Neon White Reviews
Neon White gets its hooks in deep and fast. I knew within 10 minutes that I loved it, but I appreciated and enjoyed it more as I spent more time with it. My first playthrough was a blast as I discovered new weapons, explored levels, and experimented with shortcuts. But the “real game” felt like it started after I saw the credits. That’s when I started going back to each level, playing them over and over until I achieved the Ace rank, and then played them more just to shave hundredths of a second off so I could climb my friends leaderboard. It feels amazing to see “New Best!” on your time after dozens of attempts, and failing never gets frustrating considering how short the levels are and how quickly you can restart them. Whether you’re looking to best your own runs, compete with your friends, or attempt to make a splash on the global leaderboard, Neon White presents a welcoming on-ramp to the world of speedrunning, offers compelling challenges to overcome for those that want to pick up the pace, and delivers a satisfying gameplay loop regardless of the speed you want to tackle it at.
Game lead Ben Esposito has described Neon White as “for freaks, by freaks.” And yet, identifying as a freak isn’t a prerequisite for enjoying Neon White. The game’s greatest strength may, in fact, be how welcoming it is. Its difficulty is perfectly curved, its story is disarmingly charming. But after an hour of restarting the same level, ignoring all my other responsibilities to cross the finish line just a little faster, I realized that Neon White may have turned me into a freak so gently that I didn’t even notice.
If I had to sum it all up into a single sentence, I'd simply say that Neon White is truly one of the most enjoyable and original feeling platformers that I've seen in a while, and one that's well worth checking out.
Neon White is the 2nd best indie I've played this year so far. With a brilliant combination of genres, you're sure to spend hours upon hours mastering stage after stage as you uncover more about its very strange cast of characters.
You might love or loathe Neon White's willfully cringe anime storytelling, but these blistering platforming time trials are a heavenly delight.
A speedrunner's dream and an adrenaline junky's delight, Neon White is a helluva game with top-shelf gameplay, impeccable voice acting, and outstanding visuals.
Neon White is a rare example of a game that is basically almost impossible to put down.
Review in Russian | Read full review
That misstep is surprising considering how perfectly calibrated the rest of the game is. Though Neon White’s heavenly setting encourages perfection and players are required to earn a certain number of Gold medals to advance the plot, those are attainable even with the occasional mid-run mistake. (Ace medals, and a spot atop the global leaderboard, are reserved for pros.) It takes a bit of time to get used to playing at the game’s frenetic pace, but once you understand that each enemy and obstacle has been deliberately placed, it gets easier to read how the game wants you to move between them, and that’s a blissful experience.
For most of its runtime Neon White is a real treat to play, and the unique tradeoff of gunplay and movement choices is a fun gimmick that holds the title together quite well.
There are those times you just know you’re onto something truly special, a game that when you aren’t playing, you’re thinking about playing. Wondering where your next session may lead or what the story might reveal. Neon White is one of said games, an experience that’s always exciting, often amusing and never a dull moment. Easily one of the best and most electrifying releases of 2022.
Neon White is slick, exciting, addictive, and most of all, exhilarating fun. Strap on your belts, and get ready to race through heaven and ice some demons because this is one you won’t want to miss.
Neon White isn't just a contender for the title of year's best action game, but also a fascinating blend of genres, all mixed together to create a truly unique delight.
Neon White stands out for its gameplay that allows you to enjoy hyper speed action with simple maneuvers. Even though who are not familiar with speedruns can enjoy it without burden, obtaining ace medals is challenging enough for skilled gamer as well. Meanwhile, a bit awkward Korean localization makes it difficult to fully immerse into characters.
Review in Korean | Read full review
Neon White is a concoction of incredible game design, beautiful visuals, a stunning soundtrack, and a great story to top it all off. Every moment I was playing Neon White put a smile on my face, and the only negative I can think of is that I've now finished the game.
Overall, Neon White is a fantastic game that pushes players to get faster and faster in a way that is addicting and supportive. Getting into the flow of a level feels empowering, and there are even a handful of boss fights that add a refreshing twist on the otherwise platform heavy levels. Those that choose to play on PC will likely have a smooth and bump-free experience, but the Nintendo Switch version does struggle with accurate aiming and hand comfort. Despite that, players can't go wrong with either version because Neon White is fundamentally a fun and empowering experience.
Although Neon White goes by in a blur, that fast pace is only made greater with excellent level design, fun characterisation, and so many little secrets to find. Though I was expecting to be entertained by Neon White's gameplay for a few hours, its likeable cast and surprisingly sincere geekiness has managed to stay in my mind long after the credits have rolled. It's hard to really grasp its long-term staying power but Neon White has secured its place on many lists for the end of the year.
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.
Neon White is a ballet of bullets and death that always leaves you wanting just one more run. There are a ton of levels and powers to master, along with a witty and sincere story at the center. One of 2022's best games.
A speedrunning fps with tight level design and satisfying movement.