Neko Journey from eastasiasoft and Axyos Games is a 2.5D platformer on PS5 with some light fan service. Learn more in our Neko Journey review!

 

Neko Journey from eastasiasoft and Axyos Games is a 2.5D platformer on PS5 with some light fan service. This publisher and indie dev combo previously gave us third-person arcade-style shooter Hentai vs. Evil, as well as Neko Secret Homecoming Light, both of which feature fan service, as well as girls you can customize by changing the size of their assets and change their clothing.

Things start off easy enough with you controlling Neko with the left analog stick as you jump with the X button. To defeat enemies, you’ll need to jump on top of them until they run out of health. You’ll soon get to unlock a double jump, which will make the platforming segments a bit more manageable. You can dash with the Circle button. After this, you will get a pair of gloves to attack enemies by pressing the R1 button, which will be mandatory since jumping on them won’t deal any damage anymore.

 

As you punch with the gloves – either by punching enemies or just punching the air itself – you’ll build up some energy, which you can see on the bottom right corner of the screen. Once you’ve built up enough energy, you can press the R2 button to use a special attack that deals a lot of damage. Unfortunately, this can’t be used during boss fights. You can also defend yourself by pressing the L1 button. Oh, and you’ll gain a glider for no reason. And will later end up falling into the ocean and using a bubble to breathe.

When you die in a level, you’ll be able to respawn at the last campfire that you managed to activate. This is good because the controls are very stiff, and jumping feels odd, which is bad for a platforming game. Enemies land cheap shots at any given chance. Some platforming segments demand pinpoint precision, and the game’s physics don’t help. Just be careful when you die because you could accidentally select to go back to the main menu and will need to repeat that whole level back to where you had died.

 

You could spend the coins you collect on buying advice for the game. You’ll find a traveler on the second stage in the game who, for 65 coins, can tell you about the first boss in Neko Journey. Should you decide to purchase his advice, you’ll learn that said boss has two phases. During the first one, it will get tired after three hits. When it does, jump on his hammer to break it! For the second phase, you’ll need to wait for the boss to stumble and then fall to the ground. Once he does, you can, jump on his back to deal some damage. Coins can also be spent on rebuilding the town that the evil wizard destroyed, but you’ll first have to rescue the villagers that have been trapped in cages, as well as collect thousands of coins to pair for all of the repairs.

Trophy-wise, this one has a Platinum trophy, and since it’s a Cross-Buy title, if you own a PlayStation 5 console, you’ll be able to download both the PlayStation 4 and the PlayStation 5 versions of the game at no extra cost. Each list includes 12 Bronze trophies, 14 Silver trophies, and 5 Gold trophies for you to work on adding to your collection. It’s a very simple list since as long as you complete all 28 levels in the game and collect at least 1,000 coins along the way, you’ll be good to go. If you want some extra tips, you can check out this Neko Journey Trophy Guide.

Neko Journey is a 2.5D platformer with some light fan service. That means the game is not going to be for everyone, which is to be expected. Unfortunately, the gameplay mechanics leave a lot to be desired. The physics are wonky, which makes the platforming feel a bit off. You start by being able to damage enemies by jumping on top of them, and then you’re forced to hit them with boxing gloves. The gliding and flying segments take forever to complete as well. Other than having a Platinum trophy – that is going to take you around 3-4 hours to get, there’s not much more to say about this one. Neko Journey is available as a Cross-Buy title, so your $9.99 purchase will allow you to download the PS4 and PS5 versions of the game at no extra cost.

Disclaimer
This Neko Journey review is based on a PlayStation 5 copy provided by eastasiasoft.