Switch to: German
Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online gets released this week on PlayStation 4. Three editors of XTgamer played the make-believe-MMORPG extensively and report about their experiences in this review.
Story
The Goddesses of Gamindustri are all invited to the beta test of a new MMO, the titular 4 Goddesses Online. Here, they learn that the fantasy world of Alsgard is threatened by the evil Demon King. As with most fantasy MMOs, the Goddesses are deemed the Chosen Ones and must free their digital counterparts while also saving the world in the process.
You can find details on the gameplay in below multi-perspective review video by Francesco (Neptune) and Patrick (Vert) with Isaac aiding as support (Blanc). If you’re inclined to see more multiplayer footage, follow the link below the video. The game is always hosted by the player that doesn’t has to deal with massive lags.
Find the other videos of CN:4GO in our YouTube playlist.
+++
- Entertaining non-linear story with a lot of twists and turns and hints at the mainline Neptunia series, Sword Art Online and MMORPGs in general
- Decent character designs in dialogue and cutscenes
- Easy-to-learn controls and clear HUD
- Low entry barrier for newcomers to the series
- CPU companions can be ordered with “Watch your life!” or “Focus on your skills!”…
—
- … but they end up being cannon fodder due to their lack of Artificial Intelligence
- Few unlockable skills, weapons, armours, costumes, accessories limit character progression and the depth of the game
- Low playtime compared to the mainline series (10 to 15 hours versus the usual 20 to 60 hours depending on the playstyle)
- Generic mission design with rehashed boss battles of patience and a ton of fetch quests
- Multiplayer is bare bones. Bad netcode and the termination of lobbies upon completion of a mission, or death of the host, mean that the amount of fun that can be had in multiplayer is limited
Conclusion
If we had to pick a conclusion for the box cover of Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online, it’d be as follows:
Francesco
An unique take on the series. I personally enjoyed the silly storyline and references, and it also had some interesting ideas. Unfortunately it gets repetitive really fast, AI is not that great and the netcode needs to be improved. I still hope they don’t abandon the idea: with some fixing and polishing an eventual second chapter could be great for the fans.
Isaac
4 Goddesses Online is one of the weakest entries in the series. The usual Neptunia humour is here, but dull combat, poor performance and an overall uninteresting plot overshadow anything good that could be said about the game.
Patrick
Being the first game of the franchise I completed, I quite enjoyed my time in Alsgard. The lack of loot and leveling up your character destroyed the sense of progression to me and getting stuck in many boss fights ruined the endgame. Despite the shortcomings in the gameplay, I liked the quirky dialogue and the character/enemy design. With improved netcode, more loot and more diverse bossfights we could get a good game next time around.
Game Title: Cyberdimension Neptunia: 4 Goddesses Online
Genre: Action-Adventure
Release Date: 13.10.2017
Platforms:
This game was provided by the publisher for review purposes, check our review policy for details.