Neon White

Neon White is about finishing levels as fast as you can while clearing demons at each level. You'll get an ace medal if you do it fast enough. And there are some cards you can pick up from the ground. They all have their own abilities. We have pistols, smgs, shotguns... And they all have M1 and M2 versions. M1 is using the gun normally. M2 is where things get fun. From jump boost to instant dash. There is a lot of variety. You lose your card when you use M2, though. The game demands calculated but fast gameplay. I also love the fact that you'll get rewarded if you think outside of the box. Don't just follow the path you're given. Observe. Improvise. Create your own shortcuts. Neon White encourages you to master the level before you move on to the next. There were a few mechanics I didn't like, but that's just a me issue. This game is a must-buy if you like some DnB, because Machine Girl cooked with this one. Although I like fast-paced gameplay, the music was the main reason I got this game. The ost and gameplay match very well. Sometimes it makes me want to catch up to the flow, it's basically spectacular. Having such great music adds a lot to the ambience too. I wanted to know more about the universe just because of the vibes. Even though I liked most of the soundtracks, Pendulum definitely stands out to me. 10/10 As for the universe, it is decent. I wish we could interact with the world more, especially in the hub. I wanted to know more about the people around me, but the game doesn't offer you much. I guess you can unlock special missions with side characters if you collect gifts(?), but I don't like the gift system. I try to ace every level but I don't want to replay just for gifts. It would've been better if we could get them simply by shooting.

Оказывается в новеллу все таки можно добавить хороший геймплей

The characters are so cringe it physically hurt me

Für die leute die adhs haben

Just play NEON WHITE if you liked literally any fps in the past 20 years youll love NEON WHITE The story isnt that bad but the way its presented is sometimes a bit annoying as it interrupts the flow of the levels in NEON WHITE I did have a issue where I alt+f4'ed as I gave a gift which locked me out of getting (NEON) reds achievement the 1st time around so make sure you dont alt+f4 after doing basically anything There isnt another game like NEON WHITE on the market currently sure there are some that come close but NOTHING and I mean NOTHING is as flashy and kewl as NEON WHITE Machine girl also cooked with the soundtrack Completing all Hellrushes gives you +20 gamer cred btw

Игра от невероятно талантливых разработчиков с одним неудачным решением - анимешные диалоги в стиле тарантино сопровождаемые крайне специфичной озвучкой. Это было сделано специально, однако я считаю - что этот аспект единственное, что мешает этой игре получить 10/10. Геймдизайн - практически идеальный. Все механики интуитивно понятны, прозрачны и на тебя не скидывают по 10 за раз. Уровни сделаны так, чтобы даже обычный чел смог пройти их на алмаз спустя пару траев по подсказке. Для спидрана есть очень много возможных шорткатов и моментов, на которые при первом прохождении, вероятно, не додумаешься. Одно но - расположение подарков. Большую их часть нужно именно вынюхивать из каждого уголка, ибо находится они могут где угодно, и единственная подсказка - совсем небольшое свечение от них. Графика - Синема. Достаточно просто и со вкусом. Все сделано приятно глазу, на уровнях ничего не отвлекает. Небольшой минус - интерфейс. Для такой динамичной игры достаточно неудобно смотреть в углы чтобы увидеть оставшиеся патроны и хп. Сюжет - видно, что разрабы умеют делать хороший сюжет. Его, опять же, сделали достаточно простым и в анимешном стиле специально, но в отличии от диалогов, сюжет сделан на голову выше и в нем есть интересные детали. Саунд-дизайн - Абсолют синема. Тут явно постарались больше всего. Минусов нет. Звуки крайне приятны, музыка от Machine Girl прекрасна. В целом играется очень бодро с самого начала и не надоедает. Очень надеюсь, что разработчики еще что-нибудь выпустят.

