VN - Ren'Py - New Horizon [v0.3] [KawaiiSukebe]

  1. 5.00 star(s)

    Kaasje404

    Review V0.2.1
    New Horizon centers on an ordinary guy who embarks on a journey together with a girl to uncover the mystery behind his father's and her sister's disappearance. It’s still early in the story, so some parts are still a bit vague, but there’s definitely potential here, and it kept me interested.

    The characters the MC meets along the way are well-developed, especially the love interests, who are both intriguing and realistically portrayed. They add a lot to the story with their unique personalities and attractive designs. The romance pacing is also quite enjoyable—though for some characters, like Asaye, it feels a bit fast, given their personalities.

    As for the MC himself, he’s not particularly memorable. He isn’t irritating, but he doesn’t add much to the experience either, which is something that might improve over time.

    On the visual side, the graphics are simply fantastic. You can tell a lot of effort went into making sure the game looks sharp and immersive.

    One possible downside is the lack of choices. If you’re looking for a heavily interactive experience, this might feel like more of a visual novel, with fewer moments where you influence the story. Personally, I don’t mind, but for players who value choice-driven gameplay, it’s something to keep in mind.

    Overall, New Horizon has a solid start with strong visuals, interesting love interests, and a storyline that leaves you wanting to see what happens next. Five start well deserved, keep it up!
  2. 4.00 star(s)

    ak47bunny

    The character development is great, and the plot isn’t too bad, though it still leaves something to be desired. If I had to highlight something, it’d be the subtlety in how certain scenes are handled through the dialogue. The visuals look good too. However, I wasn’t a fan of how linear the gameplay felt or how little your choices seemed to matter.
  3. 5.00 star(s)

    HalfLife3

    So far, the game has good graphics and well-written dialogue. There was some "controversy" in the beginning which seems massively overstated. Am interested in seeing how this progresses. Looking forward to seeing if quality can remain high and updates consistent.
  4. 5.00 star(s)

    Nazsmith

    This game has potential to be one of the best. Only 2 chapters in and animations be willllllllllld. I'm excited to see what's in store next.
    All the girls are cute.
    My only feedback would be have more motion during talking scenes. Like moving mouth or something. It creates more immersion.
  5. 3.00 star(s)

    Simp Cattu

    [ Version 0.2.1 ]

    The story is good. Some parts were quite cliche and played out like a power fantasy of a 14 years old boy, but I do see a vaguely interesting plot behind the scene.

    The art is both great and terrible at the same time. I agree that the models details are top notch, but the poses are unsalvageable. The worst detail is that I genuinely think everyone in this game has facial muscle paralysis, as they barely open their mouth in more than one slightly agape shape when talking. It's like people (especially the girls) have a thick plaster mask on at all time to preserve their beauty. I think it's partially due to engine limitation, but honestly the uncanny valley is so deep it puts me off a lot.
  6. 5.00 star(s)

    jamyong

    Very good game so far. The LI's are all intriguing (and very attractive), the story is captivating, and the environments are all well rendered. I think it can get a little verbose at times, but never excessively.

    My only real complaint is about the relationship between the MC and his childhood friend. Their dynamic of both being secretly in love with the other but afraid to act on it so as to not ruin the friendship is understandable in the beginning, but at this point in the story I'm having a hard time not skipping through those particular monologues. With everything they've done together it just feels like they should be passed this plot point by now.

    Besides that, game is amazing and I hope it continues for a long time. There are not a ton of H-scenes yet, but things are beginning to ramp up, and I'm very interested in seeing where it all goes, bot narratively, and with the MC and his relationships.
  7. 5.00 star(s)

    CereBros

    :love: TL;DR = 5/5 /// 10/10 /// Excellent. Amazing. Best AVN ever for me. Just try it or please read why I think so :3 :love:



    I thought about many ways how to start this review...
    So let me say, that in my life I haven´t felt obliged to do many unnecessary things.. BUT THIS IS NOT ONE OF THEM.

    What I am trying to achieve with this review is... Is to help people find this game and try it. To give it more well deserved recognition.

    This AVN could also be shortened to sentence: "The most bittersweet feeling, is to know, that I will miss this, while it´s still happening"

    I wished it would have never ended, that great of an AVN this is, and for your info, this happened to me with only few AVNs, sure I have lot of 9/10 AVNs, but prolly just 3 TOP EVER with 10/10 and subjectively, for me, this is now one of them...

