Instead of just shooting anything that comes into view, first-person platformers emphasize the fluidity of movement around the arena. However, most developers who attempted to explore this genre struggled to strike a balance between the gameplay and the difficulty level. Neon White, on the contrary, takes a great approach to this genre, with a storm of innovative mechanics and eye-popping visuals to match its incredible pace. Simply said, Ben Esposito's Neon White is a gift for us. It is packed with elements that anime fans would recognize as familiar, and the gameplay delivers tremendous fun for everyone.

Heaven desperately needs demon slayers known as Neons, the masked assassins keeping the evil under check. This is where we assume the role of the game's protagonist, White, a character whose previous life was cut short, and an assassin who hails from the lowest levels of hell and is competing in a tournament for the right to remain in paradise.

The victor of the tournament who can vanquish the most number of demons is awarded a halo that will let him reside in heaven and take pleasure in all of its splendors for a whole year before they are required to take part in the contest once again. As more and more demons attack the sacred place, White needs to put an end to each of them as quickly and efficiently as possible to advance in rank and outdo his competitors.

Although White himself is suffering from amnesia, people you meet have recollections of the events that have taken place in the past. You start to piece together the tale, which is both amusing, cringeworthy, and interesting, as you have dialogues with the characters. After a brief encounter with a few characters, White discovers that each has memories of him but refuses to tell him anything about them.

This bare skeleton of a plot eventually gives way to an intriguing tale with much more to it than meets the eye. Soon after, the story becomes a key highlight as discovering White's past becomes interesting. In addition, each character will deliver gifts at certain moments of the game, developing their relationship and providing additional information about White's connection to them.

Playing Neon White is as simple as running, shooting, and repeating this cycle repeatedly. It may seem to be boring, but rest assured that it is, in fact, quite the opposite. It's perhaps one of the hilarious video games released in recent years since it combines the desire for spontaneity with the need for accuracy. The gameplay engages players that vary according to their objectives. Neon White has the sense of an action platformer if you aren't concerned with how fast you can accomplish each level.

It takes on more of the feel of a puzzle platformer while you are seeking artifacts that will unlock special missions. The game takes on the sense of an arcade competition as you compete with yourself to beat your previous best time and move up the worldwide leaderboard. The controls are easy to use, reasonably accurate, have solid mechanics, and your movements are easily predictable. There is plenty of feedback on how well you are doing, coupled with good level design that requires accuracy while simultaneously sign-posting your way through the level.

For each level, the aim is to remove every demon in the way and reach the finish; to achieve this, there are a variety of weapons, represented by colored cards, at our disposal, which we can use to our advantage. The katana serves as the foundation, but wielding it often indicates that you are doing something incorrectly; the genuine weapons are firearms such as pistols, submachine guns, single-shot rifles, shotguns, and so on. The oddity stems from the fact that each weapon has at least one unique power.

For instance, the rifle gives us the capacity to leap, even when we are in the air, and the bazooka transforms into a grappling hook that drags us in the direction we directed it. However, since each card also has a function that allows you to traverse the level, you won't be able to blast your way through each one. The fundamental function of each card operates similarly to that of a standard gun, such as the pistol or shotgun; however, you have the option to throw away a whole card in exchange for its ability. It's about chaining together all the cards you acquire throughout the level to get to the objective as quickly as possible.

Most stages have suggested timings that are under 30 seconds, and the only stages I discovered that even went over a minute were uncommon multi-stage boss battles and the last level of missions in the late game. This is because this is supposed to be completed in a short amount of time. Cards depicting various firearms are used to carry out the killing demons portion of the game.

When White releases or drops a gun, it enables him to move ahead in the environment, and each weapon can fire a different bullet. Shoulder buttons are utilized for most of the game's control: LZ leaps, RZ shoots, and R releases on the Switch controller. The minus key is used to perform a rapid restart of the level if a gun is discharged too early or a demon is about to kill White after his health has been exhausted. In addition, a quick restart is usually welcome while competing for gold medals.

The primary purpose of Neon White's action is revealed to be the use of soul cards, which take the shape of various weapons. The secondary role of these weapons, which is to be abandoned, is what sets them apart from the kinds of weapons that you would typically anticipate. Discarding a card does not just remove it from your inventory; it enables you to carry out a specific action essential for advancing through each level.