[h1]Second to none[/h1] When I first launched Neon White, I wasn’t expecting to be greeted by an anime opening – yet this short introduction sets up everything this game wants to be. Sharp lines, screaming vocals and guns convey an image of brash, obnoxiously edgy piece of action, with heavy Japanese influences. Simply put, this title has a vivid style. Whether that’s a good or bad thing, I will leave at your discretion. The player gets to wear a mask of a Neon, a sinner lifted up from hell to become God’s assassin and have a chance at the ultimate reward – earning absolution and a ticket to heaven. Let’s not dawdle on the narrative though. Instead, put your speedrunning boots on, because every second counts. [b]Obstacle shooting range course[/b] As you are bound to realise upon completing first few levels, the gameplay of Neon White is more subdued than its writing and visuals. To be blunt, for a demon-hunting assassin, the player doesn’t get to see much combat and enemies almost never pose a notable threat. At least that is a likely first impression, until you gradually ease into the flavour of thrill this game is going for – becoming the god of speed. This is not to suggest that demons may be ignored though, as every hellspawn needs to be killed for the level exit to open. It is an interesting combination, where player needs to skip as much of the level as possible, while also stopping by every enemy. Ultimately, the true fight of this title is against the time and... gravity, as heaven’s terraces clearly weren’t built with walking in mind, and a false step tends to lead right back to the start of the level. [url]https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3736542465[/url] Primary tools to facilitate the gunslinger acrobatics are the weapon cards. Every one of them having a dual use – they can dispense projectiles or be discarded for a one-time movement boost. There are quite a few weapon types in the game, however shooting is at best a second fiddle to double jumps, dashes, and explosive boosts they can provide. Every level of the game is essentially an obstacle course, with all the tools necessary for completion placed along the way. In that sense the cards are a neat piece of game design, as they also serve as pointers, guiding the player in the correct direction. Only to later deviously distract the player once they have already learned the basics. [b]The clock is ticking[/b] More than deserving a separate mention is the pacing of Neon White and how it coerces the player into becoming a speedrunner. First of all, there is a timer staring the player dead in the eye. Second, and no less important, is the fact that the levels are really short and majority of them can be completed under a minute. A further serving of a carrot, inviting the player to improve the best time from level one, is the 4-stage insight progression bar. Upon completing a first run, the player is informed what times are required for each of the 4 medals. Bronze is the participation award, sliver usually is a result of taking a “safe” route, gold is considered by the game as a “pass” mark, and ace mostly implies familiarity with shortcuts. To facilitate growth, insight gradually unlocks hidden collectibles, hints on the optimal route, ghost of the player’s best time allowing a race with yourself and lastly a global ranking. Especially the latter will show you there is always a room for improvement. In the end, skill and competitive drive are deeply individual factors, however thanks to how short the levels are, Neon White manages to sell making a hundreds of replays as a learning curve, rather than a tedious grind. [url]https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3736542630[/url] That was only the half of pacing, as the other one is tied to level design. Neon White is divided into chapters, which not only introduce some much needed visual diversity, but also gradually increase the complexity by introducing new hazards, weapon/movement cards and towards the end, increasing the length. For all the pressure on saving time, Neon White is a fairly long game having a total of 97 levels, which can easily translate to over 20 hours of play, if you would like to ace all of them. I need to stress that while I appreciate the way this title expands on its mechanics, I don’t find all of its ideas equally enjoyable, with some tedium creeping in, during the middle chapters of the game. On the other hand, there were maps I willingly put thousands of attempts into because mastering them was that much fun. [b]Pawn shop Visual Novel[/b] As the structure of this review may vaguely indicate, Neon White is a gameplay-focused title and that’s for the better. However, in-between the demon hunts there is a sizeable narrative in the form of visual novel. Remember the collectibles I mentioned before? They are gifts, allowing the player to shower other characters met during Neon trials with “affection” in simplistic dating-simulator fashion. When first approaching this game, I was forewarned that the visual novel part can be charitably described as “skippable”. Nonetheless, I opted to give the game the benefit of the doubt and I have to admit that story of Neon White while distinct, is also dumb as a rock. Which may be an uncalled for insult for the innocent minerals. [url]https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3736543336[/url] Most importantly, all of the game’s characters display such an obnoxious level of edgy, that my 14-year old self would take it with a grain of salt. I have to admit that the rational part of my mind can recognise that all of the pieces of date-sim are in place, and have been deliberately executed (the game even has a full voiceover). Which doesn’t change the fact that the entire affair felt like an alien looked up the visual novel definition in a dictionary and tried to go from there. The final effect is extremely corny, awkward, and ultimately skippable. Despite the narrative being by far the weakest part of the game, I need to stress that it is a substantial effort put into a background pretence for why the player is hopping around with a gun. Furthermore, I can picture someone finding the juvenile flourish of Neon White humorous, a matter of taste and all that jazz. [b]Neon lies in the details[/b] All things considered, Neon White is a beautifully crafted piece of action, which manages to make notion of speedrunning approachable and its otherwise notorious learning curve a fun experience. The fact that the game’s Steam rating is Overwhelmingly Positive, despite the polarising story, is a testament to how powerful its gameplay loop is. In my opinion, the rating is fully justified and this title qualifies for an “indie gem” status. Furthermore, based upon the amount of reviews written since Neon White’s release, it seems to be a rare case of such a game genuinely getting the recognition it deserves. I highly recommend giving this one a try to all who enjoy FPS genre and a fast-paced action. The game's antics are guaranteed to provide a refreshing change of pace.