    That much perfect and on spot for me it is...

    Also, for anyone new reading this !!! Don´t be off put by the score, that is now 3,5/5, and people complaining about "blackmailing" (which is perfectly EXPLAINED and fits the story...) and by the renders on site F95 ZONE, which are now old, as of 19.06.2024 ((version 0.2.1)) - they look much more better now, which I thought would be impossible...

    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    Now... Why I think this is the BEST AVN ?

    Shortly said: Everything that makes AVN was perfect, amazing and beautiful, that it created masterpiece (and don´t laugh or underestimate this review, just because it sounds like I am fanboying... I AM... And how much, that great it was and that big of an impact it left on me, and for that I FEEL THE NEED TO SHARE MY FEELINGS IN FORM OF REVIEW, so you can perhaps try it and find about it for yourself.

    This AVN is centered in Tokyo in 2030s. Great role plays A.I., Gangs, and University, as well as friendship and loveship, among other things...

    This feels like ANIME, but in the best sense of word !

    Goddamnit... my head is all over the place and I would cry of happiness now :D

    So far, the AVN is centered about 2 girls, I love Sumikawa Miharu... How she is written, her behaviour, demeanor, goofiness and her unrelenting attempt to confess and swoon the MC/us. This reminded me so much of Kaguya-sama, but this is yet more romantic, more funny and comical (in goofy way), as well as heartwarming, wholesome, and just goddamn CUTE :3

    She, as our childhood friends tries to be our girlfriend, and the part on the last day of the beach outing said it beautifuly... (But for that you have to play it)

    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    But how does this AVN differ from others ? That might be your biggest question ? Well...

    Exactly the story and characters behave like many of us and many in real life do... They don´t get every hint at flirting, they don´t confess to their crush, because they are scared and afraid, they cover themselves in other thoughts and things, yet always hold their loved ones dear and in memories.

    Making goofy jokes, acting inappropriately in certain situations, being dumbass, ignorant, or borderline vulgar, yet caring, willing to do everything to protect the people they care for and JUST LIVING THEIR LIVES AS BEST AS THEY CAN.

    We all do, and don´t tell me otherwise... And this is not personal attack on anyone, this is just me stating, what we all know deep down = That we have to be thoughts down on the ground and just enjoy life how it is.

    And exactly this AVN presents it in its glory...

    It makes wholesome, heartwarming moments, that everyone would cherish, supplemented with moments of complete oblivion and stubbornness with a bit of bantering and bickering...

    Of moments of ups and downs, just like everyone have.

    And despite it being in near future and having a technological wonders, it is still down-to-earth, which makes it so much beautiful, realistic and believable...

    (In this AVN are also memes, but they are toggleable, yet they added a great deal of humor and laughs for me, namely: Officer Tenpenny, Skyrim introduction, VTEC kicks in YO xD, grannies racers, and many many many others xDxDxD), plus many references for games and movies alike...

    Then we have Yaezaki Ayase, which is very complex and deep character (but I can not say much more, without spoilers and theories).
    She is...

    Now... I could write all her personality and almost all scenes from this AVN... But... Just go play it, try it, and you will make your own opinion...

    But in few words, she is very likeable, bit reserved, at least in beginnings, but for a very, very valid reason, which is unfolded, as story goes on...

    _____________________________________________________________________________________

    What I wish for is for you to give this a try, go ideally to this AVN without any bias and prejudice and just enjoy it, for what it is...

    ...A masterpiece... And if you do not share my opinion, then at least ONE OF THE BEST AVNs IN HERE EVER.

    Thanks for anyone who read it completely till here and have a great day.

    :love: And lastly, but not leastly... Thanks KawaiiSukebe (KS), for making this AVN and for pouring everything you did into this, and if you perhaps read this someday, or anyone else... Then know please, that if nothing, you made an experience for me, which I will remember and cherish forever (which may sound weird, or pathetic, but I do not take it as such).:love:

    This review reflects how much I value your work / this AVN, and hope that many others will, in time, see it and support your great work and endeavor.

