The Neptunia series continues to span genres as it parodies anime and game tropes at every turn. Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos enters the realm of motorcycle action with its zany cast of characters. The game throws Uzume into an unfamiliar setting as returning characters’ personalities have been flipped. Everyone is obsessed with Dogoos, a series mainstay that spoofs slimes in roleplaying games. Uzume and her friends must venture across multiple worlds to free everyone from their Dogoo-fueled craze and escape this bizarre new universe.
Although the premise is frivolous, it is actually one of the game’s strengths as the writing is laden with parodies and funny interactions. The English dub cast delivers lines exuberantly and enthusiastically, and it truly accentuated each cutscene’s silly exchanges. The characters’ interactions are frequently over-the-top and amusing, even if they largely stick to the same overarching structure.
The game’s motorcycle action is also easy to pick up and play. In some ways, it feels like it takes a page from Mario Kart‘s versus battle mode with a tiny dash of Katamari Damacy. After picking a character and an optional computer-controlled teammate, the player races against a computer-controlled opponent to pick up a target number of Dogoos. Each character can attack enemies with melee and long range blasts to steal their hoard. Stages are full of different Dogoos that often have silly designs and grant gimmicky powers. However, for the most part, the player can primarily rely on their driving skills to complete the objective.
This game also provides a fair number of unlockables. Clearing stages grants in-game currency that can then be used to purchase bike parts and character customization items. These bike parts do influence stats, but they largely do not feel particularly impactful. Encountering new characters, stages, and enemies will also unlock them for use in the game’s fairly robust Photo Mode. Although controlling Photo Mode can feel a bit weird at first, the abundance of options does allow for some lively snapshots.
However, much of the overall flow is underwhelming. The campaign is fairly short, and I reached the credits roll in just under three hours. Although each sub-world has colorful motifs, the actual areas are pretty sparse and the level designs are generally flat with a few ramps and “warping” gimmicks. Furthermore, the action is at 30 frames per second, and only the dialogue sequences are actually 60 frames per second. In general, it seems like contemporary driving games should avoid 30 FPS especially on the PlayStation 5. As of the time of this writing, I was unable to find a Performance Mode. Given that the game’s visual fidelity and lighting are not too intensive, 30 FPS is a bit strange and it dampens the overall experience. The music is also upbeat and it is generally appropriate, but it is not particularly memorable nor does it have that many unique tracks.
Another underwhelming aspect is a general lack of impact. The bike lacks inertia as the player drifts and then boosts, and the computer-controlled opponents rarely provide much resistance. On a few occasions, the CPU acquired a bunch of Dogoos quickly and resulted in a Game Over sooner than expected. However, they seemingly act aimlessly and arbitrarily most of the time.
Furthermore, the game’s replayability suffers from not having additional modes or stages. After clearing each stage, the player can complete two optional objectives, but these stages are not necessarily the most interesting to replay over and over. With just a handful of worlds with a few stages apiece, the game’s scale seems reminiscent of an Xbox Live Arcade title or an early 2010s PlayStation Network game, which seems a bit lacking for a full retail release.
In general, Neptunia Riders VS Dogoos will mostly be worthwhile for those who really appreciate the series’ characters or want to experience a silly take on motorcycle action. Although the game’s dialogue, characterization, and jokes are enjoyable due to their sheer ridiculousness, the level design and length result in an underwhelming experience overall.
