Nekopara Vol 2

Visual novels have had a rough time getting into the Steam platform, they were introduced, blew up, then disappeared again, and now they're back, and they've been for some years now. Nekopara Vol. 2 is one of those visual novels that just found it's first home on the steam platform. In fact, all the Nekopara series, which consists of the other two games aside from this one of course. The world of visual novels is just as varied as pretty much any other gaming genre, so it's no surprise to see all kinds of different themes getting into this genre. But, does Nekopara Vol. 2 hold something completely new and original for us, or is it just more of the same romantic visual novel? Well, let's talk about it.

About the game

Nekopara Vol. 2 is the sequel of Nekopara Vol. 1, obviously. As such, it is a continuation of the first game and shares a lot with the original one.

So we'll have to do a quick review of the first title to understand this one. dIn the first game we are introduced to Kashou Minaduki, a chef born into a long line of confectioners. He hopes to start his own business and get success for his own and open up a French-style bakery. However, upon unpacking and getting his business ready, he realizes that the catgirls of his family ended up being shipped into his business. The feline girls work with him at the patisserie and add up to the whole experience there.

Now, in this Vol. 2, La Soleil bakery is doing great, business is blooming over here, and the addition of four more Neko helped, the bakery even went viral. Here we will see some rivalries between the catgirls who fight for your attention, there's some jealousy when one of them gets a raise to a manager, and overall there are all kinds of unexpected scenarios. All of this while Minaduki still follows his dreams and earning a name for his own, while trying to keep everyone friendly in the business, sometimes maybe a little too friendly actually…

Compared to other visual novels

Nekopara Vol. 2 is a strange visual novel, but that’s mainly ‘cause it’s more of a playable novel than a game actually. There’s no choice or different paths here. When you compare it to some of the biggest names in the visual novel genre on Steam like Steins;Gate, this one truly falls short. Luckily for Nekopara Vol.2, these two should never be compared at all. They are entirely different games, and they are totally aimed at different targets. Not to mention comparing it to something like Doki Doki Literature Club! Which is simply… traumatizing…

Review

• Graphics and visuals: The game looks just beautiful, there's a lot of work put into making this game pretty, and you realize that in just one look at it. Its beautiful character design, backgrounds, and cute animations look just perfect.

• Gameplay: Taking the element of choice and multiple paths away from the visual novel genre remove a lot of what makes them interesting and interactive. This way there's only one ending, one plot, and one relationship line. It would be interesting to add more alternatives, more dialogue options, and such, to make this game feel more interactive. It is still a cute experience if you're into catgirls of course.

• Sound: The voice acting is actually pretty good, and so is the soundtrack. Even though the music can be a little too basic, it serves its purpose just right.