Finding inspiration as a writer can be tough, and writing about your first sexual experience is even tougher! Especially when the memories of that experience are somewhat ethereal, slightly intangible, and a tad elusive. Alright, they’re non-existent! But you do have a vivid imagination, and your lewd dreams have inspired you for other things in the past, so maybe sleeping on it will help.
In Neko Night from Chaos-L you play as a freelance writer trying to muster the creativity to finish his latest assignment, but after running into a pair of mysterious, cat-eared visitors who are eager to give him a helping hand, finding his inspiration might come easier than he thinks!
The sex and sex acts in Neko Night are a big focus in the game and although they aren’t interactive, a large majority of the scenes you encounter will contain them. The scenes feature full nudity, are uncensored, and the acts themselves are fully visible so we thought a Level 3 for the amount of adult content suited it well. That said, most scenes could be considered relatively kink free, with the biggest fetish being the fact that the protagonist will be having sex with demi-human, but mostly humanoid partners. Though there are some instances of virgin sex (with bleeding), breast milk, some scenes of dubious/non enthusiastic consent, and the end goal of impregnation, so landing right in the middle at a 50% for the type of adult content felt like a safe bet.
Like many hentai VNs, the art direction in Neko Night was pleasing, clean, and colorful, making if very approachable especially during the sex scenes. The anime aesthetics themselves, although typical for the genre, suited the game well and I especially liked the different designs for the two cat-girls. The backgrounds are well drawn too, setting the stage for the entirety of the game. Nonetheless, you’ll only really encounter a handful, with most scenes taking place in the protagonist's apartment.
That said, the biggest appeal to the game, from a visual standpoint, are the gorgeous and high quality full screen CG scenes. They do a great job of portraying what’s happening in them (mostly sex). There aren’t any animations during the CG scenes, however each scene will have multiple variations as you progress through them, with the characters either making different expressions or moving to different positions. I do wish the soundtrack added a bit more to enhance the mood, but ultimately it’s just kind of there and mostly forgettable.
Despite that however, one of Neko Night’s boasted features is its approach to its sound design and its heavy use of ASMR techniques for sound effects and voice acting. This means absolutely everything is audible, from slurping, squishing, slapping, moaning, and everything else in between. Which unfortunately wasn’t to my taste and often did the opposite of immersing me in the scene, but I could see it being appealing to those who enjoy the idea of ASMR. Though I did appreciate the use of spatial audio where the characters could sound like they’re closer, further, or to your left or right.
Going into Neko Night I wasn’t expecting to be blown away by its story, or its writing for that matter, and that probably was the weakest part of the game. There was no real character development, and the story just seemed to be there and used as a convenient excuse for the developers to insert sex willy-nilly. Which I get, that is the purpose, but there’s no real lead up and everything just kind of happens. Plus, there are points where I didn’t know how to take the characters because at one moment they’re trying to deflect their desire to have sex, while the next they can’t stop talking about the lewd things they’re going to do to each other! One thing I will say however, is that the actual sex scenes are very descriptive. Almost comically so. With the writers trying their hardest to not outright describe what’s happening through innuendos, or by using every word in the thesaurus. I can appreciate it though because it adds a bit of flourish, especially if there’s no animations to visually describe what’s happening for you, but it also made me crack a smile a few times.
When it comes to the choices you can make during your playthrough, they’ll ultimately determine which of the two endings you’ll get. In the moment however, they won’t necessarily establish who you’ll have sex with, but more who you’ll focus on (both characters are usually in them all). And of course what scene will be displayed. Luckily, the game is relatively short, and using the skip feature allows you to get through your second playthrough quickly, so seeing each of the endings and additional sex scenes isn’t much of an endeavor.
You’ll find your customary set of extra features in Neko Night like a BGM Mode that lets you listen to the game’s soundtrack, or a gallery that unlocks as you play through the game and gives you the opportunity to re-watch or view the each of the CGs, but the standout feature is its CG Camera Mode. Which activates during specific scenes and lets you move the camera up, down, left, or right to reveal different portions of the CG. It doesn’t really do much more than that, but it's an interesting mechanic I’ve never seen before that lets you switch your focus if you so desire!
Neko Night was a short and sweet experience that didn’t out stay its welcome, and got right to the point. Which is a good thing if that’s what you’re here for. It may not have had the most compelling story, and the ASMR schtick didn’t really punch my ticket, but overall I enjoyed my time with it. I especially liked that Chaos-L tried to spice up the VN formula with some unique mechanics and audio techniques. Although I’d slightly hesitate at its $19.99 price tag, especially considering the amount of content you get, I think if you’re in the mood for a game that doesn’t waste its time or if you need more cat-girls in your life, then it's an easy recommendation!
If you’d like to check out Neko Night for yourself, you can find it right now on the JAST USA Store!
Have a curiosity for adult themed games, but are wary of what type and level of content they may contain? Use our at-a-glance After Dark Gauges, to quickly see if a game is for you! Check out the After Dark Gauges Primer page, for more information!