This preview of Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 covers the few first hours of the game. Stay tuned for a full Vita review closer to the game release (August 26)!

Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 is an enhanced remake of the Playstation 3 game Hyperdimension Neptunia that was released in 2011. The Hyperdimension Neptunia franchise takes place in the world of “Gamindustri” and the four main characters are personifications of the game console giants: Sony, Sega, Microsoft and Nintendo.

Right at the beginning of the game, you are left with the main character Neptune being amnesiac. She soon meets with a new friend which will help you on the field, with the game’s beginning tutorial.

The battle system itself is a turn-based/action hybrid because you have to wait for your character’s turn to act, but once its turn is up, you can press a few different buttons to launch attacks, and you can press as many as your character has energy. The first few battles weren’t hard at all, but I’m guessing that the game will turn out harder as it progresses.

I didn’t have the chance to play the original Hyperdimension Neptunia game on the PS3, but the small time I spent battling on the Vita version left me wanting for more. Also, take note that the game features a lot of light-hearted humor and does not take itself seriously, which is a relief from typical Japanese-RPGs!

If you played the original version, here are the differences with the PS3 release:

An overhauled battle system! Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 takes the original game and equips it with the battle system of Hyperdimension Neptunia Victory! This gives the player a more in-depth gaming experience!

New scenario, new ending! The main story and event scenes are renewed from the PlayStation 3 version. The core storyline will remain mostly the same, but the conversations between characters are all new! A new ending has been added as well! This will allow players returning from the PlayStation 3 version to enjoy the game anew!

New “Remake System”! A new system has been added to Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1: the “Remake System”! It lets players customize and make changes to the game system itself by obtaining “Plans”!

Receive Blank Discs to craft your own Game Discs! You can create unique equippable items by burning Idea Chips (abilities) onto Blank Discs! Depending on the Idea Chips used, a Godly Game may result, which will grant you an additional ability!

DLC brings more playable characters and more! Additional characters will be playable through DLC; players can increase the level cap to 999; and additional monsters, quests, and dungeons will be available!

Press Release:

Idea Factory International is excited to announce that Hyperdimension Neptunia™ Re;Birth1, a new installment of the long-loved fan favorite RPG series, Hyperdimension Neptunia, will be released on PlayStation®Vita handheld entertainment system in the North American and European markets in the late summer of this year. Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth1 is a remake of Hyperdimension Neptunia™, which was previously released for the PlayStation®3 computer entertainment system in 2011. Renewed event conversations, graphics, and newly added game mechanics will entertain fans who have already played the PlayStation 3 version of Hyperdimension Neptunia as well as newcomers to the series.

Idea Factory is also hosting a contest in which you could win copies of the game. If you are interested, click here to enter!