Cards provide you with skills such as a double leap or a grappling hook, and they are the secret to unlocking Neon White's mystery. Each level is constructed using a certain amount of soul cards, providing you with a well-structured path yet offering sufficient room to put your unique spin on things. If you can become an expert in each talent and use it strategically, you will undoubtedly skyrocket to the top of the rankings at astonishingly fast speeds.

Players can earn up to four medals for completing a level within a set time. Players get something in the game called "insight" when they gather enough of these medals; this is the game's experience point system, enabling White to progress up the Neon Ranks. In the long run, the medal system is the only thing that will keep players engaged. Depending on how quickly the level was completed, the player will get a bronze, silver, gold, or blue Ace medal.

Each of these medals will open a unique insight into the level. In the narrative of Neon White, Neons who can reduce their rating on heaven's scoreboard and move out of the top percentile are granted access to riskier areas. Without spoilers, this notion is ingeniously employed to double down on explaining components of the plot and maintaining the narrative in a clear direction as the gameplay grows more complex.

Every level has been fine-tuned so that it may be finished in a creative number of ways that provide few limits and many possibilities. This is because Soul Cards and medals have been taken into consideration. The players of Neon White have the option of following a predetermined path to the conclusion of each level or creating their own by exchanging different Soul Cards.

Aside from the last four stages, the whole of Neon White is playable without ever having to resort to more complex strategies such as switching Soul Cards around. This is an outstanding achievement. The video game was developed with specific paths for each level to have players try to touch fewer buttons as they progressed through the game. Despite this, these paths encourage players to use their agency and exploit the design of the locations they visit.

The best part about Neon White is the competition. Everyone, whether competing against themselves, their friends, or even total strangers, wants to improve their time every time they go through a level again. Whether wall bouncing or double-propelled grenades, you're drawn back to the game because of these unique features. There's no way this could be done without the game's very comprehensive level design.

Even though I approached each level from what looked like every available angle, I did not come across any bugs or parts of the game that seemed to be unfair. Everything happens for a reason, and it all turns out to be extraordinary. Finally, when you believe you've reached your zenith, you encounter the Clock Tower. Neon White is a worthwhile game for just this one task alone.

These events occur in a fantastical, primarily surreal vision of the great beyond, where heaven seems to be a vast resort modeled after the most extravagant creations of classical antiquity. Out of the clearest, most placid seas emerge magnificent temples and pillars made of alabaster, adorned with vases, fountains, arches, and several other kinds of architectural flourishes. Opulent temples surround you, and on the other side of the highway are moored rows of luxury boats.
 

As you fly into the clouds, you will see buildings with rounded roofs and homes that seem like they were taken from the Greek island of Mykonos. Everything is dazzling and spotless, with the only imperfection being the existence of devils, who serve primarily as fodder for your displays of grace and brutality. Everything about this stunning and sophisticated experience is enhanced and inspired by your journey through the more demon-infested levels of heaven, so each level is a new visual treat.

You can spend time chatting with friends or getting new assignments at the game Central Heaven when not parkouring across heaven in search of demons. Finding secret gifts inside levels will enable you to trade those items for additional dialogue choices, memories that will help you piece together your memories, and new side-missions. New gimmicks are often included in side quests to increase the difficulty.

The inability to utilize certain talents might lead to new methods of tackling levels, or it can simply be an extra danger to deal with throughout the level. It is often not too difficult to locate these presents; nonetheless, the challenge is in obtaining them, as you will need to use your playing cards in ingenious ways to do so. Even if the characters are overacting quite a bit, they are amusing to watch most of the time. This means that the investment is typically well worth it.

Neon White creates a very intriguing experience by incorporating aspects from a wide variety of genres and combining them. The game is a fast-paced, card-based first-person shooter speedrunner and a visual novel dating simulation. It creates an outstanding balance that skillfully integrates a collection of different threads. The story's foundation was laid by the characters, whose backstories and motivations were detailed. For anybody with a Nintendo Switch, Neon White is an essential title to keep an eye on, and if you're looking for a game that will push you at every step, it's a must-have.
 

Azfar Rayan (@AzfarRayan)
Editor, NoobFeed