Overview – developed by Compile Heart and Tamsoft, with publishing handled by Idea Factory International, MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies is an action spin off in the Neptunia franchise of RPGS. Set at Gamicademi, the Goddesses of Gamindustri are trying to save their school from closure by making a zombie movie, using zombies that have suddenly appeared at the school. This title is available on Steam, with a link to the game at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Idea Factory International, for providing the copy of MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies used for this piece, via the Keymailer service. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review, starting with the story. I will be referring to the game as the shortened name MegaTag Blanc for the sake of brevity, I will also be covering the core aspects of the gameplay experience.
Story – Gamicademi, a school renowned for educating goddesses in the ways of human life. Unfortunately, despite the accolades of the school, the threat of closure looms over them. In an attempt to stop this, a group of students, led by Blanc and Neptune set out to save the academy. To achieve this, they set out to make a zombie movie, but suddenly real zombies start appearing. But Blanc decides to use this situation to make the best Zombie movie ever.
Gameplay – MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies is an arena action game, where the objective is to clear the mission for each of the stages. The game is broken down into scenes, where the narrative plays out, telling the story of the CPU goddesses making their movie, while dealing with the zombies. Each scene is broken down into individual cuts, where an objective must be completed within the different area of Gamicademi.
The vast majority of the gameplay experience takes place in these stages, with the player choosing one or two players to deploy into battle. The game starts off with two characters, with Blanc and Neptune as the starting pair, but as the game progresses, more characters will be added to the roster. Each of the characters have their own unique weapons, fighting styles and mechanics that can be used in the battle against the undead.
Inside the battle stages, the player will be able to move around the arena freely, as enemies spawn in to swarm and attack. To defeat the enemies, each character has a light and heavy attack, which can be chained together to create spectacular combos. It is also possible for the player to launch enemies, following up and dealing devastating aerial attacks. The basic strikes are the most common way to defeat enemies, but not the only attacks to use.
Each of the characters has four special attacks, which can be devastating to enemies all around them. These special moves require SP power to be deployed, with a meter next to the character icon onscreen. The meter fills up over time, with the attacks being usable when filled. To use these skills, the player must press guard and a face button, which allows the attacks to be set up and deployed strategically. This adds to the fast paced chaos of battle.
The special attacks are not the flashiest of attacks that each character has in their arsenal. All of the characters have a special EXE Drive attack, which is the ultimate attack for that character. To use this attack, the player will need to charge up the EXE meter, which is above the health bar and is filled by damaging enemies. To deploy this attack, the meter must be at least 30 percent filled, with more damage if there is more energy charged up.
All of the playable characters have a special transformation, which uses the EXE gauge to transform the active character into their special form. In this special form, the character will be more powerful, dealing increased damage to enemies while in this powered up state. The player can return to their standard form at any time, preserving their EXE energy, but if the player unleashes the ultimate EXE Drive, they will transform back immediately.
MegaTag Blanc uses a tag team system, with the ability to switch between characters in battle. This allows for players to mix up their strategy, switching between characters to use their own special skills and traits in combat. There is also a special attack that can be used with both characters, which is called the Lily Special, where both characters unleash their EXE drive attack. This uses 50 percent of the EXE energy, dealing huge damage to enemies.
The tag partner is not the only character that can assist the player, as there are two supporters that can be used during a stage. These characters will provide various buffs, like increased power and defense for a limited time. To use these supporters, they will charge naturally and a prompt will appear on screen to activate them. The player starts with two supporters, but more can be unlocked over the course of the game.
When a stage is cleared, the player will get a ranking for their performance. There are four points that players are rated on, with the most important being the time taken to clear the stage. Then there is a penalty based on failure, the number of items used and the last thing players are judged on is the combos done. Based on hidden factors, the player will be given a rating with the highest being SSS, which is often for a super fast clear.
Players will be rewarded with experience points, money rewards and special items. There will also be special rewards for players to collect, which are dropped from enemies that are defeated in battle. As the player gains experience, they will be able to level up the characters in the tag team. When characters level up, their Lily rank will increase, making the special combo EXE Drive attacks even more powerful during battles.
