Imagine a game that combines Doom and Overwatch, sprinkles in a bit of Fire Emblem’s romance mechanics, and then runs it all through a speedrunning machine. The result might be an over-the-top shooter focused on speed and technique, meshed with a goofy story, striking art style, and quirky cast of characters. That’s Neon White, one of the most unique games you’ll ever play, and it’s free now with Xbox Game Pass.
Neon White revolves around an enigmatic group called “Neons,” who are sinners taken from hell to compete in an annual competition in Heaven where they must wipe out invading demons for a chance to earn a permanent spot. You play as Neon White, an amnesiac sinner thrust into the competition who must uncover the pieces of his past while he competes for his survival.
Just from its story setup alone, you can probably tell Neon White has a bit of an edgy and irreverent tone, which is intrinsically tied to the game’s identity. After all, in a 2021 interview with Inverse creator Ben Esposito said “Neon White is not for kids, or adults, but for freaks.”
That idea applies to both the gameplay and story of Neon White, which form two equal halves. The structure of the game has you playing through intense shooting levels, then talking to NPCs between missions in a hub world where you can build relationships and even romances.
But the real attraction of the game is its silky-smooth shooting. Each mission is made up of multiple levels, with the sole goal being to destroy all demons and reach the finish line as fast as possible. Your basic abilities are only running and jumping, so in order to use attacks you need to collect Soul Cards, which grant a variety of abilities and weapons (including a katana strike, a rocket launcher, extra ammo, and more).
Soul Cards can be found lying in the open or won by defeating demons. Each card has a standard attack or a special attack that can be used by discarding it. For example, the handgun can be used as an attack, but it also gives you a double jump if you sacrifice it. This adds an interesting layer of strategy to how you prioritize your cards, especially considering you have to eliminate every enemy and can’t just skip over them.
All this means every level becomes like a mini-puzzle, figuring out the proper route and order to collect items, eliminate enemies, and platform to the end. Once you get into a groove, Neon White becomes a cacophony of action as you rush to get the very best time and earn the best score you can.
While it obviously feels good to get that nice score and shiny Gold medal, the game also requires you to get a certain amount of medals to continue on to certain missions, making it doubly important to strive for those high scores. It’s also worth poking around every level to find extra gifts you can give the other Neons, unlocking new events and dialogue.
Neon White’s gameplay consistently feels dynamic and thrilling, with levels doing a fantastic job of introducing new gimmicks and ideas to keep things fresh. But the story and characters that surround all that gameplay are just as interesting.
Each of the Neons have wholly unique personalities and backstories you can uncover by building their relationships. Neon Green has a deadly serious outlook that often clashes against the more sarcastic Neon White, Neon Red’s flirtatious personality masks a deep distrust, and Neon Violet’s unhinged pleasure in gore and murder is juxtaposed against her cute demeanor. Each character has a complex web of personality traits and a history with Neon White.
Because the Neons are “sinners,” this is a story about flawed people seeking forgiveness and redemption. The game makes great use of those themes but still manages to keep things mostly light and fun through its pulpy writing.
That mix of dedicated character storytelling and intense action is what gives Neon White its personality, and the way the pacing waxes and wanes makes the game feel a bit like a rollercoaster ride. Whether you want a great story, or tight gunplay that encourages hours of replay, Neon White has it all in droves.
