Originally released on the Nintendo Switch back in June of this year, “Neon White” is a first-person shooter developed by Angel Matrix and published by Annapurna Interactive. I never got around to reviewing this game when it first came out, but now that it’s now on my preferred console, I was extra stoked to finally give this one a go, especially after all the accolades I’ve been hearing, as well as the nominations it had received at this year’s Game Awards. So, does the breakout game from these new developers actually deliver all of the praise it’s receiving? Why yes, yes it does.
You play as White, one of many assassins chosen to be taken out of Hell and sent to Heaven to participate in a recurring competition to kill demons roaming around where they shouldn’t be. The clan of assassins you are affiliated with are called “Neons.” While you may be Neon White, there are other members you get to know along your playthrough such as Neon Red, Neon Yellow, Neon Violet and more. Although, there can only be one winner in this contest, so relationships can be a bit murky, because the top prize winner is rewarded with being able to remain in Heaven, so this group of sinners who are doomed to stay in Hell, may see this prize as very, very appealing. One of the things that I like about “Neon White” is its story, the characters are weird and the overall vibe can be equally weird, but everything about it and its ongoing mystery is just oozing with cool. The cutscenes are mostly told through a visual novel format where you see an image of a character on the side along with text boxes of their dialogue.
The “world” of Heaven is both familiar and alien, with a mix of futuristic technology and ancient mythology, it still gives you that realm in the clouds feeling you’d expect. Heaven itself is divided into different areas on the map such as Heaven’s Gate, Beach, Neon Bar, Believers Park, Cathedral, Heaven Central authority, and White’s Room. The story is told through a series of twelve chapters, and within those chapters there are several levels, I believe the entirety of the game consists of close to a hundred levels, each with its own objectives and challenges. Another thing I like about the game is its combat mechanics, at the end of the day “Neon White” is a platformer where the player must parkour their way and kill their way through the end of the stage, preferably as fast as possible. For the speed running gamers out there, this game is a dream. Run, jump, kill efficiently, get to the exit and repeat. This gaming loop is actually very addictive and the levels are designed so well I constantly feel like I can go back and do it better with another chance. If you decide to repeat stages more than once like me, you’ll even see a ghost of yourself running the map from your previous playthrough so you have a sense of if you’re doing better on this go around or not. The level designs are a puzzle of themselves so getting from A to B isn’t as easy as just shooting your way through to the end.
To spice things up even more is there’s a card mechanic thrown in. You can only carry a few cards at a time and they often don’t last very long, but fortunately there are specific cards sprinkled around the map for you to grab and persevere forward. These soul cards grant you access to specific weapon types, like automatic guns or rocket launchers, but you can also get cards that add special abilities such as grappling around. These cards are very specific and strategically placed around and it’s up to you to figure out the best way to use them to get to the exit as fast as possible. Levels can take under thirty seconds to finish, while some of the tougher ones could be up to a few minutes, so even though there are a ton of levels there is always a sense of making progress, and while it may come off repetitive to some, I found it all just very addicting. I have very few negative things to say about “Neon White,” while the dialogue doesn’t always land very well, I very much clicked with its hyper stylized anime esthetic, and although speed running isn’t normally my favorite thing to do when playing a video game, the way they incorporate it into its game loop was very captivating. So, I always appreciate a game that can get me out of my usual comfort zone and make me have fun in a new way, while making me look like a badass while doing it.
9/10
To stay up to date on Neon White news, please visit: https://neonwhite.rip/ and follow Annapurna Interactive and the official Neon White account on Twitter.
Related: Nick Navarro Reviews
Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87
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