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Neon White review: a slick, stylish speedrunner with parkour demon murderTry to keep up
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This emphasis on speed means that even small mistakes can cost you dearly. Undershooting a jump or mistiming a Soul Card ability can be the difference between getting a silver medal or a gold one. Thankfully, a quick tap of the F key restarts the level from the beginning if you mess up. I ended up tapping F quite a lot. In addition, replay ghosts and shortcut hints help to shave precious seconds off the clock. You’re incentivized to optimize your path through the level to the point of mastery, and it’s ever so satisfying when it all clicks. The only complaint I can levy against it is that the falling speed is a bit slow, but there’s a Soul Card ability specifically to remedy that problem.
Clearing a level for the first time unlocks the ability to find a secret gift on a subsequent run. Nabbing these secrets requires a keen eye and clever planning, as they’re usually placed in out-of-the-way areas that require careful use of Soul Card abilities to reach. I always went back for these because they proved to be fun little puzzles in their own right. Gifts can be given to the various other Neons to receive rewards in the form of side quests and expository dialogue.
This leads us back to the aforementioned loveable doofuses. While Neon White is first and foremost a slick speedrunning affair, the game also has social sim elements. White himself has amnesia, and as you build rapport with the other characters, the mystery surrounding who they were and what they did in their past lives begins to take shape. Giving gifts to characters raises their level of affection with you and unlocks cute little scenarios where they reveal more about themselves and their relationship with White. The characters are all hopelessly anime, but each managed to put a grin on my face at some point. My favorite part about the relationship system, however, are the side quests.
Build up enough clout with a character and they’ll offer you a side quest. Side quests are unique courses themed after the character issuing them, with new special rules. Some side quests see your Soul Card abilities disabled, others have you escaping literal death traps. Completing these quests offers more insight into that character’s background and their role in the central mystery. The writing’s fun enough to make these little tidbits worth pursuing, and the excellent voice work gives the whole thing an earnestness that brings the characters to life.
The only bad thing I can say about Neon White is that I wish there were more of it. I would have loved a level editor or workshop support where users could create and upload their own tracks. I suppose that’s a testament to the quality of what’s already there. Neon White is a solid, speedy romp polished to a mirror sheen and oozing with style. I think I’m gonna go try for a new best time again.
