Neon White, the proven Steam demo of an adrenaline-pumping and ingenious action game
Neon White
Announced last year and expected for an unspecified month starting 2022, Neon White was available for the whole of last week as part of the Steam Next Fest initiative. Thanks to the demo, we therefore had the opportunity to try this new interesting game published by Annapurna Interactive, well-known publisher of The Pathless, The Artful Escape, Outer Wilds, What Remains of Edith Finch, Twelve Minutes and many other indie games loved by the public. .To find out what we think in detail, keep reading our trial of Neon White.
A shot from heaven
Neon White with Violet and Red Noi we are White and we are dead. Not a good way to start the day, but there is a positive note: we haven't ended up in Hell, at least not yet. White is in fact a murderer and would be destined for the abyss of hell, but Heaven has decided to give us and our fellow humans a second chance. If we can eliminate enough demons that besiege the celestial circles, we can earn a safe place in eternal bliss.The Angels thus make us a "Neon", a guest of Heaven who must go on a mission for the Good. We are not alone, however, as there are other Neons, who seem to have been acquainted with us during earthly life. "It seems", as White has lost his memory and will have to rediscover the links with such shady but colorful (literally, they are called Yellow, Red, Violet ...) figures characterized as characters from an anime.
Nel course of the adventure, between one phase of action and another (which we will analyze shortly, I promise), we will in fact be able to deepen the relationships with the various characters, with a dating sim system, made up of meetings and gifts. The demo does not focus on this side of the game and until we have access to the full version we will not be able to know in detail if the narration will be interesting.
The context is pleasant and the style focuses above all on the comic, with many curtains between the "Neon" characters and the angels, which take on a different appearance depending on who looks at them (they are flying cats for White, but John Cena - seriously - for Yellow). Let's hope that the "secrets of Heaven", which we will have to discover according to the game description, hide some interesting plot events.
Action cards
One of Neon White's demons Let's go though to the point and let's talk about the actual gameplay. Neon White is a first-person action and platform game in which we fight using cards. It might seem like a strange combination, but let us explain.The game is divided into levels and in each of them you have to eliminate every enemy and get to the finish line. To tear apart the demons we will have access to a variety of weapons. That base is a katana, which allows you to attack in front of us and can never run out. Right away, however, we will find other cards, such as a pistol, a submachine gun, a sniper rifle and so on.
Each card has a number of bullets that can be fired before running out, but above all it has a secondary power that activates by "discarding" it. The gun, for example, allows you to make an additional jump in the air, while the submachine gun allows you to fire a bomb that is able to eliminate groups of enemies but also give us a strong push. The demo allows you to try advanced levels in which for example we have access to a rocket launcher that also becomes a robbery. Also, there are specific enemies that become stepping stones when we collide with them.
This demon can kill us after a charge, in Neon White As you may have guessed, in levels you don't just have to fight, but you have to pay attention to movement. Each mission proposes a path that becomes almost a puzzle to be solved: do not imagine it as a DOOM level, but as a Mirror's Edge where you shoot more. You don't have to go around randomly, but you have to understand exactly which is the correct path to get to the end without leaving the demons alive and without wasting time.
The aim is not simply to win, but to do it pretty quickly. Each level has three records to beat and, in order to advance in the game, we will have to beat the second record of many levels, otherwise the highest grade missions will be foreclosed. Many of the levels tested can be completed, already on the first attempt, in less than a minute, but the game invites you to play again and again to optimize your times and to find a hidden gift box, which is used to improve your relationships with the characters of the main plot.
In total there will be more than a hundred levels and, even if for the moment it is impossible to get an idea of the amount of content and the final variety, we can already say that the premises are excellent. Neon White is super fast, fun, full of small elements to use to improve your movements and, immediately after finishing a level, you want to try again and again.
The controls are simple and the design suggests the best route enough to never force the player to stop and look around and figure out where to go. At the same time, we will have to pay attention to our resources and understand how to dominate the area. In a nutshell, the demo left us with a strong feeling of personal satisfaction at getting a top score.
Neon Green looks like a bad guy We have some doubts about using a controller (mouse and keyboard allow that precision and that speed of aim required for an optimal experience), so we will have to understand what it will be like to play on Nintendo Switch (the only platform other than PC confirmed for now).
Finally, a small note on graphics. Putting the technical side aside (frame rate is solid and that's most important), we weren't too impressed with the style of the enemies. The demons are black beings of the most disparate forms but not particularly inspired. The levels, on the other hand, are similar to each other and are more of a backdrop that has the purpose of not disturbing the view too much, more to be the protagonist of the game. | easy to read; considering that the pace of play is very (very) fast, this is already a good result. We will see in the final game if this first impression is correct or if there will be any surprises.
Neon White is a very fast, very entertaining action and platform game with beautifully designed levels. What we tried absolutely convinced us and we can't wait to try the full version. We have some doubts about the actual experience with a controller (and therefore on the Switch) and the artistic side of the game did not fully convince us, but overall it could be another great game from Annapurna Interactive. The final response will come with the full version, but the demo was a pleasant experience.
