Overview – developed by Axyos Games and published by Eastasiasoft, Neko Secret Homecoming is the latest title in the Neko series to be released. In this entry, explore Neko Town to gain access to the “Anime Factory” and hack into their mainframe. This title is available exclusively on the Nintendo Switch, with a link to the game available at the bottom of this review.
Disclaimer: before I get into the review, I would like to thank Eastasiasoft for providing the copy of Neko Secret Homecoming that was used for this piece. The provision of this software has not influenced the contents of this review, all thoughts and opinions contained within are my own.
Mature Content Warning: this title is intended for mature audiences, due to the inclusion of sexual themes, sexual imagery and nudity. If you are under the age rating for this release, or find any of the content mentioned offensive, please proceed at your own discretion.
Now with the introductions out of the way, let’s get into the review. There isn’t much of a story for this title, so I will be going straight into discussing the gameplay of Neko Secret Homecoming.
Gameplay – this title is a mash up of two different gameplay styles, with a fairly sizable map that can be explored in a third person perspective, contrasting with the 2D slide puzzles. While in the main town area, the player must explore the different buildings and locations to obtain a passcode to enter the factory area. To access the different areas and obtain the numbers, the player will need to complete mini games.
These mini games are a lock picking mechanic to open doors, which requires players to obtain lock picks to be able to open the doors. The other mini game is safe cracking, where the player needs to rotate the stick to find a three digit combination to open the safe. Both of these mini games are incredibly easy to complete as the controller will vibrate (if it has that feature) when the sweet spots have been reached.
When a safe has been opened, there is a chance for one of 4 digits to be found to unlock the door to the factory. This artificially inflates the time spent to play the game, as players need to hunt for the different key code numbers. However, the code system itself is also easy to manipulate due to its flaws. When entering the code, the correct number will beep, meaning players can just brute force their way into the factory by guessing the code.
When inside the factory, the player will encounter the cat-eared lady, who just sits there and does nothing. The player can then access the features of the factory, most importantly the computer where the slide puzzles are located. Upon interacting with the computer the player can select one of 12 images, separated into two sets of 6 which the player can freely choose from. After selecting an image, the player can then start puzzling.
Each of the puzzles are separated into three levels, with each level having the featured girl appearing in a less clothing. These puzzles are incredibly simple, with the only thing that changes between each of the levels aside from the reduced clothing is the number of pieces on screen. This just drags out the process and makes the puzzles take longer to complete, with the fun wearing off very quickly which makes the experience feel increasingly tedious.
Away from the puzzles, the player can access three other features while inside the factory. There is the dart board, where the player plays a single match of darts against the AI with unwieldy controls that serves little purpose. Then we have the outfit selector, which provides very basic customization options and lets players increase the size of their player. Last we have the bathtub, which has the player sit in a tub of water fully clothed, for no other reason than they can.
Now with the gameplay covered, it is time to discuss the other aspects of this release, starting with the controls.
Controls – in this release, the control method is very basic, with the 3D part using the thumbsticks for movement and camera, along with basic inputs with the face buttons. Then we have the mini game controls, which are simple to the point of redundancy if they can be uncontrollable in the darts game. Finally we have the puzzle controls, which can be played with button controls when in docked mode, but there is touch screen options when in handheld mode.
Difficulty – there is a lack of difficulty in this release, as there is no real jeopardy for the player to face. The exploration of the town is rather boring, feeling empty and vacuous as there is no risk when breaking into the different houses. The puzzles have no real challenge to them, as they are just moving squares around the grid to make a complete image. It may feel challenging when there are more pieces, but it lacks any real depth.
Presentation – visually, this title is a mixed bag when it comes to the design. The main two characters of neko girl and cat girl are nicely detailed, but the rest of the models and characters are just from asset packs. The artwork for the girls is pleasing enough to the eye but doesn’t make up for the rather lazy world building. The music and sound is also very basic, using royalty free music for the soundtrack that adds little if anything to the experience.
Final Thoughts – I wanted to enjoy this game, I really did, but there is just so much wrong with this release. There is a real lack of depth with this title, with the exploration being redundant by the ability to brute force the door and lack of life to the town. The puzzles also lack any real depth to the gameplay, as they get repetitive almost instantly and the only reason to keep playing is to see anime titties, which doesn’t rescue the game.
I am unable to recommend this title to anyone, as there is nothing really there for the player to do once all of the puzzles are cleared. But in all honesty, the puzzles aren’t even worth the time that would be wasted doing them. I feel that this title is priced way too high, offering little in terms of content and replay value, with no reason to return once all of the content is cleared. Maybe on sale, it would be worth a few dollars as an impulse purchase.
In the end, I give Neko Secret Homecoming a final score of 2/5. This had the potential to be much more than it was, but there is a distinct lack of content for players to replay the game, the art for the puzzles is nice enough, but can’t carry what feels like a cash grab made of pre-built assets. If you do want to look at this game for yourself, a link to the game will be below.
Link to Nintendo Switch version (HERE)
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