Neon White
Parkour, firepower combine in heavenly fast-paced shooter.
Kids say
Based on 2 reviews
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Neon White
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this game.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Neon White is a downloadable first-person action game available for the Nintendo Switch and Windows-based PCs. Players take on the role of a recently deceased "sinner" recruited by Heaven into a tournament to race through obstacle courses as fast as possible while eliminating demon invaders. Gameplay is a fast-paced mix of running, jumping, and shooting. Violence is part of gameplay, but weapons are represented by "Soul Cards" and not shown on-screen. There's no blood or gore in the gameplay, though some characters occasionally appear during dialogues with blood on their clothing. The game also includes some profanity and sexually suggestive dialogue, and characters often reference or are shown smoking cigars or drinking alcohol.
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What’s It About?
In NEON WHITE, dying is only the beginning of your troubles. After meeting your untimely end in the mortal world, you suddenly wake up in Heaven with no memory of your past. You have been forcibly recruited into a twisted tournament, competing against other sinners, or "Neons," traversing different areas of Heaven and eliminating demonic invaders. Complete the games with the highest total score, and you'll earn redemption for your past sins and a place beyond the gates of Heaven. Fail, and your soul will be forfeit, either forced to compete in a seemingly endless cycle of tournaments or worse, consigned forever to the nothingness of oblivion. You'll need some quick thinking and even quicker reflexes as you run, jump, and shoot your way through each mission, racing against the clock to post the highest score. Your only tools for getting through each mission are special Soul Cards you pick up along the way. These serve a dual purpose as both ethereal manifestations of Heaven's arsenal and keys to access certain special abilities. In between missions, you'll talk to and build relationships with your fellow Neons, uncovering not only the memories of your past life, but also the secrets behind this "heavenly" realm.
Is It Any Good?
Some games zero in on a specific genre with a laser focus, while others try to stand out by tossing different types of gameplay into a blender and hope for the best. Neon White falls deep within the latter category. The game mixes fast-paced shooting with puzzle platforming all with the added pressure of a beat-the-clock speed-run mentality. There's even some light dating/relationship sim elements tossed in for good measure. While all of this, along with the game's colorful anime art style, makes for a unique experience on the whole, it still feels a bit like a jack-of-all-trades but master of none.
Neon White's Soul Card mechanic takes a lot of getting used to. Each card can be used as a weapon or discarded to activate a special ability of some sort, such as a double jump or an explosive burst. In the heat of the moment, though, it's easy to burn a card at the wrong time or in the wrong situation, forcing a restart of the mission. Thankfully, missions are short by design, usually taking less than two minutes to complete. The idea is to keep replaying each stage over and over, finding new ways to shave precious seconds off your top score. This can be fun in short bursts, but it quickly starts to feel repetitive. The action moves on-screen at a beautifully fluid rate, but this is hampered somewhat by floaty and imprecise controls. While it might not be the deepest or most robust game, if you're looking for a quirky and stylish distraction in small bursts, Neon White has got you covered.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about violence in video games. Is the impact of the violence in Neon White affected by the lack of graphic content in the game? Do games that refrain from showing graphic scenes of violence have less of an impact on younger audiences than games that feature fewer but more realistic portrayals of weapons and violence?
How important is it to try to earn a high score in a game? Do you prefer to beat the clock in a speedy playthrough or to explore an area for a total completion?
Game Details
- Platforms: Nintendo Switch, Windows
- Pricing structure: Paid ($24.99)
- Available online?: Available online
- Publisher: Annapurna Interactive
- Release date: June 16, 2022
- Genre: First-Person Shooter
- Topics: Sports and Martial Arts, Adventures, Friendship, Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires
- ESRB rating: T for Fantasy Violence, Language, Mild Blood, Mild Suggestive Themes, Use of Tobacco
- Last updated: June 15, 2022
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