    :3
  8. 5.00 star(s)

    iIIusory

    intrigued to see how the story pans out. it's rare to see a dynamic between the mc and main girl like this - hopefully the dev can create a satisfying route for people who both like/dislike her. great renders and character designs as well!
  9. 5.00 star(s)

    Ulrich von Liechtenstein

    Oh my god, what an amazing game :love:
    It's a breath of fresh air, no, I play popular games of course, but there's something about this one that makes it stand out. From the very beginning of the narrative you can't help but feel like you're in an anime, the characters are lively, the main character is funny, the story, the music all looks fresh and natural.
    There are, of course, moments that need to be improved, for example, the already mentioned scenes of forced sex, a silly trick in which the main girl walks without a mask, although she is the head of the gang and at the same time a popular student (she can be identified and caught somewhere near the college), a plot twist with the ex of the MC which is needed only to cause pity for him. In general, there are boring moments, but the overall plot, humor, and varied movement outweigh. Special mention should be made of the music which is very cool in the narration I look forward to the continuation. We were shown two hot blondes we are waiting for them in the next update and don't forget about the little sister!
  10. 5.00 star(s)

    Joratox

    Version 0.2.1
    Render quality - 5/5
    Girls are looking great and have their own character/quirks - 5/5
    Story (Premise was great and got hooked instantly, it continued to be good) - 5/5
    Grammar - 4/5
    Music - 4/5
    Overall I will give it a 5/5, even though there are some things to be improved. I quite liked the game and will wait the next versions with interest.

    Note: I've seen a lot of arguing about the blackmail from Ayase, so I wanted to give my opinion on that, for future readers. I think it's the "best" kind of blackmail, because it's not done out of malice or greediness, but it's done to protect oneself. I totally understand why she felt the need to do it, and the second she gets to know MC better, she apologizes and we can all see that she is treating him with care and respect (one doesn't literally step in a gunfight for someone that she blackmailed previously). I think the dev explained the situation perfectly in the story and the people that whine so so much about it, either don't understand the language or they didn't even bother to play after the initial blackmail to see the reasoning.
  11. 4.00 star(s)

    Dessolos

    If I went by my personal enjoyment despite having issues here and there id say this would be a 5 star. But I can't ignore them entirely so i'm just gonna knock 1 star off as the issues I have to me aren't a big deal.

    Not a negative but it’s worth noting this game does use some words you mostly would see in anime or Japanese culture not everyone will know the meaning behind them. Like using senpai , not addressing characters by their first name at times etc etc. Which does sell the setting of this game taking place in Tokyo and make the world feel more believable.

    The Good

    I like how this game takes place in Toyko feels different than most AVN’s ive played

    There is alot of content for only 2 chapters + an introduction. The story can be simplified as anime + slow burn action mystery with some 4th wall breaking comedy + meme’s.

    We have only seen character development with 2 of the LI so far. Even though one of them had an introduction I did not like Will talk about that more a bit later. The character development I have seen from 2 chapters + an intro is some of the best character development I've seen in an AVN. Not only that it’s pretty damn romantic and none of the characters are even together yet just have untold feelings for one another.

    The Bad

    Now I mentioned there is a character that has an introduction I did not like at all. It’s only worth mentioning because some people might hate this and it could be enough for them to drop such a gem of a game. One of the LI comes off really forceful towards the MC by blackmailing him then forcing him to work with her. I had no issue with the blackmail as messed up as it is. I can understand it. But how forceful her introduction was by then forcing us to work for her after the blackmail when the blackmail was just there to keep the MC from talking not to work with her. Then the game acts like we should immediately forgive and forget cause her personality completely changes as she is now super nice to us almost right after. If you can get past that she is a really good character overall. I just thought her introduction was poorly executed. As the game makes you think you should hate her yet if you get past her introduction she is a very likable character. I think it would have been better if there was either no blackmail or if this dev wanted to keep blackmail, don't make her also force us to work for her right after. Instead have her explain everything and force the MC to want to join her instead of her forcing us to work for her. Would come across so much better even with her blackmailing the MC as she isn’t meant to come across as a hated character from all her interactions after said blackmail.

    In the writing I find it a bit annoying to read things like *eating pizza* especially when it’s in the visual. That’s just one example, not a major issue but it is annoying all the same.

