, and that’s the Lily Rank system. Lily Ranks measure the mutual likability between the characters. As they complete quests together, their bonds with their partner will gradually increase, thus causing them to become closer and gaining better supportive effects. There is also a chance of special voiced lines of dialogue unlocking too. Sadly, maxing out every possible pairing will require hours and hours of grinding missions, and that’s just a bit silly.

Conclusion

MegaTagmension is, by far, my favourite of the Neptunia action games. Not only is it a beautiful reunion of so many of the amazing characters which we’ve met over the years, but it also shows how their relationships develop when in a more familiar, friendlier environment. This isn’t another twist on the ‘Console War’ scenario which we’ve seen so many times before, where rivals slowly learn to respect one another. Rather, this is a tale of real friends fighting to save their school.

Of course, this is a Neptunia game, so you can guarantee there’s more to it than that. There’s a new big baddie here who is pulling the strings, and the zombie hoard which is a genuine threat to the world if left unchecked. What’s different this time around, is the way that character relationships feel that bit more evolved; there’s a genuine closeness in the friendships between the girls, one or two of which might just blossom into some surprising romances. No, I won’t spoil it.

Sure, the game can get a bit samey in its button-mashing gameplay at times, but it’s always broken up by compelling story sections, charming character development and a pleasing twist on the usual Neptunia universe. It’s silly, it’s girly, it’s cram-packed full of cheeky fan-service, and still it’s a lot of fun for both fans and first-timers, with a solid story that doesn’t take itself too seriously.