Neon White [PC, Switch, PS4, PS5] - Just another first person shooter puzzle platforming social sim

Out now - Open Critic 89

Game Informer wrote:Neon White achieves everything it sets out to with remarkable success. Not only is it one of the most entertaining experiences I've played in years, but it also speaks to a highly specific audience many just don't anymore. It's for weirdos, misfits, and dorks. Neon White is one of the best games of the year, and it'd be a colossal mistake not to check it out.

Metro GameCentral wrote:A stylish and brilliantly designed blend of first person shooter and platformer, which nails the compelling and addictive chase for the perfect run.

TheSixthAxis wrote:Neon White is a love letter to turn-of-the-decade internet weirdos. It's full of rule-of-cool anime nostalgia, ear-shredding electronic music, and dialogue ripped straight out of my group chats. It's a genuine game made for an audience rarely prioritised, but even if you don't fit the archetypical person this game was made for, you're still in for the most stylish and satisfying action-platformer I've ever experienced.

Manga, anime and Japanese videogames are full of unusual purgatory premises, so when I draw comparisons between Neon White and Neo: The World Ends With You it's probably only because that is most recent in my mind. The comparison though is apt, as where that game vied with No More Heroes 3 for most stylish of last year, Neon White moves into pole position in the current - perhaps seen to be combining the subculture spanning fashion of TWEWY with the irreverent pop culture references and toilet humour of No More Heroes. That latter aspect lends what could easily be a cringe element to the script if it wasn't for the superb Steve Blum led voice acting carrying it off with assured coolness, a confidence maintained by the game as a whole. You would be forgiven for ranking the localisation alongside the likes of Cowboy Bebop until you realise Neon White isn't Japanese at all - this is a Japanese videogame from a western developer able to ape the best of that country, innovation included.

Undoubtedly stylish then, without really delving in to the excellent art and music, but how does it play? Neon White is a hybrid first person shooter platformer. That might immediately conjure thoughts of Mirror's Edge, and while certainly a touch of that can be seen in the bold white buildings and yachts and red highlights, the game plays much closer to Lovely Planet - cool rather than cute, but with the same super fast pace and precision aeronautics. In Neon White you jump and bounce around the courses, pirouetting mid-air to pick off enemies and clear the way, feeling out the fastest route to the exit. A card based weapon system adds a welcome layer of strategy and helps set the gameplay apart even more so, encouraging the player to think of the pickups as consumables to be played when best needed. Players disposed to speedrunning will find themselves right at home - this is a game played in 30 second bursts, but you'll feel compelled to repeat and refine each stage until you take the top record.

Between each run of stages the game breaks things up with some much more sedate visual novel inspired downtime, letting you talk to the supporting cast and even gift them presents (found during the levels) to raise your relationship. It's another genre fusion in a game clearly unconcerned at pitching itself to a very specific audience, those who grew up watching anime on Toonami at the turn of the millennium and playing JRPGs. If you find yourself in that audience, like myself, there couldn't be an easier recommendation that Neon White.

Has anyone else picked this up? I'm playing it on Switch, where it runs great, but I imagine PC gives the ultimate experience for the precision of mouse aiming - that's where I played the similar Lovely Planet and this is exactly the kind of game where the difference in input makes a clear and notable difference to your times.

I wanted to make a thread as this is an immediate GOTY contender for me and deserves more attention.

Will definitely check it out when it hits other consoles.

The core gameplay looks like a lot of fun. The art-style I am cool on, but I don't hate it.

Yeah the aesthetic is probably the thing that has me most wary about this, gameplay wise it sounds really interesting!

I'm the opposite, game looks nice and has been well received but any game that puts an emphasis on speedrunning screams 'if you don't have super-good reflexes this is probably not for you'.

Balladeer wrote:I'm the opposite, game looks nice and has been well received but any game that puts an emphasis on speedrunning screams 'if you don't have super-good reflexes this is probably not for you'.

It's a lot more about routeing than execution. The difference between getting a gold medal or a bronze isn't in your reflexes but in if you can work out a quicker path by cutting off some corner or using a card at a specific point - so it favours the puzzle side of puzzle platforming despite the ultra fast pace.

I love the look (reminds me of Paradise Killer) and the quick fire nature of this, but all the reviews I have read suggest that the story is infantile and just bad. I have realised more and more I need a somewhat compelling story to keep me invested in a game, especially one that could have elements of frustration, so i'm a bit wary. Maybe when it goes on sale.

kazanova_Frankenstein wrote:I love the look (reminds me of Paradise Killer) and the quick fire nature of this, but all the reviews I have read suggest that the story is infantile and just bad.