    Not a Big deal to me

    These might be a big deal to some, not to me. All the lewd scenes so far are forced as far as I can tell. Typically I would hate this but didn’t mind it so much in this game. There were very few choices and can’t say if any of them mattered beyond getting relationship points.
  12. 5.00 star(s)

    Elasstommer

    I've gotta say this VN has a lot going for it. The pacing may be too slow for some, but the complexity of the plot and the richness of the character development makes it all worthwhile. The characters are interesting, attractive, and likable, and the mysteries in their past give us something to look forward to.
  13. 2.00 star(s)

    Reddss

    The only thing this game has going for it is render quality and some attractive girls. The story could be very interesting but is executed extremely poorly, with constant flashbacks and randomness that gets ignored 2 renders later like the flashbang in the train that just completely gets ignored.

    The game is VERY VERY Anime-like it has so many tropes I couldn't count them.. There was also this one voiced meme scene that was unbearably cringe. Dialogue is just cringe in general for most of the game.

    Lots of Default HS2 poses being used over and over again. Its fine to use it if it matches the exact situation or for NPCs but most of the time MC would have a weird default pose for situations that really didnt match.

    Barely any choices and is essentially a kinetic novel. The music is fine I guess nothing really special. A plus for not using default animations and making custom ones even if not the best.

    I would explain more but Pemoj's review pretty much sums up everything else.
  14. 5.00 star(s)

    Saint McDaniels

    This is a great game, I don't see how it has such a low rating. The renders are the best you can get in HS2, the sci-fi setting is very interesting, and the LIs are just superb. The setting is a mix between college life, and crime fighting vigilantes, all sprinkled with humour and fun.
    At the moment the only LIs are the super-hot and focused Ayase, or your sweet and sexy childhood friend Miharu. There are more LIs incoming, and one spicy encounter with a side-girl.
    Definitely recommended!
  15. 1.00 star(s)

    pemoj

    Review of 0.2 version.

    This game reminds me a lot of another game that “may fly” if they were well executed.

    Graphics 5/5. This is the only good part of the game, both the overall graphics and the beautifully modeled characters. Nowadays you can make great games using Honey Select 2, and this is one of them.

    Animations 2/5. Just meh. Average HS2 ones, although you can tell the author has custom made them, which deserves some points for that. Seeing how the penis goes inside the girls is more an act of faith than a visual quality, as you actually have to imagine that the penis is inside the girl. In such a way that sometimes the author has to create another video while the video of the sexual act is being executed so that you can see, and therefore know, that you are fucking the girl.

    Music and sounds 2/5. There is, so it deserves some points for that. And nothing else to highlight in that sense. At least positive.

    Gameplay 1/5. I have no idea what kind of game it is. In the tags it says it's a visual novel, but the choices are very few and only serve to be able to see porn scenes. So it's really a kinetic novel. It tries to be funny, but usually the opposite effect happens. Stupid and unnecessary memes that try to be funny and only produce cringe. Fourth wall breaking (the author speaks to the audience) can be an excellent resource if done well. "House of Cards" is a masterpiece in that sense. Here it often doesn't come into play. The only thing the author achieves is to break the immersion with things that, as with other aspects, I don't understand. And I only understand that they are unnecessary. More cringe. Internet style speak is another element to highlight... negatively. Lots of long and unnecessary scenes, that I don't know if they contribute or not to the game... because as I've already written I have no idea what kind of game it is. Typical slice of life? School life? Gang fight? Romance? This and many other things could be. And trying to be all of these and more... or not... it is none of them. Which denotes the game's biggest flaw: it has no clear direction. Lots of generic anime/manga tropes and cliches that, if you're over 25 and like these genres, you've seen hundreds of times. The huge amount of flashbacks is another big problem. The use of flashbacks is usually a bad decision to solve a structural problem: the story stops being linear to go back to a past that is either important to explain in the present, or else it should have been explained much earlier. In this case, it is the latter. Worse, many flashbacks are unnecessary, contributing little or nothing to the overall plot. Even worse, many of the unnecessary ones are unnecessarily long. I could cite more things, and almost none of them positive.

