Majorly Confused...?

[Crawley]

Is it me or, did Hyperdimension Neptunia Re;Birth2 start off extremely awkward to the point that makes me not want to play? I bought both copies back to back during the summer sale and I was surprisingly pleased that I loved the first one's story and characters. Upon completion of the game, I immediately jumped to HNRB2.

What I came across was extreme confusion: Nepgear.... A war...? Wtf? No explanation on how Nepgear suddenly turns up and it feels like there's a huge gap in the story... Did anyone else feel the same way, or am did I miss something on my playthrough (I didn't get the true ending yet because I was anxious to play the second game)?

[Harag]

The second game starts in an alternate dimension. The characters are the same but how they met and their relationships may differ.

That being said I think at this point it's safe to say that the vast majority of the community agrees with you. The second games story or rather the second game as a whole is not as good as the first.
There is a reason for this. The first game is a complete remake of the original Hyperdimension Neptunia game. This one is a PC and PS Vita port of the second game(Hyperdimension Neptuna mk2) with an enhanced battle system.

[pee water]

Different dimension.

[Sunohara]

Was a bit confused too when both IF and Compa did not recognize the killachine.
So this story is not a sequel to the first game eh? to be fair though, there's not much to go on after the true ending back in rebirth 1.
Though rebirth 3 / V's story is connected to rebirth 2, yes?

[KarmaTheAlligator]

Originally posted by Sunohara:

Though rebirth 3 / V's story is connected to rebirth 2, yes?

From what I hear, yes.

[Crawley]

So I just have to view it as a different dimension... I mean I don't really like investing in a story that completely changed. It's probably not a bad game, but I just wish I would've known a little sooner lol.

[Sir Fluffykins]

Originally posted by N I C H I:

So I just have to view it as a different dimension... I mean I don't really like investing in a story that completely changed. It's probably not a bad game, but I just wish I would've known a little sooner lol.

I'm currently level 45-55 in Rebirth 1 and in Chapter 3. The game is still challenging dying more often than I ever did in Rebirth 2, having played Rebirth 2 first.
Maps in 1 are rather huge at times, even repeated maps get whole new areas attached on.
1 takes ages to get through, I unlocked 7 dungeons before I moved on with the story and have to return to get materials for items, to unlock the characters armor and weapons. I just got MAGES. who was level 38 and still struggled against the Killachines with my 3 goddesses (though there's an Eggplant rider in that Dungeon that gives 55,000exp, enough to raise my character 1 level or 2 each kill, which I need to go kill a few more times).

In Rebirth 2 I was level 50-58 when I finished the ENTIRE GAME (Normal End). Most of the characters still didn't have their EXE drive abilities and though I was okay with the story it was plainly obvious, compared to 1, that 2 was more like an expansion, using the same models and character, smaller maps and being sold as a sequel.

[chris100185]

Originally posted by Sunohara:

Was a bit confused too when both IF and Compa did not recognize the killachine.
So this story is not a sequel to the first game eh? to be fair though, there's not much to go on after the true ending back in rebirth 1.
Though rebirth 3 / V's story is connected to rebirth 2, yes?

Yes Aside from the spin offs(Noire, Producing Perfection, etc) all the main games involve the dimension introduced in the second game, though other dimesions still come into play, for example, REBirth 3 involves Neptune falling into another dimension and her efforts to get home, but that Neptune is the one from the REBirth 2 dimension.

As for the first game. As has been said, While 2 and 3 are more along the lines of enhanced ports, the first game was rebuilt from the ground up. The original game had a completely different battle system, and the story was even more close ended. The ending of that one involved The godesses giving up their powers and becoming human. The game was a surprise success for IF and it prompted them to completely revamp the gameplay for the sequel as that was almost universally considered to be the game's weakest element, and given the ending for the previous game, reboot the story.

[Mr. Manual]

Originally posted by N I C H I:

So I just have to view it as a different dimension... I mean I don't really like investing in a story that completely changed. It's probably not a bad game, but I just wish I would've known a little sooner lol.

Wasn't there a side event with Compa and IF explaining how they met Neptune? It's completely different from both Rebirth1 and the original first game. If not that, there were other hints that something was different in this game.

That being said, yeah it would've been nice if they had a 4th-wall-breaking segment explaining that this was a different dimension.