This seems the most divisive aspect, but for what it's worth I am enjoying the story and writing! The characters are dorky and sincere, that sincerity really sells it starting with the great va. If you're into late 90s dubbed anime then you'll get on fine. The writing has some Suda51 energy to it, especially comparing to No More Heroes, so it's undoubtedly infantile at times but I don't think that's a bad thing. It's fun!

I'm most of the way through the game now and absolutely loving it.

OrangeRKN wrote:late 90s dubbed anime

Balladeer wrote:
OrangeRKN wrote:late 90s dubbed anime

The pinnacle of human culture tbqh

OrangeRKN wrote:
kazanova_Frankenstein wrote:I love the look (reminds me of Paradise Killer) and the quick fire nature of this, but all the reviews I have read suggest that the story is infantile and just bad.

This seems the most divisive aspect, but for what it's worth I am enjoying the story and writing! The characters are dorky and sincere, that sincerity really sells it starting with the great va. If you're into late 90s dubbed anime then you'll get on fine. The writing has some Suda51 energy to it, especially comparing to No More Heroes, so it's undoubtedly infantile at times but I don't think that's a bad thing. It's fun!

I'm most of the way through the game now and absolutely loving it.

Thanks. Suda51 energy sounds promising.

It feels like a game that would be a lot of fun if you have several people on your friends list to do speed running against. Will have a think.

It's like you're doing your best to put me off this now! :lol:

Here watch this gameplay promo instead

(I like how it's on the Nintendo channel but clearly recorded on PC)

A friend has this on PC and we confirmed that Switch has more lenient times/records. Presumably this is to compensate for aiming with an analogue stick rather than mouse (although it does support gyro but I haven't tried that out). Given execution sort of comes second to routeing though I think this often results in levels just being easier because you can get the platinum medal just by doing the standard route quickly rather than being forced to work out skips as the slightly tighter times require.

I was going to ask if you need NSO to view / participate in scoreboards (would still like to know the answer), but given Orange is seemingly the only person here to own it on Switch it's probably overkill!

This game is getting huge praise everywhere I look.

I finished this yesterday with the true ending and platinum on every level. Absolutely loved it, probably my goty right now.

No idea on the NSO requirements I'm afraid (I do have NSO).

No probs. And congratulations!

Do you think you will continue improving your times or do you feel like you have seen enough now? I understand there are dev times etc to go after (with associated trophies).

How long was your playtime?

There is a time above platinum which I have got on exactly none of the levels, so yeah they are a jump. There are some post game level rushes too which are a bit full on if you play the single life variant - probably a bit too full on for me!

I'll have to report back on my playtime in a week once the Switch decides it can tell me (that annoying 10 day delay...). For the moment though I'm parking it because the Monster Hunter DLC just released, I'd probably chase times more otherwise. Happy enough with the completion I managed though!

Nice work, I will certainly pick this up at some point. It seems like its going to be in a lot of leftfield game of the year discussion. It's a hell a lot more appealing to me than any of the heavily touted candidates so far.

I got this last week and forgot to report back!

My expectations, as can be seen from the posts above, were low. I was shocked then to find that I really like this! That's despite the VA being indeed full 'late 90s dubbed anime', i.e. awful. In fact there's nothing to shout about in any aspect apart from the gameplay: visuals are clean and clear but don't wow, writing and characterisation is also 'late 90s dubbed anime', music is... present. None of that matters, because the first-person platforming (an area ripe for stuffing up) is lovely. Swift and smooth, moving through the levels (and especially over water) is an absolute joy. Chaining together running jumping and chucking your guns away is music to my fingertips. I might even be up for a few speedruns on some of the levels: going for the high score would never normally be my sort of thing, but when just moving is such a delight? I could see it. (OR add me to your Switch friends you bastard, gaze upon my pathetic times. :capnscotty:

)

I don't think descriptions, videos, or anything else short of playing the game is actually going to sell anybody on this, but I think there's a demo.? I'd really recommend that everyone try the demo. It could surprise you.

(Oh and everything about Violet, including her challenge runs, is just dire. Challenging for Worst Character In Games of 2022 at this rate.)

OrangeRKN wrote:Here watch this gameplay promo instead

(I like how it's on the Nintendo channel but clearly recorded on PC)

I really liked the look of this. If it gets a physical release I'll be sure to pick it up.

Neon White [PC, Switch, PS4, PS5] - Just another first person shooter puzzle platforming social sim

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