    Story 1/5. At the level of the rest of the game. I mean, very bad. When I see that the author is Asian my dangermeter reaches 1000 out of 10. And although there are very good exceptions, this is not one of them. For reasons I'd rather not assume, Asians love weak MCs or ones that make them NTR. At the moment there is not even a hint of NTR, but the MC is a weak lil bitch. It turns out that your father is a teacher, and you of course are his student with the usual myriad of generic scenes and clichés (oh, my bad son is asleep while I'm teaching, wake up son, zzz... what? Oh, sorry dad, sigh, blablabla). Suddenly your dad disappears, you seem to be attacked from behind and it looks like they do something to you, that something seems to give you a superpower or something. Local thugs are about to rape a girl, you save her, more or less. But things end badly. The school queen shows up, she knows you saved her friend, but she still blackmails you to join a gang of... not sure what. Bad, very bad start. The rest is a hodgepodge of scenes of school life, family life, slice of life, gangs, the school queen driving, among other themes. I have no idea what the story of the game is. You are supposed to find your father with the help of the school queen, who is also looking for her sister, missing like your father. Meanwhile, the MC gets into a gang to do good, save the innocent, etc. Something that even the leader of the gang herself doesn't believe, as she admits later on. For not knowing, I don't even know how many members the band has. Theoretically 4 plus one that appears at the end of 0.2. In reality the MC and the queen of the school usually act alone because the other 2 “have a life and the boss doesn't want to exploit them”. But she blackmails you after knowing that you saved her friend.... By the way, in a series of scenes that try to be funny, the punks who try to rape the school queen's friend, you meet them later on the beach. Like... dafuk is dat? To sum it up. The story is so confusing, and the lurches so obvious, that I have no idea which one it is.

    Characters 1/5. They have already been commented a little. MC weak and blackmailed. Simp of his ex-girlfriend and the queen of the school, besides having a shitty personality. The boss of the gang (or is it the queen of the school?) blackmailer. But it turns out that as a good Japanese, she is all honor. Is that true, when she admits that she says that with the gang she tries to do good but she doesn't believe it herself? So, hypocritical. Most of them, for one reason or another, are inconsequential. Even those who should not be, like the members of your band, who barely appear a few minutes on stage. The worst thing is not knowing if they are inconsequential or not. If it were slice of life/school life, the MC's friends would be important. But even if they were... they would be inconsequential. Because it gives the sensation that they are there only to be inconsequential creating long and inconsequential scenes that do not contribute anything to the plot. Or maybe they do? Dunno. The characters are generally very cloned. Some of the female characters, like the childhood friend, are saved at some points. But that's not enough to save the characters overall. That said, the graphic quality of the female characters, like that of the game, is very high. And why so many names and pronouns in Japanese? Oh, I forgot. The gigantic amount of manga/anime tropes/cliches.

    To sum up. This is one of those games that I, like others, would like to give a five for its great graphic quality. But I, unlike others, value this type of games for the game itself, not for its graphics. And the game is a huge mess. Mainly because neither its own creator knows what it is nor what he wants to achieve with his game. There is no clear direction. The only clear thing is the cringe it generates in me. I don't understand how there can be people who give 5 stars to this, especially those who give 5 stars after writing a long review where the negative points are many more and worse than the positive ones. Even when the positive points have negative points.
  16. 5.00 star(s)

    aochaoch

    This game reminds me the funny old days of watching Japanese harem animations. I’m very grateful that there is an AVN like that. Ayase is now one of my favorite heroines. Noa will be greate too, I can sense it. Miharu is the girl like Aoyama Nanami, poor girl lol. Childhood sweethearts can't compete with the girl who suddenly enters his life, classic principles. Can’t wait to see the next update.
  17. 5.00 star(s)

    m3lee

    This game deserves more attention. It's a fun, coming of age anime-style visual novel. It's unique in its setting and deserves support to keep going.

    Reviewed as of v0.2.

    Story:
    It has a few tropes typical of the genre, but I think they're well enough executed. It's the "missing dad involved in a conspiracy" play, which causes the main character, Tatsuya, to receive "special abilities" that progress the plot. These abilities seem to be rooted in cyberpunk near-future technology mixed with east-Asian spirits/mythology. It's a cool mix for those that enjoy these themes that are already prevalent in many animes.

