Visual novel fans have had the opportunity this holiday season to enjoy a variety of visual novels and among them are a majority of titles published by Sekai Project. Following the success of fault milestone one, fans won’t have to wait long for the next highly anticipated visual: NekoPara Volume 1 to arrive on Steam. Developed by NEKO WORKs, NekoPara is an adventurous and amusing comedy that is perfectly described by the developers as a “cat paradise” and a visual novel that utilizes the power of the E-mote system.

The story revolves around Kashou, a young man working hard to fulfill his dream of becoming a patisserie who opens his “La Soleil” shop.  He is accompanied by his two catgirls, Chocola and Vanilla who safely stored themselves as stowaways in his delivery boxes who desperately want to spend their days with their master. After a futile attempt to send them home, he allows them to stay before he is joined by their neko sisters: Maple, Cinnamon, Coconut and Azuki as he is robbed of the peaceful and quiet life he had planned for himself. Kashou’s younger sister, Shigure, also pays him a surprise visit as she generously buys out the entire store supply of cake on the bakery’s grand opening day. From that point forward, Kashou’s working life is anything but ordinary as the nekogirls keep him busy both at work and back home.

 

The personalities of the six nekogirls create a heartwarming and emotional tale as you interact with them throughout the game. Appearances like hair, eye colors and outfits are the most distinctive ways to tell them apart as you converse with them individually and in groups. Chocola is spunky and energetic while Vanilla is more shy and reserved. Azuki is sly and mischievous while Maple tends to be calm and easygoing. Cinnamon is bashful and cute with Coconut behaving more like a relaxed but confident nekogirl as she is the only one with different color eyes. As for Kashou’s younger sister, Shigure, she is mature and very educated for her age but exhibits admiration and love for her brother. All of the girls are voiced by professional Japanese voice actresses who deliver an exceptional performance in this fun and whimsical visual novel. After a brief introduction of the other catgirls, the majority of the game focuses on Kashou’s two catpanions, Chocola and Vanilla.

Animations of the nekogirls are very fluid as a result of the E-mote system as the girls approach, tilt their heads, run across the screen, strike poses and display enthusiasm. In direct contrast to visual novels where the character is limited to select poses, the nekogirls are very lifelike and the quality of the animations raises the bar to the performance of watching an anime series. Fanservice is abundant as there is a chest bounciness meter that you can adjust to influence the sway of the girl’s bust. Yes, you read that right…a chest bounciness meter for all the otakus and visual novel fans out there. The soundtrack is fitting and appropriate to the game’s witty, charming and comical moments.

NekoPara is a fun and charming visual novel and is the perfect game for visual novel fans this holiday season with a lighthearted story and an entertaining female cast of characters. Exceptional voice acting and a soothing soundtrack are the highlights of this visual novel that is sure to please otakus who love all things that are “cute” about the lives and adventures of nekogirls. The visual novel lasts approximately five to seven hours in length as it is a kinetic visual novel with unlockable achievements along the way. With the option of enjoying the visual novel in Chinese and Japanese, there is plenty to love about NekoPara as it stands as the next top tier visual novel to be published by Sekai Project on Steam.

SCORE – 60%

This review is based on a digital copy of NekoPara Vol. 1 on Steam provided by Sekai Project