You may have heard the news, but Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is one part Hyperdimension Neptuna, one part Senran Kagura, and one part neither. What does that even mean, you're asking? It means there are aspects to this crossover extravaganza that do not feature in either series. And just as learning the ropes in those games can be pivotal, getting a hang of everything Ninja Wars has to offer can make a world of difference.
While there are dozens of little bits and baubles behind Ninja Wars' programming that are worth chatting over, we've locked it down to six wide-ranging key beginner's tips to prime you for your quest to thwart the nefarious Steeme invasion.
Don't Beeline the Main Objectives
At its core, Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is a fairly straightforward game. Your map will guide you from objective to objective via handy yellow exclamation marks. There are staged battles along the way, and at least one boss to be faced in most missions.
There are also nooks and crannies off the beaten path that are well worth investigating if you've got the spare energy reserves to risk it. These items can be found on stage replays, but the sooner you snag them, the more valuable they will be. They can often mean the difference between just scraping by against a boss and pulverizing them shinobi-style.
Redo Stages Until You're Stronger
Speaking of replaying stages, you may wish to treat each subsequently unlocked mission as your own personal training ground. If you attempt to finish the story without grinding, expect a very steep uphill journey ahead of you. Early appearances to the contrary, too, since it's not until around the mid-game that things start pushing back harder than speedrunning RPG fans might expect.
There's no limit to the number of times you can return to a previously beaten mission. At a certain point, the experience point payout is eclipsed in helpfulness by how long it will take you to get from Point A to Point B, but you should benefit from at least a few replays on the regular.
Don't Give Up If The Story Doesn't Grab You
Taste is a beautifully subjective thing. It may be that you're reading our guide after getting a few hours into Neptunia x Senran Kagura;: Ninja Wars, and you're shaking your head in bewilderment, seeing as you're absolutely enthralled with the game's story. If that's the case, then wonderful! Enjoy the in-jokes and crossover character banter.
But otherwise, understand that Ninja Wars does not emphasize narrative as much as most Senran Kagura titles, let alone Hyperdimension Neptunia RPGs. Some players come looking for a meatier plot than they're going to get, with enough twists and turns to hearken back to when a certain Purple Heart and friends saved their world. Again. And again. And, you know, often.
Our advice if you belong to the latter camp is to stick around for the gameplay. There is depth to be found in Ninja Wars. It's simply confined in large part to its excellently diverse battle mechanics.
That Said, Do Chat With Everyone
Even if the story is light, the characterization in Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars is still a consistent source of entertainment. Both series' casts live in this world together naturally, rather than finding themselves thrust here from their own respective dimensions, but there are still many moments in which the familiar tropes and beats that define their otherworldly counterparts come bubbling to the surface.
Whether that means anything to you or not, the fact remains that speaking with the game's cast during NinChat (which we would assume is short for Ninja Chat, but this is Neptunia, so it could just as easily somehow be Nintendo) is a fundamental part of powering up. Don't hesitate to do so between missions, because the presents you will sometimes be rewarded with can be superb.
Keep Your Inventory Packed
Maybe you've mastered JRPGs like Final Fantasy 9 and Xenoblade Chronicles. Perhaps you consider healing items to be the sort of thing to horde for emergency situations but seldom purchase outright. If you approach Ninja Wars, more of a hack-and-slash by far and sometimes brutal to boot, with similar thoughts then you will undoubtedly encounter the game over screen.
Enemies don't mess around. Especially in the later stages, regular fights can slice through your partner gals' health bars fairly swiftly. As for bosses, even the Demon Bull – the second climactic clash out of well over a dozen – can quickly shred the heroines' hit points like butter to their blades.
The trick is twofold: first, stock up on healing items and use them as constantly as necessary. Don't hold back; you'll find and purchase more later. Secondarily, remember that your backup ally's HP regenerates over time, so unless you're planning to send them out as soon as possible, focus your curative affairs on the active character instead.