Developed by Compile Heart and published by Idea Factory International, Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos fails to capitalize on the fun, freedom, or narrative framing available for a spinoff to explore. As an experimental branch stemming from the nearly fifteen-year-old Neptunia series, the execution of this combat racer falls short of developing its promising concept into a worthwhile relative of the core series. Neptunia Rider’s trope-filled story and dialogue exist in a vacuum, disappointingly resigning itself to a filler-episode-esque existence instead of aiming to be a series-enriching experience in any way. Even if the stiff yet somewhat fun motorcycle gameplay occasionally lets manic moments of Katamari-style collecting and vehicular combat shine bright, these intervals were never bright enough to completely blind me from the frail frame of lousy customization, dull level design, and uncompetitive AI opponents that fail to uphold the experience. Though I’d like to settle on the title as a fun, light, and flawed endeavor, all of these stated issues become unforgivable when Riders’ biggest misstep is attaching a price tag of forty US dollars to an experience that barely exceeds three hours before the credits roll.
The Spirit of the Spinoff
The unconcerned, high-speed pace of Neptunia Riders’ narrative depletes itself of fuel faster than any emotional force becomes available to fight back. With a cast of fan-favorite characters, led by a motorcycle-riding Uzume Tennouboshi, it’s a shame that the voice-acted cutscenes only do so much as act out a string of predictable events and fruitless dialogue. Looping conventions of character introduction, conflict, and resolution replace any ambition for a larger storyline, opting instead to recycle its writing in an exhausting way. Given the game’s comedic intentions, due to the absurdity of the Dogoos and the zany delivery of the anime ensemble, I never expected a tale of drama filled with twists and turns. Still, I had expected to discover more entertainment from the light, comedic, and animated efforts on display.
Racing Without Risk
Across five stages made up of three levels each, it quickly becomes evident that, while far from a failure in game design, Neptunia Riders neglects taking any necessary risks from start to finish. The challenge is always the same: collect the target number of Dogoos before the opposition does, avoiding or engaging in combat amidst the process. Deciding between these strategies has an obvious answer, however. The enemy intelligence allows the player an extensive ability to ride their motorbike risk-free, allowing Dogoo collection to occur at their leisure. It was only in the final few levels that I felt pressured to make use of my combat skills, hitting and shooting rival motorcyclists to steal their collection of Dogoos. The barebones and straightforward design of Riders’ moment-to-moment gameplay wouldn’t be nearly as detrimental to the overall experience if it weren’t for how every attempt to vary the players’ approach lands with futile effect. Different types of Dogoos have unique conditions upon collection, but none are modifying enough to behave in a way that actively made me rethink my strategy. Similarly, motorcycle and character customization seemed like an unproductive use of time when a challenge never arrived to necessitate a change for reasons beyond vanity. While constructing a game at the intersection of Katamari’s collection-style gameplay and the nearly extinct class of classic vehicle combat action is a great idea, Neptunia Riders executes this collision without realizing what makes both of these channels worth drawing from.
Running on Fumes
With a storyline clocking in at three hours, Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos succeeds in embodying more elements of a larger game’s series of side quests than it does a worthwhile spinoff. While there is oftentimes a critical inconsistency in accounting for a price when reviewing a product, this title makes such ignorance impossible. Complaints that could usually be considered minor hiccups, such as fluctuating graphical fidelity, a lack of variety in content, and performance issues, instead resemble ugly burps that reflect a blatant disregard for the audience willing to spend forty US dollars on a series that has earned their trust. To that crowd, shining moments of straightforward gameplay and satisfying voice acting do exist between these outbursts, making it apparent that there are components worth salvaging here. For a deep sale, perhaps the most devout fans of the Neptunia series will find the silver lining of this underwhelming spinoff worth enduring. For me, there is no fuel left in this ride.
