MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies Review (PS Vita)
Just like its name suggests, MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies mixes everyone’s favorite CPU Goddesses with real-time zombie fighting action. It is just sad that whole game falls flat in almost every way.
The game opens with our heroines attending the Gameindustri academy. However, because of the drop in births the amount of students is constantly declining, ultimately meaning the school will close in one year. Blanc and Neptune get together to create a zombie flick in the midst of a real zombie outbreak in order to promote the school and attract new students.
The plot is as ridiculous as you might expect. In one scene a satellite crashes into a character only to have her fighting with the team in the following scene. Even the deliberately awful voice acting adds to the charm
And while the story here is bare bones at best, the character interactions make up for this. Depending on which two characters you bring to the mission you may have different backstage banter before the shoot.
Compile Heart evidently wanted to make a portable game, where you could take on a level or two while waiting for the bus. However, this bite sized gameplay ultimately proves to be MegaTagmension’s undoing.
The gameplay in MegaTagmension as straightforward as it gets. Your goal is to take out all the enemies on the map and through the game’s 54 levels these objectives will not change once. You control your character in real-time, fighting against groups of enemies partially similar to the Musou series. There are no impressive boss battles, no level exploration, nothing except you and the group of enemies in front of you.
Your repertoire isn’t lacking. The girls can dodge, defend, transform, use support characters, special attacks, ultimate moves and there is even a variety of combos which you unlock as you level up your character. It is unfortunate, however, that you won’t need a single one of these. Every mission can be completed by just mashing the square button.
I got through almost all the levels with an AAA rank on my first try. The few that I had trouble perfecting wasn’t because I didn’t block or dodge but more because I missed the time limit. The lack of difficulty is especially bewildering considering that the game is developed by Tamsoft, the company behind Senran Kagura Shinovi and Estival Versus as well as Onechanbara Z2.
The game has monster hunter level structure, with arenas which have multiple paths to other arenas. Therefore, its baffling that you never actually explore any of them. After you start a mission almost always all the enemies you are supposed to beat spawn right in front of you, so you will never actually be navigating to other parts of the level.
Aside from the story mode, MegaTagmension offers both ad hoc and online multiplayer. However, considering the how empty the servers already are, you’ll have a hard time finding someone to play with. You can tackle these online missions on your own, but like the story mode they don’t provide much of a challenge.
Visually the game looks amazing. The models are particularly impressive for the PlayStation Vita. The character skills look great and the animations look stunning. The levels are no slouch either, as there is a variety to battle in. It’s just a shame that you never actually explore any of them.
Ultimately MegaTagmension Black + Neptune VS Zombies suffers the same fate as Hyperdimension Neptunia Producing Perfection. Despite its intriguing set up, there is very little to MegaTagmension Black + Neptune VS Zombies that will keep your interest. The battles are straightforward and don’t require the use of any of your abilities other than mashing the square button. If you are a fan of MegaDimension Neptunia you might find enjoyment in a hot summers day, but everyone else is bound to get a bit more enjoyment from Hyperdimension Neptunia U: Action Unleashed than this.
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