Neon White review – heaven in 60 seconds
The maker of Donut County presents a stylish hybrid of first person shooter and platformer, where weapons and movement are tied to cards.
As speedrunning has begun to receive a larger spotlight, through events like Games Done Quick, more games have tried to cater themselves towards the art of sprinting through levels as fast as possible. The likes of Ghostrunner, Superhot, and Demon Turf, along with high difficulty death dances like Cuphead, have all been designed to deliver the satisfying spectacle of the perfect run.
As noted by Donut County developer Ben Esposito himself, Neon White was inspired by his fascination with speedrunners – and it shows from the get-go. Each of the opening 10 stages is a confined sprint to the finish, as you leap across platforms and shoot enemies, and it’s all over within 60 seconds even at a slow pace. The crux of Neon White isn’t beating a level but working out the best routes for shaving off precious seconds for better medals, rewards, and the thrill of the execution.
This struggle for perfection ties in with the story. You play as an assassin from Hell called White, who is handpicked to compete against other demon slayers (who are all forced to wear animal masks) for a chance to live permanently in Heaven. Your progress through the competition is tied to a Neon ranking, which only increases when you earn gold medals or higher. This makes repeat runs through levels mandatory, requiring you to execute time-saving tricks or discover shortcuts which are easily overlooked on a first attempt.
Both your movement and attacks are tied to cards scattered within each level. Along with a sword that’s always in your arsenal, you pick up cards which represent other weapons like pistols, machineguns, and
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