Developer: Zenovia Interactive Publisher: Retroware Release: 11/20/25 Genre: Action
Also on: Xbox Series, PS5, Nintendo Switch
It has been interesting to see how indie developers have evolved so many classic genres. Platformers and especially Metroidvania are now oversaturated but I do not are when the quality is so high. Even beat em ups, which had fallen out of favor for so long, is experiencing its time in the sun. But the tried and true run and gun action game is a bit underserved. Neon Inferno blends Contra style action with Wild Guns style third person action. It is an interesting mix and one that buckles a bit by trying to do too much. However overall they nail it in so many categories that it remains great.
Thirty years in the future New York City is at war. Multiple criminal organizations control most of its boroughs and the corrupt NYPD is barely any better. Amidst this chaos a new crime family moves behind the scenes to secure their place. As one of its two enforcers you will be the one to tip the scales in the family’s favor.
Neon Inferno is a 2D side-scrolling run-and-gun game with a twist: it blends foreground shooter action with “gallery-shooter / background-aiming” mechanics like Dick Tracy on the Genesis. In practice, you fight enemies in the main plane and enemies in the background and sometimes even the foreground. By holding a shoulder button you can switch your aim on the fly. The process is smooth and generally the game does a good job distinguishing the two and eases you in to the mechanic. Before long however Neon Inferno will ask a lot of you as a player, presenting scenarios where you deal with both simultaneously which lends the game its unique flavor.
Once you adjust to action on multiple planes Neon Inferno is otherwise a classic run and gun with a few extra mechanics. You can dodge roll to avoid damage but most importantly you can parry bullets. Green projectiles can be deflected back where they came from. But if you hold down the parry button you enter bullet time. Here you have a few seconds to redirect bullets anywhere on screen, even in to the background. Returning shots increases their damage significantly and probably one of the most important skills to master. This is key to making the grueling boss battles that much shorter.
Neon Inferno is big on spectacle and providing a variety of thrilling scenarios to keep players engaged. The best way to describe the level design is dynamic. Rarely does the game stick to one gameplay dynamic. One minute you are engaged in a shooting gallery in a fortified penthouse before chasing your target through a Nightclub and trying to avoid civilian casualties. Surprisingly the eventual boss battle is the least thrilling part of the level and that is only one stage. Later missions will see you jumping from one hover car to the next while battling cops in the foreground and background and piloting a high tech jet ski to break in to a prison. No two levels are the same and that variety is the game’s greatest strength. They do such an excellent job of blending platforming, shooting gallery combat and vehicle chase stages that it seems natural.
As much as I appreciate the game’s combination of different genres it is not perfect. The dual-plane design, while unique, frequently leads to screen clutter. I can think of several chaotic moments where shots come from everywhere with enemies in the background, main plane and the foreground. The game does its best to telegraph attacks as you can see where bullets will land and can dodge. But it is very easy to get lost as the screen gets “busy”. In sections requiring platforming + background targeting + dodging, the game sometimes feels more frustrating than fun. If they were to dial back some of the more egregious scenarios this game would be a near classic.
If there is one area I am truly disappointed in it would be the power-up system. There are no weapon or item drops during levels. They grade your performance with certain actions deducting from the cash you receive overall. You spend this cash at the shop between levels. The selection is not large but most importantly these weapons are only temporary. They only last one level and have limited ammo. Once you activate a special weapon you must exhaust its ammo before you can switch back to the default pistol. In a genre that prides itself on providing cool weapons to players this system is both odd and lame. Luckily the default pistol is more than effective but this would be so much better if it were traditional.
With its multiple difficulty settings Neon Inferno aims to be accessible. Even on the normal setting this is a difficult game. There are no lives or even health power-ups. Once you enter a level that is it. The game is more than generous with its checkpoints which cuts down on repetition. The game is definitely chaotic and the final few levels suffer heavily from screen clutter. But it remains more than doable. As you learn enemy placement and behavior you begin to min/max to complete each section unscathed. The first run through each level I suffered many deaths. But I was easily able to restart the stage altogether and finish it in one run which is the intent. If they dialed it back a bit in certain segments the curve would feel smoother. For the true savants the Arcade Mode provides the ultimate challenge: 1 life, no credits. Good luck.
In Closing
Neon Inferno delivers a fresh and stylish take on the retro shooter. Visually striking and smartly built for both modern and nostalgic players Neon Inferno is one hell of a ride. It is not perfect (some design rough edges, limited depth), but nails what it aims to be. What is that? A neon-soaked, bullet-riddled, cyber-punk run-and-gun adventure that hits the mark strongly.