The items collected serve a variety of purposes, with the most important being the credits, which are used in the in game shop. Here new items can be purchased, like weaponry, accessories and temporary power boosts. Each character has additional weapons that can be purchased, with three of them for the regular characters, and at least one extra for most of the transformations. These weapons will increase the power of the character in battle.
On the main menu, there is a setup menu where players can adjust the characters. Here they can be outfitted with more powerful weapons, apply patches to the weapons and give characters accessories. There is also a special system to increase the stats of characters, though a system called AP, which is earned in battle. Using these points, players will be able to increase character health, power and more with these accumulated points.
There are many secrets that can be discovered during play, with treasures, interactions and special scenes that can appear. As the player makes their way through the game, they will be able to uncover these secrets through choices made. However, to obtain all of the secrets within the game, players will need to play through the game multiple times. There is a gallery where scenes can be viewed and hints for secrets will be given.
The last element to discuss is the co-op mode, which is a special online multiplayer feature, where up to four players can work together to take on special challenges. This mode is separate from the main story of the game, where all level progress and unlocks are carried over. All of the playable characters are available immediately here also, including the transformed versions of characters. This allows characters to use any character they want.
In the multiplayer mode, the player can connect online with other players from across the world. This is achieved by setting up or joining rooms, jumping into play with friends or other players. But for those who don’t want to play with others, the challenges of the co-op mode can be played entirely solo, although it will be challenging. This gives the player even more content to dive into, further expanding the value on offer for players.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – this game can be played with a mouse and keyboard or a controller, with the latter being the recommended way to enjoy the game. This is due to the heavy amount of action that occurs on screen, as well as the chaos of the zombie hordes attacking the player. The camera and movement is solid, with responsive inputs for attacks, skills and special moves. All of the inputs are laid out in a way that is comfortable, working well with a variety of input options.
Difficulty – there is a fairly moderate amount of challenge to this release, with the levelling system being tied to how tough the battles are. Each of the stages have a level tied to them, with the difficulty shown as a level tied to the stage. But with a little time spent playing the cleared stages, weaker characters can be powered up quickly for tougher stages. The biggest challenge is to get the triple S ratings in all stages, which can be pretty hard to do.
Presentation – from a visual perspective, the game looks amazing, with the bouncy character models and gorgeous portrait art that Neptunia games are known for. The stages are open and detailed well, working to keep the focus on the action on screen, with 2D art for settings that fits the stages. Everything flows smoothly with no lag or delay. The story scenes are done well, using the visual novel style with the characters being expressive.
The sound for this release is excellent, with a bright and happy intro theme that is fun and energetic, setting the tone well for the adventure. This is accompanied by the opening animation, which adds to the comedic tone the game wants to set. Then there is the main soundtrack, which has some very catchy melodies. All capped off with English and Japanese VO, featuring the regular cast of the Neptunia franchise in their roles.
Final Thoughts – this is an older game but it is an excellent game to add to your library, there is a lot of fun to be had with this release. The action style of gameplay is different, as it is something that is rarely used in the franchise, but works fantastically well. Everything flows well, with the fast paced combat being a real joy to get stuck into. I very much enjoyed this game, with the story, characters and comedic tone of the experience maintaining that distinct charm.
There is little in terms of downside for this release, although it may feel a little brief to some there is plenty of content on offer. The main story is fun and the co-op mode expands the game further, with special challenges based on days. All of the elements come together well, making this one of those games that players who don’t enjoy RPGs can dive into. So I am happy to recommend this to everyone, even those who aren’t that much into the usual Neptunia fare.
In the end, I give MegaTagmension Blanc + Neptune VS Zombies a final score of 5/5. This is a fun and enjoyable action romp, taking the characters of the different Neptunia dimensions, bringing them together and offering a chaotic game that is a hell of a lot of fun. If you want to check this title out for yourself, a link to the game will be below.
Link to Steam version (HERE)
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