Ehhh, very reluctantly recommended. [h2]Gameplay & Levels[/h2] Neon White is marketed as a fast-paced speedrunning FPS with the added twist that your weapons double as a one-time use movement ability. It contains built in leaderboards and a hint system to incentivize the player to return to previous levels and get better times, creating a sense of competition between the randoms and/or your Steam friends. Which I felt was one of the highlights for me, at least upon my first playthough. Though, I don't have many more good things to say unfortunately. To start, the game felt very slow despite being marketed as a speedrunning game. There isn't really any momentum to be seen and while I do appreciate the tightness of controls schemes like this, I don't think a speedrun game is where they're best utilized. The camera also doesn't have any kind of feedback to match White's speed other than a few action lines, IMO it could've benefited from a little View Bobbing and more dynamic FOV (all toggleable to not mess up higher levels of play) to add more flavor to when you build up speed. Also, as interesting as the gun/movement cards gimmick might be, I didn't really have much fun puzzling where to use each to find skips either, and that might be because they don't feel all that great to use. The thrill of going fast doesn't match the annoyance when you barely miss a ledge because you activated the double jump slighty early or aimed the fireball slightly lower. Maybe a ledge "grab" that's slower than just landing would've smoothed this out without compromising the value in precision. I also felt the jump was quite unsatisfying. White's aerial acceleration is instant and once again, while I do appreciate the precision this offers, I believe it undermines the feeling of speeding through levels. The very low gravity also doesn't help, it makes White very floaty and with no way to speed up your descent without the one time use cards, keeping yourself low to the ground feels more like a chore and also makes the dash powers feel less impactful since White feels so light. Overall, the speedrunning fundamentals are there, but I felt that there were too many nitpicks for this to be anything more than "ocasionally fun" for me. Maybe if you're newer to speed games like this, you will get more of a kick out of this. [h2]Story[/h2] Despite what many reviews criticize, I personally don't mind the game's cringy dialogue, intentionally bad or not. While the story is pretty basic and the characters pretty stereotypical, it works as an ocasional downtime from the speedrunning (you can argue that a downtime's not needed and I'd probably agree) but nothing groundbreaking or good enough to carry the game. The dialogues were pretty miserable though, getting the gifts in the levels is already kind of a chore, and going through the boring levels to get to the dialogue eventually just made both of them tiring. [h2]Sound & Visuals[/h2] This section is very subjective ofc, but in my opinion I didn't really jive with either the visuals nor the music. Most of the designs in this game boil down to "White building" or "Light Brown Building", The demons are recognizable but them just sitting there, while good for gameplay, is a bit of a waste of their admitedly cool designs. The Neons themselves are... ok ig? I found them to be a bit bland tbh, they're mostly just people in masks, though that's probably just be my preference wackier designs (Like Red from Everhood or Ash from The End is Nigh). I just don't see the hype around the music either. As someone who prefers songs with pronounced melodies/leitmotifs or some weird percussions, the music was 99% of the time just background noise that I'd tune out while playing instead of something that complements the tone or feel of the gameplay. [h2]Final Score[/h2] [b]5/10[/b] - Does what it sets out to do I guess, but it feels underwhelming. I just can't see a 98/100 game here no matter how hard I squint.