Even with hardware able to effortlessly throw around countless detailed 2D sprites, it’s still easy to imagine making a visually spectacular run ‘n gunner is a tall order. To fulfil that quota, lengthy scrolling stages require rich and varied backdrops with minimal repetition. At the same time, backdrops can’t be too busy, or the risk is made of losing track of projectiles or distracting all-together. Often, the choice must be made to sacrifice visual prowess for more important clarity. What good is a run ‘n gunner if you can’t make out where all those bullets are coming from? The classics of yore understood this perfectly, whereas many of today’s modern retro games tend to put visuals first, spoilt by the lack of limitations.
Enter the cyberpunk shooter Neon Inferno, which proves you can have it all. It’s a dazzler in the graphics department, boasting some of the finest pixel art around and a smattering of modern effects such as shadows and lighting, while also featuring raging battles that see bullets swarm the screen like flying insects. Never does the experience feel unfair however, as bullets are brightly coloured, while large indicators highlight incoming threats. If ever in doubt, dodge – which grants invincibility for a couple of precious seconds.
Neon Inferno’s success lies with it focusing on just a few mechanics while stripping back on things usually considered genre staples. Our two protagonists – Angelo, dressed in red and black garb and adorned with a crucifix chain, and the blonde bombshell Mariana – have the same skill set, purely for the sake of simplicity. They can run and gun, duck and shoot, fire into the backdrops a la Wild Guns, and deflect green bullets using a sword – with this move having optional ‘bullet time’ to direct said bullets elsewhere. Fast paced vehicle sections feature too, in which it’s possible to switch lanes to avoid debris or to attack an enemy on a different plain.
After being taken back by the visuals – with the opening scene set within grimy neon-lit city streets, ready to take on corrupt cops and the lawless yakuza– the first thing you’ll likely notice is the absence of power-ups. No health top-ups, no extra weapons or grenades – nothing. Again, this is purely down to keeping things simple and focused. The default combo of a pistol and sword takes down enemies with ease and grace, deflecting single bullets into multiple foes. While comparing it to Capcom’s seminal Strider is off the mark, there is the need to be agile, dodging bullets, jumping over hazards, and hanging onto the underside of platforms (and chandeliers!) while shooting. It can even feel rhythmic, especially during boss battles.
Bosses do, of course, turn up at the end of each stage, complete with a few mini-bosses peppered throughout. Every boss has 5-6 attacks which they perform randomly, each of which can be avoided with a well-timed dodge, a double jump out of harm’s way, or by leaping into the background. A couple of bosses seem tough at first, but with practise can be defeated without taking a scratch. One way Neon Inferno teaches you to become more adept is that most boss battles have two stages, ergo two health bars. You’ll need to master the first fight to increase chances of surviving the second. So well balanced is the experience that I finished the vast majority of bosses with a single health point remaining. At the same time, I could also see how they could potentially be cleared without taking a hit, which plays into the rank chasing element – with the replay mode allowing to retry individual stages to increase your personal best.
You’re able to choose which stages to tackle initially, with a bar acting as a HQ. When the time comes to take on the head honcho pulling the strings, the ‘end game’ commences and things become linear. Within the final hour a spot of repetition surfaces, with some mini-bosses being reused – and so easily defeated that they feel like padding. The music also dips in quality as the street wars rage on, going from BGMs with female vocalists to more generic and ultimately forgettable scores. This isn’t too detrimental though, as each stage is loaded with neat and unique set-pieces, along with a few surprise moments such as a battle spilling into a crowded nightclub where it’s possible to notch up accidental civilian kills. Whoops.
The biggest flaw, if a push came to a shove, is that the in-game store is a bit of a copout. Secondary weapons are ridiculously expensive and once depleted, that’s your lot. Even the cheapest (a sword with wider swipes) costs a small fortune and has limited uses. I wasn’t able to experiment with every extra weapon, failing to accumulate enough cash. The homing shot does however provide a solution to any boss fight proving tricky, wiping them out with ease, so if you do hit a brickwall there is a workaround.
Indeed, Neon Inferno is well balanced overall. Each stage is different from the next, throwing you onto motorcycles and jet skis, and leaping from horizontal scrolling stages to obligatory elevator climbs, yet it constantly feels fair. Checkpoints are well spaced, and areas have just the right number of hazards and trickier moments. An arcade mode with a single life and four hit points is there for additional challenge once the 3 hour (approx.) story mode is complete, while the achievement list has a pleasing side-quest slant, seeing you try to keep non-corrupt police alive and other diversions based around replaying stages.
Neon Inferno isn’t a reinvention of the genre; more of a rejuvenation. It takes a bunch of ideas touched upon in the past and brings them up to date with lavish animations, excellent pixel art, and an unfalteringly brisk pace. It’s more nuanced features such as slow-mo bullet time are the icing on a cake you’ll want to gorge yourself on. Then, just when you think you’ve had enough, it’ll lure you back in for another slice.
Zenovia’s Neon Inferno is out now on all formats. Published by Retroware