Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars slices and dices between common elements from both the Hyperdimension Neptunia series and its Senran Kagura counterpart. It even makes room for some wholly original concepts along the way. Finding the right rhythm in a game that focuses its combat above all else is understandably paramount to your enjoyment.
With fast-paced fights and quick-on-your-feet climactic boss battles, this is precisely the sort of JRPG where it pays off in spades to learn the basics of bludgeoning ahead of schedule. Explore the fundamentals of speedy shuriken-tossing heroines with our Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars combat guide.
Shinobi, Heal Thyself
Enemies are ruthless in Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars. Barring intentional overleveling through training endeavors, this is not a game with very many encounters you can get through while blindfolded. You might not think so when the plot first kicks up, and you're up against giant marshmallow-like monsters, but the going gets tougher in relatively short order.
As such, there are two healing techniques, and they're both critical to survival. Since Ninja Wars operates on a partner-based system, swapping between characters allows your inactive party member to regenerate her HP. Mind you, this happens slowly enough that it won't do you a world of good during boss fights. But while you're wandering about during missions, it's your primary method of recovery.
Bigger battles require better boons. A stock of healing items is downright necessary. Don't be afraid to blow through serious cash in the pursuit of pills, Ninja Wars' spin on the ever-important potions. Especially during the latter chapters, expect the gals to be downing those pills almost as quickly as they can sprint across the battlefield.
Ninjutsu Before Knuckles
Another thing that recharges over time is your Ninjutsu Meter, which you'll tap into for all your rad, flashy special attacks. There's really no good reason to let it simmer untouched. Spam is the name of the game in Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars – albeit not literally, thankfully – so get to know your party members' abilities and go wild with them even in "regular" encounters.
Once you've done so, it's smart to conclude a combo with something that closes the gap between the enemies and yourself when possible. This is when you'll unload your normal melee strikes until it's time to unleash the flashier fare all over again.
Crucial Combat Boosts
Aligning your Spirit Gems is perhaps the most pivotal part of outpacing the competition. Once you have a nice stock at your disposal, the attack and defense boosts will pile up in a big way. Just be cautious not to overdo it with, say, the 'Full Power' option if you need more speed, special attack bonuses, and the like.
Still, Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is an RPG at heart, even if the frenetic hack-and-slash gameplay gives it a different flavor at times. Your characters will only hit as hard as their stats permit, and what we're getting at here is that fresh equipment will only get you halfway to heroics if you don't pay much attention to how your Spirit Gems link up as well.
Frequently Fuurinkazan
Fairly early on, you will unlock a new mechanic called Fuurinkazan. This allows you to activate one of four different elemental sets, albeit for a limited time before it, too, needs to recharge. The meter for this is substantially longer than for Ninjutsu.
As you can see, the elements include Fire, Mountain, Wind, and Wood. Of them, you'll most likely get a ton of mileage out of the former two. Fire is great for mopping up enemies and boosting damage output to slice through the several health bars that bosses possess. Mountain's for when you need a defense uptick pronto.
That's not to say the others are bad. Forest's HP regeneration increase can be a particular godsend if things get so dire during a boss fight that you're essentially running away for prolonged periods of time, dodging all the way, in order to get yourself out of the danger zone.
Yomi Training Yeets All Toughness
Try not to hold it against us for using "yeets" in a header. Hyperdimension Neptunia essentially made a name for itself on meme references.
After you've completed the main story comes the postgame. Here's where the greatest difficulty awaits you, but the rewards are well worth the effort. By finishing up the Yomi Trials, you'll gain access to Godly Weapons, which are, to be blunt, godly weapons. Their stats are outrageous, so they hit like a truck. You'll sweep through the opposition.
Additionally, Yomi Trials are where you'll no doubt get the most bang for your buck with Spirit Gem alignments. Those massive boosts are practically a necessity at times, so don't get discouraged if certain fights take more than a few tries.