My first-ever console video game review was for a Hyperdimension Neptunia game for the PlayStation 3, so I’ve always had a soft spot for Idea Factory and Compile Heart’s franchise. While the turn-based RPGs are rarely truly great, they have enjoyable characters and some hilarious writing while lampooning the video game industry. Spin-off games over the years have seen the series try out different genres, with the latest being an arcade-like combat racing title called Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos.
As mentioned, the highlight of these games tends to be the writing and getting some laughs over the game’s parodying of popular video games. For example, the game is centered around collecting various types of Dogoos, a parody of the slimes in Dragon Quest. It’s all quite goofy, but the characters are staple villains in the series, so it fits in within the world of Gamindustri (even if this spin-off takes place in an alternate dimension). As usual, getting to see the characters (which are all humanoid versions of different video game consoles) interact is a high point of the experience, although the game is too short for the story to be memorable or all that interesting.
The gameplay is where Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos unfortunately falls apart. You ride a motorcycle around uninteresting stages, collecting Dogoos as you do so, occasionally firing attacks at your foes. Rinse and repeat for 16 stages, and then the game is over. The problem is the racing never feels particularly great, even if drifting around corners can sometimes be fun, and there’s so little depth to the overall experience. You get as much enjoyment in the tutorial as you do the rest of the game, so it’s just a flat experience.
In fact, the game only takes about two hours to finish. There are some extra challenges — beating stages without any AI partners and under a specified time — to add in replayability, but unless you’re going for the Platinum, there’s no real draw as to why you’d want to do them. You do unlock some cosmetics, at least, which are nice to look at, but this is a short and not very satisfying experience that doesn’t have much worth diving into.
Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos Review: Final Verdict
Hyperdimension Neptunia spin-off games can be quite fun as they give Idea Factory and Compile Heart an opportunity to try something new with beloved characters. Sadly, Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos is stuck in neutral and isn’t able to shift into high gear. The gameplay fails to captivate, and it starts to feel repetitive even during its short runtime. It’s a rare total miss for the goddesses of Gamindustri, as even their charm can’t make this a worthwhile experience.
SCORE: 5/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 5 equates to “Mediocre.” The positives and negatives wind up negating each other, making it a wash.
Disclosure: The publisher provided a digital PS5 copy for our Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos review. Reviewed on version 1.000.000.
