Hyperdimension Neptunia PP (Producing Perfection) (PS Vita)
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This game is a short little game that takes place in the Hyperdimension Neptunia universe. It isn't serious or story driven and more serves as a sim for people who enjoy the series to get to know the characters better and get to play a mini game. As such, I wouldn't recommend it to those who aren't familiar with the series, unless you're looking for something casual, silly, short, and lighthearted.


In the Hyperdimension Neptunia universe, some of our favourite gaming systems have been turned in to anime looking attractive ladies. In this game, the ladies find themselves to be losing shares and powers because people are too busy obsessing over j-pop music group, MOB48. The ladies summon a producer, the player, to direct them in to becoming pop music idols and getting their shares back!


This game has two main elements to it. The player will choose which of the four main characters to direct in to becoming a pop music icon. They then have up to 180 days to make them number one and get the most shares. The first aspect is a sim type situation, where the player will choose a variety of things to do during the day. The second is producing concerts.

The sim version is what will be played most. The player will choose an action for the character to do. A day will pass after an option is selected. Note that there are some days reserved for story events and those will pass without the player doing anything. There are a few main categories to choose from when deciding what to do for the day. The first is 'Work'. Work allows the character to promote themselves in some way, gaining more fans. Later in the game, you'll also be given an option to form a group with 1 or 2 other characters. The next is 'Lesson'. Lesson allows the character to improve their stats. The third is 'Relax'. This option allows the character to lower their stress (which can be raised by doing lessons or putting on concerts), interact with the player, or interact with other characters, which will raise friendship and affection levels. The player can also choose to 'Move' to another area and help another character, and at certain points, you'll be able to put on a 'Concert'.


The concert version has a few steps to it. The first thing you will do is pick a stage to perform on, which song to perform, and which effects you would like to be able to use during concerts. Effects are set to Triangle, Square, or X. Effects will increase your performance, especially if used when the fans start cheering. They take time to recharge though. Afterwards, you can decide where on the stage to place the character, and decide their outfit and overall look. Afterwards, the player will watch them perform their concert while working the camera angles. The camera angles work with the d-pad. It has two sections to it. By pressing the left arrow, for example, the player will focus on the characters face. If they press the down arrow afterwards, it will zoom out of the face. If they press up, it will zoom in on the face. The player then has to press O to put the camera angle in to effect. Using different camera angles and switching them up often is crucial to a good performance.


The game is won when the character chosen holds the most shares. They will receive a huge stat boost, and you can then start a new game. Stats and affection carry over in to the next playthrough. The game will also keep track of options you've chosen during conversations and highlight them in green, so you can choose to select different options afterwards.

Aside from the main story mode, called 'Producer Mode', the player also has a mode to put on concerts using things unlocked from Producer Mode. There is also a viewer mode where you can view the characters and their different outfits.


Characters:
Ordered from favourite to least favourite
lL0jhX2.pngVert: Vert represents the Xbox and is one of the characters the player can choose from. She is a mixture of proper lady in the way she speaks and presents herself, and neckbeard gamer, being obsessed with video games and playing them at every possible opportunity. She can be conceited.
WgUSjX8.pngNeptune: Neptune represents the Sega and one of the characters the player can choose from. She's very upbeat and playful, but also very lazy. She uses a lot of outdated slang and breaks the fourth wall quite often.
WVpu1Us.jpgRom: One of the little sisters of Blanc and twin sister of Ram. She is not playable. She's the quieter of the sisters.
sH9JdE6.jpgNepgear: Little sister of Neptune. Not playable. She loves spending time with her sister and can be quite naive. Very sweet.
JbHb0dF.jpgUni: Little sister of Noire. Not playable. Really looks up to her sister and cares about her, but can be very aggressive and rude.
3u2IFPg.jpgNoire: Noire represents the PlayStation and is one of the characters the player can choose from. She's very hard working and dedicated, but she hides her feelings under arrogance and bossiness.
8AZqOsO.pngBlanc: Represents the Nintendo and is one of the characters the player can choose from. She is usually very calm and quiet, but she has a short temper and will begin swearing and yelling very easily.
TBfIhAQ.pngRam: One of the little sisters of Blanc and Rom's twin sister. She is the more mischievous of the two and loves causing trouble.

Overall I quite enjoyed this game because I enjoy the characters in the series and I got to know them on a bit of a more casual level. It is very short and can easily be played through in a few hours, and if you enjoy it you can move on to the other characters. A negative would be that it has an unfortunate amount of fanservice, although that's not unexpected from the series. It has some cute humour and it's a fun casual game to play. It definitely isn't for everyone though, but if you enjoy those types of games, it's pretty fun.

Verdict:
LIKED IT A LOT