    Note there aren't many choices in the story, but I think that's a good thing in this context. The story has a lot of factions and interweaving motivations, so it deserves to be a bit more structured to ensure the plot flows well enough. The choices mostly lie in funny events and choosing between love interests, but due to the nature of the story I will note some scenes with LI's are unskippable due to those events needing to move the plot forward. This may upset some that want their MC to be a total reflection of themselves/their own choices, but I think it's a good choice by the developer to properly develop Tatsuya as his own character with proper growth. It's a coming of age story, after all.

    Characters:
    I think the characters are the strongest point of the game. Visually, they are all very good looking and unique. It's easy to recognize them and their outfits reflect their personalities well.

    I think their motivations and personalities are very prominently portrayed, and none feel like copycats of each other. A big part of why this works is because often, we are shown and not told. There aren't any big, offensive info dumps. Instead, we get to observe each characters' expressions, note their changes in tone/language, and witness well-done flashbacks.

    I want to point out one criticism some players have, and that's Ayase's "blackmail" of Tatsuya - and I think that's a weak criticism that doesn't deserve to deter any new players of the game. The story needs to be more rigid/structured in order to move the plot forward in a meaningful manner, which means that Ayase needs to come across as antagonistic at first. As the story progresses, it's clear why Ayase reacts that way because her personality and character growth are well highlighted in her recent interactions with Tatsuya. I think she's a well written character and deserving of any player's time.

    Content:
    Content is another area this game really shines - there's a LOT of story to unpack. For such a new game with not many versions yet, there's many hours of gameplay. The game itself (as of 0.2) has many more renders than many completed games, and each update thus far has progressed the plot naturally. Clearly, the development effort is there.

    Regarding the adult scenes, there's also a good amount for being so early in development. The scenes are not with too many characters as of yet, but it's obvious that the seeds have already been planted for most. The events are very sexy, fit well with the plot, and visually appealing. Some animations though aren't as good looking as the plain renders themselves, so some work can be done there. But so far, I don't think anyone will be disappointed by the sex scenes now or in the future.

    Other:
    Graphically everything is good looking. Resolution is good, and each render has good lighting and unique poses and backgrounds. Locations are constantly shifting so it doesn't feel like you're watching the same assets and poses constantly getting reused.

    I'll also note there's a ton of 4th wall breaks in the story. For some, this can be blatant and a bit obtrusive. However, I found them all enjoyable and giving the game extra character, considering its dystopian setting.

    Conclusion:
    It deserves a 5 star rating to join the ranks of other top Honey Select games. New Horizon is no copycat of any other game, its characters are developed well and stand alone in its own universe. While rigid and structured compared to its contemporaries, I think that will make sure the plot will continue to move forward in meaningful ways that allow us to grow alongside the characters every update.

    Ayase best girl.
  18. 2.00 star(s)

    Lerd0

    review for v0.2.

    looks amazing, and that's pretty all the good in it.
    writing ass, full of memes, 4th wall breaking, generic ass anime tropes and clichés.
    girls are all pretty cute, but kinda trash ass personalities, or just boring as shit.
    mc a bit of a bitch, a generic animu boi mc.
  19. 5.00 star(s)

    Daermon420

    This game has everything I'm usually looking for in an AVN. The characters are likeable and attractive. The story was interesting enough to keep me involved and reading. Also has more content than I was expecting despite only being a 0.2 build. I could see the occasional meme referential humor being disruptive to some but I enjoyed it personally. All in all had a great time with this one and am looking forward to seeing what happens next.
  20. 2.00 star(s)

    xdived

    Mini review:

    I wanted to give this 3 stars but it feels more appropriate to give it 2 stars.

    Lets start with 5 Stars


    -2 Dialogue: I deducted a point for the meme references and literal images popping up during dialogue breaking the fourth wall. Besides that the dialogue is very internet speak which is not the worst I read but it also takes you out of the immersion.

    -1 Story: As I previously mentioned fourth wall breaking and internet speak constantly destroy the immersion which makes me not take the story serious. But the overall theme is not serious as you have gangs, super soldiers and love interest doing a move from chainsaw man. For the rest it is the natural beta MC that pulls everyone without effort because plot. Also the story has forced love interests and is basically kinetic.

    Conclusion: It's a really bad anime that doesn't take itself serious with literal meme pop ups. If the story cant take itself serious why would I put in any effort?

    The only good thing I can mention is the Lis are good looking but that is the only redeeming quality.