MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies – PC Review – by DarkLunarDude

Genre: Action Hack and Slash
Developer: IDEA FACTORY, COMPILE HEART, TAMSOFT
Publisher: Idea Factory International
Release Date: Oct 03, 2016

The Neptunia franchise has come to surprise me as a gamer, considering it only initially launched back in 2011 with Hyperdimension Neptunia on the PS3 but has grown to become a hit amongst many a fan of both anime and rpg games alike. That being said, the games have always hinted at a “what if” scenario with zombies, but never fully put out a product reflecting that, well wait no more as that is where MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies comes to scratch that itch. MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies is an action hack and slash JRPG spin-off that was developed by long time creators Idea Factory and Compile Heart, with a helping hand from Tamsoft, later released by Idea Factory International. This title does exactly what I have come to expect from these developers, delivering a true action experience with a JRPG style story, solid gameplay, and great character development – with a few flaws that do hinder the game.

Rising up like a zombie horde, MegaTagmension comes in with a different spin on the traditional zombie rising tale, adding in a way to make use of its sudden appearance. We, the player, start off as Blanc, doing her usual stuff and are given a brief explanation of Gamicademi, the school all the CPU and CPU sisters are currently attending to help boister their numbers, but with little success. With numbers still low, Gamicademi will close down, but when seeing her CPU-sisters getting attacked by what seems to be zombies, Blanc hops into action. It is only here that Blanc is informed that Neptune, alongside her sister Nepgear, and her CPU sisters, are trying to film a zombie movie to help bring more students back to Gamicademi. Blanc, while hesitant, agrees to help as long as she can direct and write the film, but during the first filming scene, actual zombies start attacking the students at the academy. Armed with a camera, her trusty hammer, and her goddess friends, they will film the movie of a lifetime while defending Gamindustri from falling into the hand of zombies. This is where I will end the story due to some spoilers that follow after, but the direction they took the story was well chosen, and that added to the overall replay value of the game.

It would not be a zombie hack and slash without a combat system to match, and MegaTagmension has that covered, with only a few flaws. The first thing is the attribute system, which is considerably deep, deeper than most hack and slash titles will go, and this makes for a very hard to learn but easy to master setup once done. Your stats are based on traditional RPG setups: health, attack damage, defense, and techniques. Balancing these stats is critical for multiplayer, and semi-critical for single-player but that is for the next section. You also can customize each girl’s weapon with mods that give various stat bonuses, such as more attack damage for a certain time, a permanent defense bonus, ice damage, the list goes on, and is only limited to how much MB (space) you have on that weapon. Each chapter will have various missions you will need to complete, and these missions can range from killing a select number of zombies, to killing bosses, and hunting down select zombie types. These missions can be done more than once, up to the rank of SSS, each rank giving you different items or bonuses based on the rank you get. Completing missions is also the only way to earn money to buy new weapons or silly accessories to put on each character. The last big function to note is the assist system exclusive to the single-player story, where you can press a certain button combination and gain small boost or effects for a limited time in battle. These effects are similar to the weapon mods, other than the invincibility, which can be helpful in a sticky situation.

Now comes the multiplayer, and this is one of the better multiplayers I’ve had the chance to experience in terms of functionality. Multiplayer in MegaTagmension acts as a way for people to play together as their favorite CPU or CPU candidate in a group situation where reliance on each other becomes key to your survival, and we are given a few new functions in this mode. The first big one is a new ability called ‘heal.exe’, which you can cast on a downed teammate to revive them to get them back into the fight faster. It can be helpful, but it does put you at risk of being hit and dying yourself, so exercise caution when using it. The other big option that opens up to you is a new ranking system. In the single-player, you are ranked by the ranks on the mission. Multiplayer, which does require you to be online as far as I know, ranks you in two ways. The first is the traditional ranks after each mission, the second is a rank of one through ten. This rank is based on how many missions you complete in multiplayer for the first time. The only major function that gets removed between single-player and multiplayer is the assist system, which since you have teammates, you should be fine with.

However, the combat systems and mechanics are where the game has the most flaws, one flaw specifically being an issue inside of multiplayer. The game has unnaturally long load times for a game from this era. I only had an issue with this slightly inside of single-player, but once I jumped into multiplayer, this became a big issue as it would take upwards from thirty seconds to 2 minutes to load in on some occasions, and this was made worse because the mission would not start right away if everyone wasn’t loaded in. The only other big gripe I had was with the character Uni, her being the only actual ranged character in the game without a weapon mod. Once you unlock Uni and get her second weapon, she becomes the only character you need as her range, while short, is good, and her weapons without mods become really powerful.

If you have played a Neptunia game prior, the developers of this series tend to follow the rule of “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it” and this is followed once again in this case with a anime/cartoon graphic style and upbeat music to pump up the action. MegaTagmension keeps the traditional anime art-style the series has used since the original on the ps3, and it is something I look forward to with each new installment in the series. The world is vivid and very open in the missions, most of the time using bright colors that pop out at you, while still allowing for the excellently done 3D models for each character to stand out. The zombies in MegaTagmension are unique in their own regard as well, looking like a zombified version of a traditional creature from the series, which is nice as they do not feel out of place, yet are a welcoming change to the cast of monsters. The character models do not differ much here, save for a new costume design, and they keep the full voice acting which I always enjoy. I can say that you can unlock classic costumes for the girls, so if you want to dress Blanc as her original white costume from the first Hyperdimension Neptunia game, you can.

I hope you’re ready for some positive and blasting beats as it is the main bulk of the MegaTagmension soundtrack. They do recycle some of the songs from previous titles, something one could call lazy, but I personally don’t have an issue with it as I enjoy the overall quality these tracks bring. The soundtrack follow a more synthesised sound, there are the occasional classical songs, but nothing that stems too far from the traditional fare of the Neptunia series. The sound effects are back, and they are just as on point as they are in other titles, something I always look forwards to with the Neptunia series. These effects, while are they a separate entity, are just a nice touch to the fights or small moments when they are used.

Overall, MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies was solid combination of gameplay, visuals, and music that will bring you back to slaughtering the undead more times then once. The uniquely told zombie infestation story, deep and rich combat mechanics, well designed (for the most part) multiplayer, visuals that stay fresh throughout the series, well executed 3D models, and positive yet upbeat soundtrack make this game a gem in a sea of zombie games.

Pros:

• A unique telling of a zombie infestation story
• Mechanics that are deep and developed for a hack and slash game
• Multiplayer that functions well
• Continuous use of visual style without losing zip
• 3D models are well executed
• A positive, yet upbeat soundtrack, even in combat

Cons:

• The load times in multiplayer take longer than needed
• Uni as a character feels too strong
• Story, while not as vital, does have a few pacing issues

DarkLunarDude gives MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies a Drastik Measure 8.8 out of 10 (88).

For the price of $29.99 for the standard edition or $35.98 for the deluxe edition bundle on Steam, MegaTagmension is a good time all around, and one I can highly recommend to just about anyone with an anime game or hack and slash game addiction to scratch, especially for the online multiplayer.