The upcoming side-scrolling shooter Neon Inferno may take place in the not-so-distant future, but it aims to update one of gaming’s classic genres for the modern day.
2D run-and-gun shooters were staples of 80’s and 90’s gaming, with such classics as Contra, Metal Slug, Jazz Jackrabbit, and Turrican being not only some of the greatest in the genre, but some of the best gaming titles of their generation.
With the rise of 3D gaming in the late nineties, the dominance of the run-and-gun shooter faded in favor of the first-person shooter, but it never completely died out, as modern masterpieces such as Cuphead, Mighty Goose, and Probo Rush have still managed to captivate gamers today.
Few have been as ambitious as developer Zenovia Interactive’s Neon Inferno, however, which elements from the genre’s absolute best games and weaves them into one stylish, high octane, futuristic adventure.
Gameplay
Published by Retroware, players take control of either Angelo Morano or Mariana Vitti, two assassins for the notorious crime syndicate “The Family,” as they track down targets in the neon soaked streets of 2055 New York City in exhilarating 2D side-scrolling co-op action.
Neon Inferno ups the ante of the standard run-and-gun shooter with incredible gameplay enhancements that keep the game feeling fresh and frantic all the way through.
In addition to your typical pistol firearm, players can acquire upgrades to make blasting away goons a breeze, such as a tri-shot and homing bullets. A melee attack in the form of a cybernetic blade can also be utilized to quickly end foes who dare to get up close.
Players may feel overwhelmed with the amount of bullets flying by, but they have loads of defensive abilities in their repertoire to help them make it to the end. A double jump makes platforming and avoiding obstacles a cinch, and a dodge roll aids you when staying on the ground is your only option.
One of the game’s most useful features is the ability to deflect bullets. At the press of a button (Y on the XBox controller provided for the demo), the player can swipe at bullets and explosives, sending them careening back from whence they came. Holding down the deflect button will allow you to enter a bullet time mode, where you can carefully choose the direction you want these to go, nailing enemies from anywhere on the screen. Watch out, though, as only green projectiles can be deflected, as the flickering red-and-blue ones will still cause you harm.
Lastly, the action doesn’t just stay on one plane in Neon Inferno, as gamers will have to contend with enemies in the background as well. By holding down one of the buttons (LB for the demo), characters will remain still and shift their attention towards the background, and moving the joystick or d-pad will direct their aiming reticle around the environment. This handles very similarly to the outstanding Wild Guns game from 1994.
Neon Inferno is also incredibly accessible for gamers, which is great considering how challenging the genre can be. Difficulty ranges from beginner friendly to the uber tough “Arcade” setting, which challenges players to complete the game with a single life. On the normal difficulty, I could sustain 5 hits before facing death, with the option to continue from several in-level checkpoints.
Hands-On Impressions
For my hands-on experience, I chose the female character Mariana, largely because I dug her design the most; speaking afterwards with my player two, we determined both characters control exactly the same.
Together with my partner, we laid waste to dozens of gang members through the snowy streets of futuristic NYC. I frequently parried green projectiles coming our way, while he would carefully close the distance on an enemy in slow motion, finishing them with a knife thrust or a blast to the face just before time returned to normal.
At various points we would be ambushed by foes in both the foreground and background. In these cases, one of us would focus on eliminating groups on one plane, while the other sought to defend our partner from more imminent threats. We naturally took turns doing this, and it made me feel like we were a coordinated team despite only meeting literally minutes before.
After a mid-stage boss battle against a thug with a Samus-esque canon for an arm, we jacked a motorcycle and continued our pursuit of the target on the bustling highway. During this phase of the level, I took control of the bike, weaving between two lanes of traffic, avoid civilian cars and enemy bikers. My partner riding on behind could then focus on shooting any baddies as they came upon us, though nothing prevented me from firing my own gun when it became necessary.
Soon enough, a massive aircraft began flying parallel to the road, and we had to dismantle its turrets and send the vessel crashing to the pavement. Our target emerged from the flames, still alive, and sporting a jetpack to boot. We ditched our ride, and jumped across the burning debris. It was here we met our first death, but we were able to resume right at the start of the aircraft battle. After a second attempt, and successfully dodging his explosives and blasting him from the air, our target went down. My heart thumping, I wanted more. Alas, the demo was over.
If the rest of Neon Inferno plays like the demo’s first stage, then players are in for a hell of a ride when the game finally releases later this year. Currently the game is only confirmed for Steam. Eager fans can wishlist the game now.
Source: Zenovia Interactive, PAX East 2025
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