Neon Inferno [REVIEW] – Slick and Neon-Soaked Old-School Action

It’s funny, when I first started playing Neon Inferno, I just planned to quickly check it out ahead of getting a review together. Instead? Its retro-vibes, glowing cyberpunk aesthetic, and slick action grabbed me immediately, hooking me in as I bobbed and weaved my way through bullet storms to multiple completions in one play session. Yeah, it’s pretty damn good.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Set in a grimy and corrupt New York City in 2055, the premise of Neon Inferno is simple: crime has overtaken the streets, the cops are crooked, the gangs are running wild, and it’s up to two of The Family’s top enforcers – Angelo Morano and Mariana Vitti – to clean things up. It’s not the kind of narrative that would make your jaw drop (and if you played any similar title from the late 80s/early 90s you’ll sense the familiarity), but its stylish cutscenes and attitude-soaked presentation keep the momentum going throughout.

At its core, Neon Inferno is a 2D run-and-gun shooter that gets all of the basics right: shooting is snappy, movement is responsive, and the pacing rarely ever dips. It’s something we see a lot of in modern releases trying to give players that nostalgic run-and-gun fix, but it also has an immediate sense of quality that ensures the core gameplay loop will keep players enthralled. And the coolest thing? You can bring along a second player for couch co-op, adding to the chaotic charm and making the experience all the more fun.

What helps set Neon Inferno apart from the other similar shooters is how much it layers onto that classic foundation without overcomplicating things. Take the blade move, for example – lots of shooters give you a melee attack, sure, but Neon Inferno’s allows you to parry projectiles and launch them right back at enemies. It’s easy to learn and satisfying to pull off, with it giving players a stylish trick that rewards those who rely on more than just button-mashing alone.

“Neon Inferno delivers exactly what it sets out to: a stylish, frantic, and super satisfying throwback to the run-and-gunners of the older days that’s more than just another nostalgia trip.”

The gallery-shooting mechanic makes general gunplay more interesting too, with enemies often attacking from the background to keep players on their toes – fortunately, you’re able to lock in place and aim at threats beyond the normal 2D plane too, turning fights into multi-tasking madness as you watch for enemies from all directions and perspectives. It’s absolutely frantic, but with things like destructible cover also another dynamic to the shootouts, it all plays into the action perfectly. It really clicks together perfectly, and makes for an experience that’s chaotic, but in all the right ways.

Enemy variety helps keep things fresh too, with unpredictable foes that bring with them a multitude of different attack types that force you to adapt to each scenario. Whether they’re raining down upon you with bullets, crashing at you with physical attacks from unexpected angles, or it’s a boss showdown where the multi-phase patters unexpected change things up mid-gunfight, Neon Inferno always keeps things varied and exciting. The vehicle stages deserve a shout too, because they genuinely shake things up in a fun way. Jumping onto a motorcycle and weaving between traffic while blasting enemies turns the action into a more controlled chaos, forcing you to swap lanes and react quickly to avoid becoming scrap metal yourself. Sure, they’re short diversions,  but they pack some punch and do a great job of breaking up the more traditional on-foot gunfights without feeling like throwaway gimmicks.

Between missions, money earned from your performance can be spent on temporary guns or gear, giving you a bit of an advantage in the next mission. It’s a simple but effective system, but if I’m being honest, the in-game economy isn’t perfectly balanced right now, so I didn’t get too invested in it. Maybe if I was trying my luck at the higher difficulty levels (something which scares me) or chasing high scores it’d be different, but as it stands, I do think it could’ve done with a few more refinements just to add to its appeal.

Check out some screenshots down below:

Visually, Neon Inferno is bloody beautiful, with the pixel art chunky and expressive, the environments drenched in a gorgeous neon aesthetic, and the explosions are loud and messy (and I mean that in the best possible way). The slick character art helps give everything personality, and the bumping soundtrack fits the atmosphere perfectly. Sure, the screen can get VERY busy at times, but when everything looks this damn good, it’s hard to complain too much.

It is worth noting that the game can be tough as nails, especially on higher difficulties where your skills are really put to the test. Part of that challenge comes from the complete lack of health pickups during missions, so every mistake sticks with you until the next checkpoint. When the screen is packed with bullets and enemies are piling on at you from all angles, that absence of mid-stage healing can feel brutal, especially if you’re not used to old-school punishment. The game clearly wants you to learn patterns, sharpen your reactions, and keep pushing, but its unforgiving nature may put off players looking for something more relaxed. The saving grace is that a full playthrough is fairly short – roughly an hour – so retrying stages never feels like a massive slog… you just need the patience and perseverance to deal with the challenge.

Developer: Zenovia
Publisher: Retroware
Platform(s): PC (Reviewed), PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
Website: https://store.steampowered.com/app/2957720/Neon_Inferno/