Ren'Py - New Horizons [v0.2.5] [rektangulus]

Ignored this initially because it looked like literally every other koikatsu/honey select slice of life renpy sandbox and, honestly, it really is. But this one actually stands out because the characters are actually all super great and I think given some time it could be the perfect example of the genre!

The big downfall of a lot of these sandbox games are the characters. The MC is just a degenerate horndog and all the girls are just 2d cutout archetypes there to service the porn. In most of these games the girls don't actually look that great either. But that is New Horizon's strength -- every character is a delight to interact with and not only that but watching their interactions with each other is great too. Their friendships are actually really fun to watch, even in scenes not involving the MC.

For a koikatsu game the characters definitely average (which isn't saying much) but I'm not a furry and my current favorite girl is Luna so that's saying something.

The only thing that makes me gives this pause (I give this a 5 but I think honestly it's a 4.5) is the addition of animations and sexy sounds would make this a perfect game in my opinion. (Sexy sounds optional mostly just animations)

It's still early days for New Horizons but I await eagerly for more updates.

It's really great for a game that's starting out. It's a sandbox game, which is always something to be particularly wary of, but I like that the main story doesn't isolate all of its characters from one another. It also doesn't force stat requirements on you (yet?). I will say that it feels a bit aimless at the moment. I feel as if there are a sort of substories that each group of characters can be categorized in (the roommates, the bandmembers, the students, etc). It doesn't detract from the individual interactions either, which is pretty impressive.

I think the art and animation are decent for a Koikatsu game. The art is pretty typical and serves its purpose. I think the sex scenes would benefit from some animation, but as long as it gets the message across I suppose.

I'd let this marinate for a while. Imho, this is a comfy game. It's not about having large amounts of depraved sex or an insane soap drama about people hating each other. It's about meeting new people and finding warmth and solidarity, wherever it is, which is pretty rare for a game on this site.

It has some potential, but I hope that the dev manages to balance everything well. Tons of sandbox games tend to lose their way and become solely about the side content.

Played through all the currently available content. The game is great!

The characters are all unique and enjoyable, they're fun to talk to and interact with, and the writing is very good. Each character has their own unique story but they're all intertwined, you feel like you're actually living in this town and experiencing day to day with these characters. I have nothing but positives to say, sure the only critique might be the lack of animations but I don't think that's a big deal.

Currently my favorite characters are Kaz and Luna. Great game dev, keep up the good work!

By far one of the better games to have been released in recent times, people should really give it a shot, the writing and renders feel on par with some of the best games out there. If your looking for something that is more comfy cozy this is the game. There is also a surprising amount of content for a release build so you won't be lacking for a few hours depending on reading speed.

I was initially drawn in by the girl that looks like korone, but stayed for the game despite it's admittedly lack of H content (at the moment at least as of 0.0.1, which I gotta say, is ALOT more content than I was expecting for just a 0.0.1 version, I'm still working on the content as we speak.) Most of the girls are great personality and looks wise (only one I don't like is veronica, she's the only girl I don't like but there's plenty of others I like to make up for it)

A few of my favorites:

• Zoey is pretty attractive and bubbly, a joy to be around and all, Her outfit is pretty attractive too with the cleavage and midriff showing on it.
• Luna is pretty sweet and caring while also being witty (she became my favorite in the 0.2 update... I can't explain why I love her so much more, that kiss scene was just so good for me for some reason)
• Serena is adorable
• Lucy I didn't think I would like because I'm usually not into demons, but idk her personality kinda draws me in, she's forward without being too much and not constantly like "MC PLEASE FUCK ME" or something like that

Another thing I like is I never feel like I'm reading word vomit or anything like MC needing to spout his stream of consciousness for some reason other than to pad out the VN, nor does it feel the need to add in creepy ass shit to be different, for the shock value, or for some other reason I'm unaware of (which for some reason, it felt like a norm in koikatsu VNs for some reason). Basically I love that's an actual good slice of life without feeling the need to add in creepy or philosophical shit by shoving it in your face, just light hearted fun with alot of characters being connected with each other that doesn't feel forced IMO.

I'm excited to see more content in this game when it comes out, especially since despite being 0.0.1, there's so much content still compared to other games 0.0.1 versions, bonus points for being a good straight furry game without going into extreme fetishes too much (I hope there will be more good H content in the future, especially with Zoey).

This is my Review of New Horizons (v0.0.1)
Made by the developer (Rektangulus)

There is a possibility that this Review can change with new updates.
Since this game isn't finished, new things can be added or edited.
Spoilers alert, BTW! (You been warnd!)
The Storyline: 4.8/5

Finally, a follow-up story where you have to spend time with the characters, and it's worth getting to know them. All characters have their own personalities and lifestyles. This is a Harem'en game, but here you are not forced to take it to the next level when it comes to romance if you don't want to. Just spend time learning about them.

Strangely, this game hasn't been tagged with (Humor) yet because there are many times. I've been laughing at what the characters do, especially when it comes to (Serena). Everything is easily explain how characters are feeling most of the time with how they react and behave. Some of the characters have it more difficult than others when it comes to finances and emotions.

Animations and Art: 3.5/5

The quality is incredibly good, and many of the girls are incredibly beautiful, even the tomboy (Lizzie) looks great. There aren't any animations in here yet, meaning there aren't any moving images before you click to the next part. There aren't many textures in the background, but it still looks great enough to enjoy the gameplay.

A lot of items are added to the game, making it more lifeful. The positions of everything were excellent, which shows that a lot of time has been spent on the game to make things look great. The map is easy to understand, showing exactly how things should look.

Level of difficulty: 3.8/5

Here, I got a little confused.
I see that money is involved in the game where you can work to get more money doing mail work... But for what?

For example: Naomi - PC item's
You were sent 100$ to get PC equipment for her project, and you can ONLY use 100$ and not you're own money. So what's the point? I know it said "Try to stay within budget!" but come on, I want to get her the best of the best if I could, right?

Another Example: The Amusement Park
When you, Ashley, Serena, and Zoey before going there, Nora gives you the 40$ for the tickets and other stuff, and you can ask for more (Been Given an Extra 5$). But that doesn't change the outcome. You can still not use some of you're own money there for the girls or say no to Nora that you could cover the cost.

The only place I could spend money was on the "Veronika" event and the beggar outside of the Burger Joint. I was hoping I could use some money on the Amusement Park to win prizes for the girls speding more time there. And it doesn't have much effect on the decisions you make. There are not that many consequences. If you lose a point, you can get it back pretty fast. Just spend some more time with the character.

The Sounds & Music parts: 3.9/5

The game has both sounds and music for almost everything. See Veronika playing the "Guitar Hero" game and missing a note. That sound effect cracked me open! Offf... the look on her face...

The only sound effects that are missing. It is for the main reason why the game is here on this website in the first place: The (NSFW) part. I expected a lot of different sounds effects when Lucy got some alone time with you.

Overall: 4.0/5 - F95Zone Star 4 "Good"

An incredibly good first release of the game. I enjoyed spending time on this and seeing how the story progressed. The prettiest girl so far for me is Kaz, the funniest personality is Serena, and Lizzie is the best-looking monster girl. I'm looking forward to seeing what's coming next! Keep up the great work, Rektangulus!

More story than a lot of what I've seen. Fun characters and even a tomboy this is a rare win for me. Monster girls that are cute and less furry than person. The game has a fairly large map plenty to do. I am looking forward to more updates to see where this goes. Lizzie is best girl.