Neon White: Awesome Things You Didn't Know You Could Do

Neon White is the latest game from Annapurna Interactive and Ben Esposito, and it features a unique blend of hack-and-slash, first-person combat, fast-paced movement, and visual-novel style narrative delivery. Each of these gameplay elements comes together to create a gaming experience that's far greater than the sum of its parts.

The bulk of Neon White's gameplay focuses on taking out demons and clearing levels as quickly as possible, but that's not all that the game has to offer. There are plenty of awesome things players can do in Neon White that aren't immediately evident, some of which require a little extra work to discover.

8 Unlock Level Hints

lots of white buildings with foliage scattered throughout. a thing bridge extends over a gap on the right, and in midair on the left is a floating, orange hand with a hole in the middle. At the bottom of the screen is a blue card with the word Godspeed on it, and in the bottom left is a picture of neon white, a man with dark hair, a demon mask, and a white coat.

Each of Neon White's levels plays out like an intricate speed puzzle, challenging players to master the run-and-gun mechanics and reach the finish line as quickly as possible. There's always a direct path through the level that offers a smooth ride from start to finish, but this path isn't the only way to reach each level's goal.

After reaching a certain insight rank within each level, players can unlock hints for that level that place markers at specific points along the path. When players jump into these markers, they'll illuminate a potential shortcut that can be used to shave precious seconds off their completion time.

7 Explore Levels

a series of buildings with vaguely roman architecture all built over an endless sea of reflective water. two tall pillars sit next to a lower building with a pointed roof. at the bottom right of the screen is a yellow card with the word elevate on it, and next to that card is a purple one with the word Purify. in the bottom left corner is a picture of a dark haired man in a demon mask, white coat, and black tie. In the top right are the words 4 Demons

Neon White is a game all about speed, and finishing each level in the shortest amount of time is quickly turning into a point of pride for many gamers. If the game's focus on speed-running wasn't clear enough, the constantly ticking timer in the middle of the screen is an ever-present reminder that players are always on the clock while inside a level.

However, this timer is always counting upward, not down, which means players can conceivably take as much or as little time as they like within each level. With that in mind, players can take their time to really explore every corner, something Neon White encourages by hiding a collectible somewhere in each level.

6 Character Specific Side Quests

a dreary, red landscape with a stone archway ahead. in the foreground is yellow card with a handgun on it and word elevate underneath. to the left of this card is another, greyed out card with a katana on it. in the left corner of the image is a man with dark hair in a demon mask wearing a white coat with a black tie

The other side of Neon White's gameplay is a visual-novel style relationship sim that provides more insight into each character's personality and the journey they've taken to reach this place. Special gifts hidden throughout the game's levels can be given to different characters to unlock new dialogue, memories, and even side quests that offer new and refreshing challenges.

These side quests are tied to the character they belong to and feature fiendish layouts designed to symbolize that character's personality. Neon Red's side quests are all traversal-based, Neon Violet's are filled with traps and dangerous obstacles, and Neon Yellow's lock discard abilities in favor of all-out offense.

5 Kill Demons With Abilities

a shadowy, blue, skeletal monster with horns takes up most of the frame. Dash lines appear at the edges of the screen indicating the player is moving quickly toward this creature. in the bottom left corner is a picture of a man with black hair wearing a demon mask, a white coat, and a black tie

Getting a fast time in each level takes careful planning and mastery of every available Soul Card. This means not only learning how to best use each of the weapons in a given level, but also how to best utilize each Soul Card's discard ability. While some, like the Elevate card, offer a simple ability like an extra jump, others can be far more potent.

Certain cards, like Godspeed and Stomp, will send the player flying forward or straight at the ground, and the resulting motion will destroy any demons that happen to be in the way. These abilities aren't always necessary to complete a level, but using them properly is the only way to acquire those coveted Ace medals.

4 Decorate White's Room

an ornate bedroom with columns covered in ivy surrounding a bed with red sheets and several pillows of various sizes at its head. to the right of the bed are three shelves on the wall. in the top left corner are the words "white's room" followed by "White's journal" highlight in blue. in the top right corner is a 1 in a hexagonal border

The relationship development side of Neon White offers an interesting array of rewards for players who are dedicated to seeing everything the game has to offer. Giving gifts to White's fellow Neons will unlock new dialogue options, side quests, and memories of their life on earth, but giving gifts to the angel inhabitants of Heaven will unlock an entirely different type of reward.

Raz and Mikey are the two other characters White can give gifts to, and while they also have unlockable dialogue, they will also give White tangible gifts after he reaches certain milestones in their relationship. When not out on a mission, players can see these gifts in White's room on the shelf next to his bed.

3 Compete For Global Ranks

a completion screen that shows neon white, a dark-haired man in a white suit and demon mask, next to a light blue medallion and the words Level Complete with a completion time in green text below. to the right is more text indicating unlocks for the level and at the bottom is an orange hand with an eye in the middle over a meter that says Insight

As with any great, speed-running game, Neon White has a set of global leaderboards for players to unlock by reaching a certain insight rank within each level. These leaderboards allow players to see how their completion time in a level stacks up against those of other players, adding a competitive meta that already has players scrambling for the best times.

The only way to access these global leaderboards, though, is to reach max insight for that level, which can be done by earning an Ace medal or getting several gold-medal completion times. Once unlocked, however, players become permanent members of a global, speed-running, demon-slaying community.

2 Shoot Enemy Projectiles

a shadowy figure sits on a pedestal a short way away from the player. a purple energy ball is flying in the player's direction, but a bullet leaving a purple trail is flying toward the energy ball. on the bottom right side of the screen is a purple card with the name Purify on it. In the bottom left corner is a picture of a dark-haired man in a demon mask, white coat, and black tie.

As players make their through the different missions that make up each episode of Neon White, they'll encounter new, more powerful demons that utilize different, projectile attacks. Any of these attacks can damage White, but there's a pretty simple way to avoid getting hit without having to move out of the way.

Most enemy projectiles can actually be destroyed simply by shooting them with one of White's weapons. This can be an especially useful technique when moving quickly toward an enemy or when trying to figure out the fastest path through a level, as it allows players to maintain momentum without having to worry about repositioning.

1 Unlock A Secret Ending

Neon White has an intense story that follows the titular White as he struggles with his newfound role as a demonic assassin, his amnesia regarding his life on Earth, and the people from this past life that he's now encountering in Heaven. It all culminates in a final battle that will decide the fate of the entire universe.

After that battle concludes, players are given a choice regarding the fate of a specific character, and their choice will determine which ending they get. However, the secret ending can only be unlocked by accessing all the memories White shares with his fellow Neons, which in turn are unlocked by playing into the game's visual novel elements to form strong bonds with the other Neons.

Neon White is available now for Nintendo Switch and PC via Steam.

MORE: Neon White: How Long To Beat & How Many Levels