Neko No Sentouki: The Greatest Fighter

Right off the bat, let me tell you that Neko No Sentouki is a wonderful visual novel with a lot of passion, love, effort and dedication poured into it, which you can clearly feel every step of the way. There was someone here who really had a story to tell and deeply cared about not only their characters but also the craft itself. Does that mean it's perfect? No, but it's a memorable ride from beginning to end, that got me emotionally invested and is sure to stay with me. But let's dissect it in a bit more detail, shall we? [b]Story[/b] It’s told from two very distinct perspectives, one of which you can choose at the start: On the one hand, you have Hikaru, a seemingly grumpy and cynical young man living on the streets and getting by as a thief. And on the other hand, you have the very cheerful and naive Aiko who possesses superhuman abilities and takes part in a mysterious fighting tournament. By chance, the two of them meet and their fates become intertwined as they make a deal to further their individual ambitions. For most of the game, the overarching plot revolves around the tournament and the questions relating to its contestants, organizer, purpose and Aiko’s reasons for participating in it. There is a lot of mystery involved, especially from Hikaru’s perspective, which is why I’d recommend starting with him, as he (like the player) is the one getting dragged into all these things Aiko is already familiar with (although that doesn’t mean there isn't anything in Aiko’s route, which would benefit from choosing her first, so ultimately, either order will provide some unique surprises). Now, while it was definitely intriguing, I do have to say, however, that the tournament plot, for the most part, was pretty simple if not generic. But that’s fine in my book, because what really kept me engaged were Aiko and Hikaru themselves, as well as all the faces they met along their adventure. [b]Characters[/b] These really are the heart and soul of this VN, which is by design a primarily character-driven and –focused story. And if that’s your jam, I’m very happy to report that it’s with these very characters, their struggles and relationships, that Neko truly shines! While they do have their exaggerated “anime moments” and some may come across as superficial at first, they eventually all turn out to be deeply layered individuals, to the point of feeling like real people. This is especially true for our two main characters, Aiko and Hikaru. Their actions and choices may have admittedly infuriated me at times, but not because they were unrealistic or impossible to follow logically. Quite the contrary: they act exactly the way people their ages and with their backgrounds should. Watching both of them grow and the bond between them deepen was a very wholesome and heart-warming experience, even if there were many equally heart-wrenching moments strewn throughout, as they either faced difficult obstacles together or butted heads with each other. The character writing is definitely what impressed me the most. Well, with one exception that is: the main villain. While they do get their back story and it’s sufficient enough to understand their motives and actions, I do wish they would have been fleshed out a bit more. It’s precisely because the rest of the cast was handled so superbly that this one sticks out all the more. Although, in the grand scheme of things, it’s still more of a minor complaint to me personally. It’s easy to overlook, given how attached I have grown to all the other characters. And it’s because of how intriguing their individual stories and struggles were that I could easily overlook the straightforwardness of the overall plot, too. [b]Visuals[/b] These received a lot of care and attention to detail as well. There are tons of very expressive sprites with great variation, ranging from small details (such as injuries) to full-on outfit changes. Heck, even minor characters that only appear briefly get full sprites! It wasn’t necessary to go this far, but it’s very much appreciated! There is also eye-blinking and a lot of sprite movement going on, giving everything more life rather than too much of a static feel. Furthermore, you get some neat background variation, a good amount of CGs for important scenes and even a whole bunch of super adorable chibi CGs to keep things visually interesting! Really, the only problem I have in the visual department are the clashing styles, as the characters in the CGs were drawn by a different artist than those who handled the sprites, resulting in a bit of visual discrepancy. It’s not that anything looks “bad”, but as someone who likes consistency, I do have to admit that this required some getting used to. [b]Sound[/b] Maybe a bit more variation would have been nice her as well (there are 19 tracks in total), but what’s there in terms of music is always fitting and very catchy/memorable! Sound effects were well utilized, sometimes in very clever ways that would make clear what happened without the need of any visuals or text to convey it. While there is no full voice-acting, you do get occasional soundbytes for most characters, which also help to liven things up. [b]Gameplay[/b] It’s a visual novel, so of course, you’ll mostly be reading. That said, there is some interactivity in the form of choices that will affect dialogues, your relationship with some of the characters or your ending (there are a lot of very “fun” bad ends… which definitely didn’t break me… not at all………). Occasionally, you will also get text input prompts (restricted to one route), which was a nice change of pace, but they occur extremely rarely. Though I rather prefer them being utilized during impactful/sensible moments only, instead of being shoved in just for the sake of it. [b]Replayability/Dual POV[/b] This is one of those games where it’s really worth going through twice to experience both perspectives. Hikaru and Aiko actually get separated a lot, resulting in a ton of unique scenes for each route. It felt like there was more variation than overlap and even if the latter did occur, it was still very interesting and fun to hear the differing thoughts of the other protagonist. Seriously, this is another area in which Neko really shines, as the dual POV was put to really good use and truly enhances the experience! [b]Conclusion[/b] Neko No Sentouki tells a beautiful (sometimes very funny and other times very tragic) story with characters I will never forget and already miss dearly. I really want to see more of them, be it through bonus episodes or a sequel, so please consider giving it a shot yourself! It’s well worth your time and, given the amount of content you’re getting, I’d consider it a steal even at full price! I always struggle a bit with ratings, but this might actually be a 9/10 for me. One of the best visual novels I’ve experienced in a while!

Neko No Sentouki è una piccola gemma che colpisce fin dai primi minuti. La narrazione, divisa tra Aiko & Hikaru, i due protagonisti ben caratterizzati, offre prospettive diverse e complementari: ogni route a modo suo aggiunge qualcosa di nuovo o risponde a qualche domanda, rendendo la rigiocabilità di Neko un piacere. La direzione artistica è di altissimo livello: sprite espressivi, CG curate nei minimi dettagli e ambientazioni che danno vita al mondo di gioco. La colonna sonora è altrettanto riuscita, con tracce capaci di evocare emozioni e accompagnare perfettamente ogni scena, dalle più leggere a quelle più drammatiche... Il tutto è arricchito da un’interfaccia semplice ma elegante! Se amate storie intense, personaggi sfaccettati e scelte che contano davvero, Neko No Sentouki merita tutta la vostra attenzione! Un piccolo capolavoro, assolutamente consigliato.

For a story about a tournament there isn't as much action scenes as you'd expect, but the dynamic between the two main characters still makes the story engaging regardless.