Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth3 - V Generation: Here we go again

The Re;Birth subseries is strongly linked to summer as far as I'm concerned. This is solely due to the fact that I played the first two entries precisely at that time of the year; since then, thinking of the series brings back memories of sparkling sun, green tea pots and summer TV shows playing in the background. Of course, it works the other way too, as all those things can trigger a strong craving for all things Re;Birth. This is precisely what happened this summer, and I was more than happy to cave in and dive into the yet unplayed third entry.

I was amazed to see that despite not having touched a Re;Birth game for a whopping four years, I was back on track right away. Everything felt deliciously familiar and welcoming, and it wasn't long before I was grinding with abandon. Re;Birth's brand of grinding hits just the sweet spot between stimulating and soothing. It equally lends itself to focused playing and to mindless, front-of-tv playing, and I'm indulging in both depending on the mood. 

I don't have much to add regarding gameplay mechanics, since I already laid them down in my older Re;Birth posts. (See here and there.) RB3 is basically more of the same, bound to delight Re;Birth aficionados and make others scream ripoff. One different thing, though, is the fact that party members come and go on a whim; I don't remember this happening in former entries, and I don't like it much, as it spoils my grinding's smoothness and regularity. Do you know how messy it looks to have party members at uneven levels, Compile Heart? Oh, well; as long as I get the opportunity to level up my chosen crew at some point, I guess I can manage that small annoyance.

Smug collector face.

 On a more general note, I can proudly claim that I'm up to date regarding physical copies of HN games, with nearly every single game secured in my precious collection. The only entry missing is the elusive Megadimension Neptunia VII, which I ordered from Limited Run Games and which has yet to be produced; in the meantime, I'll play the digital version, which I got on a discount (before I knew about the LRG run, that goes without saying.) Anyway, I'll see you soon with my next RB3 run report, dear fellow gamers. In the meantime, keep gaming and take care!