Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart

Lore & Background

The game is set in a world called Gamarket, separate from the usual Gamindustri. The four goddesses battle for hegemony until an unknown force robs their powers, forcing them to cooperate to save the world. Gameplay features chibi characters on a tactical grid map with turn-based combat, map elevation effects, and various field gimmicks such as rail cars, flaming pits, and laser beams. A new mechanic called Lily Boost allows adjacent units to develop bonds that grant special skills and goddess transformations, with kissing animations displayed upon activation.

Reader's Guide

Hyperdevotion Noire: Goddess Black Heart is significant as a spin-off that shifts the Hyperdimension Neptunia series from traditional RPG to tactical RPG gameplay. It introduces 18 new playable characters, each parodying a game franchise, genre, or developer, such as Lee-Fi (Chun-Li parody) and Lid (Solid Snake parody). The game received positive reviews in Japan, with Famitsu scoring it 31 out of 40, and sold 28,397 physical copies in its first week. In the West, it received mixed or average reviews according to Metacritic, with Hardcore Gamer noting that the Vita version offers great gameplay but requires excessive waiting on enemy turns. The game's legacy includes ports to Windows and Nintendo Switch, expanding its reach beyond the original Vita audience.

Did You Know?

• The game's opening theme is 'Jet Black Sustain' performed by Asami Imai and produced by 5pb.
• Characters can be affected by status ailments including zombification, turning into tofu, and becoming 8-bit.
• The character Lid can hide inside a cardboard box in-game, parodying Solid Snake from Metal Gear Solid.