Heaven for speed freaks.
Really, it’s a game for people who like fun, campy, melodrama alongside their speedrunning.
It’s even got anime voice actor Steve Blum (Cowboy Bebop) voicing the lead character.
It’s certainly a step away from Esposito’s previous game,Donut County.
This is a first person shooter that plays more like a puzzle platformer that encourages replay.
The goal of each level is to defeat all the enemies and reach the goal.
Completing each level rewards experience in the form of Insight, which then reveals new paths and hidden items.
To truly master the game is to reach the goal as quickly as possible - often in mere seconds.
To do that, you must creatively utilise the cards you collect along the way.
There’s no view of weapons or hands either, further subverting expectations of an FPS.
Plus, animating hands and weapons swiftly would take away from the pace of the game.
Demonic enemy designs also play into the game’s speed and creativity.
While some actively attack, others can be used for mobility as another piece of the platforming puzzle.
This might be a bright anime world, but its nostalgic tone is certainly aimed at adults.
After all, there are clear religious undertones to its Heaven and Hell setup.
Character design is also inspired by Suda51 - Killer7 is Esposito’s favourite game.
There’s also potential in the integration of levels with the visual novel.
Collecting hidden gifts advances relationships to unlock both memories and side quests with levels personalised to that character.
Neon White is due out on PC and Nintendo Switch later this year.
