Neon Chrome Reviews
While most of this review is spent talking about what went wrong, there is a certain type of gamer who will enjoy Neon Chrome.
When all is said and done, when the glow of the stylish aesthetic and the intrigue of the Cyberpunk Orwellian narrative have fizzled out, Neon Chrome emerges as an average, sometimes fun but more often than not generic twin-stick rogue-like with a Sci-Fi coat of paint; it rarely lives up to its explosive promise or explores its thematic potential in any meaningful way. It could be argued that the genre is solely about the mechanics, but with a neglected back story failing to compliment the reasonable if hardly revolutionary gameplay, it's difficult not to feel a little flat about the experience on offer.
Fans of the top down shooter will no doubt feel right at home here, but there's nothing in particular to grab gamers who are already averse to the genre.
Mixing things up a little could have worked wonders, but as it is, playing Neon Chrome is an exercise in tedium occasionally broken up by the odd exciting moment. The progression system amounts to little more than slowly increasing numbers next to things like 'health' and 'damage', and contradictory design choices mean that despite options being made available to you, the best option is almost always the same one. Ultimately, Neon Chrome is a game that wants you to keep coming back for more, but one that offers few reasons to actually do so.
Currently there’s a pretty glaring bug where your cursor isn’t centered on your character, resulting in your laser marker not correctly showing your line of fire.
Despite having one of the most generic titles I’ve heard in a while, Neon Chrome has a lot going for it – a solid rogue-like, with plenty of upgrade options and exciting action. It’s such a shame that the HUD issue put a dampener on things. As it stands, I would have to recommend waiting on this until a patch it released to address the semi game breaking bug.
There isn’t exactly a shortage of twin-stick shooters on the market that much is for sure. Neon Chrome however, while not doing anything especially innovative, nonetheless does a great job of pulling together roguelike elements, deep progression systems and satisfying twin-stick shooter beats into a single, compelling whole.
Ultimately, Neon Chrome is a game for a certain audience. If you're one for sci-fi, retro-style action games, definitely pick this one up.
The long tail of Neon Chrome's progression system is too much to ask for its plain and repetitive combat. It's a carrot on a stick that doesn't offer enough joy or spectacle along the way.
Neon Chrome's roguelike qualities combined with shoot'em up gameplay mechanics contribute to make this an interesting game that makes the players change their tactics with every level and which presents an immense amount of weapons and upgrades. However, it also feels like it doesn't quite fulfill its potential, as its plot remains stale throughout the game and the audiovisual component doesn't show anything worthy of praise.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Neon Chrome makes good use of the cyberpunk setting, but remains light on story. While the grind is real, the game shows real promise in couch cooperative play. If twin-stick shooters are your thing, you could do much worse than Neon Chrome.
Neon Chrome isn't a bad game by any stretch of the imagination, but it may not grab you if you've played anything of the same ilk.
If you're really big into top-down shooters give Neon Chrome a shot, otherwise maybe wait for some local couch warriors to help out before diving in.
Neon Chrome's environmental destruction and bright, cyberpunk colors do a lot to help it stand out from a crowd of dark and dreary rogue-likes. Giving players a sense of progression helps motivate you to play through multiple rounds, and the procedurally generated levels mean you are always doing your best to scout ahead and make a plan for the next room, whether that be taking out a few walls or running in guns blazing.
In case it wasn’t obvious, I really didn’t warm to Neon Chrome at all. The eighties inspired aesthetic of the opening cinematic promised big things that the mediocre shoot-em-up that the game ended up being failed to capitalise upon. The controls aren’t as responsive or intuitive as a game like this demands and the lack of refinement in almost every area leaves players with a hollow gaming experience that quickly outwears it welcome. Co-op can make the whole affair slightly more entertaining but only offering local multiplayer and completely disregarding the almost prerequisite online component seems to me to be a massive misstep on the part of developer 10Tons.
If this game was a house, it would have the same charm and flaws as a fixer-upper.
Neon Chrome is an excellent addition to the bullet-hell twin-stick shooter genre that oozes with originality and ensures that no level is exactly the same as another. Despite a lackluster protagonist and simple enemy designs, Neon Chrome delivers on an excellent gameplay experience packaged in 80s science fiction that will keep players sending hundreds of Assets to their graves like pigs to the slaughter for many, many hours.
[Neon Chrome‘s] bright and shiny visuals are certainly a pleasure to look at, while the tactical shooting and use of perks offers a different challenge each time you play
It’s frantic and it’s really tense at times when you get swarms coming from all angles or trying to fight off a boss, but it’s never impossible
Neon Chrome is a fun twin-stick shooter that has a rewarding upgrade feature and a good visual aesthetic. The controls feel tight, even if they do take some getting used to, and the procedural environments, enemy placements, and character selection, all ensure that each playthrough feels fresh. The visual setting from level to level could do with a bit more distinction as each level is based in the same type of office floor, but this is a minor gripe. Overall, there is a lot of game-time to be had within Neon Chrome, and those looking for a twin-stick shooter on the Nintendo Switch should certainly take note.