Neon Inferno

Genre: Action-Platformer

Players: 1-2 Co-Op (Local)

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Review:

Neon Inferno is an Action-Platformer released in 2025 on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch. Set in a futuristic cyberpunk-style New York City where organized crime fights against corrupt militarized cops, players take the role of one of a pair of assassins working for The Family, taking out hits on prominent members of rival gangs

The presentation uses a 2D pixel art style absolutely dripping with gorgeous detail in every part of the screen, with tons of personality, fluid animation, nice lighting effects. This is backed by a solid soundtrack with a lot of rock, metal, and electronica-style themes, some pretty catchy, like Fatal Overture and The Last One Kills, with other mood-setting pieces that seem directly inspired by Vangelis’ soundtrack from Blade Runner, like Pavilion Hotel.

The gameplay here is quite excellent too, blending standard Action-Platformer gameplay with interaction with a background that has players swapping between standard attacks and background-targeting attacks that make the game a bit like classic Arcade-style character-based Shooting Gallery games like Wild Guns. What’s more, there’s a deflect mechanic that adds depth to combat, though much like Cuphead, this only works with enemy fire of the right color (in this case, green).

When it comes to complaints, I wish that firing at the background didn’t root you in place, making you a sitting duck for enemies. There’s also a secondary weapon-buying mechanic that’s not very helpful since these weapons’ uses are finite.

However, overall I was surprised and delighted by Neon Inferno. This is a game that channels the spirit of classic Action-Platformers while making clever additions and evolutions to the formula that make it a blast to play, with a presentation that makes it a feast for the eyes and ears. If you long for classic arcade-style action of bygone eras, you’ll definitely want to give Neon Inferno a try.

tl;dr – Neon Inferno is an Action-Platformer set in a cyberpunk-style New York City where players take the role of contract assassins working for The Family, taking out threats from enemy gangs. This game combines classic arcade-style Action-Platformer gameplay with Shooting Gallery fighting with a background layer and a counter system to make for some excellent action, and the gorgeous presentation oozing detail out of every pixel art pore is superb. If you’re looking for a great modern action game that evokes a bygone era of gaming, you definitely want to give this one a look.

Grade: B+

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