Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars has a new home on the Switch. Which might get people wondering. This is a game that was made for the PS4. Can the Switch handle it? Will it feel the same? Given that Tamsoft’s Neptunia beat’em ups showed up on handhelds before, it seemed like a safe bet. In practice, it does work. Not only that, but I felt like some issues with the PS4 release were a little easier to bear on the new platform.
Part of the reason Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars out well is because it is easier to be more forgiving when it comes to its inconsistencies. The PS4 version of the game is fine for what it is. However, it looks like a budget game. There are a limited number of enemies. This applies both to how many appear in the bestiary and on the field at once. (Palette swaps show up to increase its size.) The environments get repetitive and don’t look great. But on the Switch, it somehow doesn’t seem so bad. Especially if you are playing in Handheld mode. The smaller screen, with its reduced resolution, makes boring environments easier to bear. I would almost say the fact that the character models might not look as sharp as they do on the PS4 means it isn’t such a major disparity between them and the world they inhabit.
In terms of the tech, the Switch also handles Neptunia x Senran: Ninja Wars rather well. There’s no slowdown or lag, even if quite a few enemies are onscreen at once. The loading ahead of levels isn’t too egregious. It’s typically under 30 seconds. Inputs are responsive. So even though this isn’t the most elaborate beat’em up with the most intricate combos, I never felt like I was faltering due to a delay in it recognizing my actions.
The nature of Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars lends itself well to a handheld as well. When I played it on the PS4, I had an okay time. It was fine. But I was also experiencing it under less than ideal conditions. I would have to play in sessions that lasted hours. Given the repetitive nature of its missions and reused enemies and environments, that isn’t ideal! This is more of a game in which a person plays for 30 minutes, maybe 60 minutes at most. Complete one mission or two. Go do something else. Come back when you want to revisit it because you like the characters. It works better that way.
I also found it easier to accept Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars as a solo experience on the Switch. I’d attribute this to it being a sort of console someone might be more likely to play on their own. If you’re on a Switch Lite or playing undocked, there’s not this constant reminder someone else could be going through a beat’em up with you.
Is Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars the best Neptunia or Senran Kagura beat’em up? No. Is it entertaining for what it is? I’d say so. I would even say it fares a bit better on the Switch than on the PS4. I know sometimes I go into a Switch version of this sort of game with tempered expectations. That makes it easier to accept certain things about it.
Neptunia x Senran Kagura: Ninja Wars will come to the Nintendo Switch on April 19, 2022 in North America and on April 22, 2022 in Europe. It is immediately available on the PS4 worldwide and Switch in Japan. A PC version will appear on May 11, 2022.
