Neon White is kinetic and consistently digs deeper into its mechanics to make an outstanding experience. This has led to this being one of the most talked about games of 2022.

It is common for a game discussed as much as Neon White to become overhyped, but I want to push back on that notion. A fresh core mechanic is rare to find these days. Neon White does one mechanic very well, and each different flavor of said feels unique.

Fast-Paced Action with a New Spin

The story of Neon White is relatively weak in my opinion, but the characters in the game are weirdly likable. The game is definitely influenced by internet culture, and the characters referencing real-world media feels jarring. However, it just works in a weird way.

The main character is a weird internet edgelord, but the game is so self-aware in the presentation that it becomes quaint. The best way to describe the dialogue is very much shonen anime English dub. It is kind of cringe but has a certain charm to it.

The real meat of the game is the mechanic of the cards. The player traverses levels and has to defeat all of the demons to move on to the next. Players are incentivized to beat levels as quickly as possible, as that is the way to rank up.

The player has a sword as their main attack, but throughout the level, you will receive new weapons that spice up gameplay. These weapons appear in the battle as cards to be picked up.

However, each unique card can be discarded to activate the ability which helps with mobility. These new weapons and abilities are slowly dripped to you, and that makes the game so fresh.

Trial-and-Error Made Fun

Trial-and-Error gameplay is not my favorite design choice for a game. However, the level of trial and error is more about solving the puzzle of how to beat the level quickly. Each level has a certain trick that shaves a couple of seconds off of your time.

Getting a diamond medal for your new strategy is incredibly satisfying. What makes the trial-and-error work is that the tricks feel like secrets you can stumble upon on your first try. When you learn the language of Neon White you slowly learn how to get the diamonds on your first try.

The game isn’t that long, and most of the content is trying to get gold and diamond medals. The website “How Long to Beat” says it should take about 11 and a half hours only doing the levels which seems high. Despite this, if you do not go for the treasures and gold medals you are only getting half of the experience.

A big part I have ignored is the visual novel section of the game. It is the worst parts of the Persona series. The dialogue is kind of bad, and I just didn’t find it compelling. It was a means to get a good ending for me.

In Conclusion

Neon White is one of the few must-play games for anyone who is into the culture of video games. It is a game that does so much right.

However, the game has some clunkiness in the visual novel section of the game. It is the only flaw I could find, but it is sadly a huge part of getting the real ending of the game.

9.1

This a shining example that innovation is still alive in the video game world. It feels like a part of the culture but also paves its own path.