Neon White

Excellent game that I bought after hearing it was like Team Fortress 2's custom jump maps. Coming from that expectation, your character has low gravity and the weapon knockback will launch you at every angle (you can shoot a rocket above you and you'll still launch upwards). This makes Neon White a very accessible high octane game with great level design to master as you get faster times. I went through the game going at any pace I wished, then replaying the entire chapter trying to find collectibles to earn ace medals (the best times). Said medals increase your Neon Rank, and you need to reach a certain rank before being allowed on more missions. Replaying these levels to master the best times, finding collectibles, and honing your skills was a good challenge and truly not a chore to do (with few end-game level exceptions). I appreciated that I didn't feel pressured for almost every level to look up a guide for times or collectible locations. As you replay a level, you unlock level hints showing you a shortcut through the map. The gifts are hidden somewhere in the map and these gifts are used to form closer bonds with other characters. More missions, dialogue, even items to receive for being a good friend to them. It was a neat feature. As for the downsides, I think it's more so the first-impressions can be a downside. You can judge this as a 'zoomer game' with a lot of the writing and tropes, even the anime inspired art style. I thought Neon Violet's whole personality would be trapped inside her marketable chest, but the game managed to get me to care enough about them all with their conflicts and past memories. So, if these certain tastes were putting you off from the game, I assure you that the gameplay will more than make up for it, and you can appreciate Neon White as its own thing. [b]In conclusion[/b] I bought Neon White on sale for $10 and this was worth it. Played through the whole main story in about 15 hours (with my previously mentioned pace) and completed a decent chunk of post-game content as of writing. I wished I could have played as different characters and maybe selfishly have a level editor, but that's just something to ask for in a sequel that I'd definitely support. If you really can't stand the 'artistic' tastes, 9/10, but I'll give Neon White a 10/10. Give it a shot.