Neon White's Kaizo Levels Rule
Like the fanged mask covering its hero's face, Neon White looks significantly more dangerous than it actually is. The omnipresence of a timer above this first-person shooter/platformer's action heavily encourages attempts at speedrunning. Add in that it slots your time in alongside other players' times from around the world on a global leaderboard, and it really feels like the game should be more difficult to pick up and play than it actually is.
As YouTube video essayist Jacob Geller noted on the most recent episode of The MinnMax Show, Neon White — when taken in as a whole — appears more complex than it is. If you watch a friend play over their shoulder, you might be overwhelmed because making it from the beginning of a level to the end involves a twisty combination of running, jumping, double-jumping, and shooting, all while managing the deck of cards containing your available arsenal at the bottom of the screen. When I say the phrase "deck-based FPS" you might instantly feel stressed out at the perfect dexterity it sounds like you would need to enjoy the game, let alone conquer it.
RELATED: Neon White Review: Saucy Speedrunning
Despite its initial complexity, Neon White is easy to come to grips with on a mechanic by mechanic basis. The lightning-fast traversal is intuitive and rarely requires that you make precise landings on precarious platforms. The shooting is responsive and the hitboxes around enemies are forgivingly big. And, as long as you finish the level (score be damned), you can move on to the next one. Like Celeste before it, Neon White's hardcore bark is worse than its bite.
Most of the time, that is. In Neon White you play as a sinner brought to Heaven after death to take part in a competition to see
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