Zenovia Interactive’s cyberpunk action shooter Neon Inferno is finally here and, after giving it a spin, my initial thought is that it’s imperfect, but it might be one of the most beautiful sprite-based games I’ve ever played.

Neon Inferno is a challenging, exhilarating 2-D shooter with high-octane action, a gripping story about the underbelly of a post-apocalyptic New York City, and an awesome neo-noir cyberpunk aesthetic that pairs perfectly with its late-90s graphical style.

Neon Inferno first burst onto my radar over the summer, when I had the opportunity to check out the demo. The full game offers more of the same and, if you’re a fan of 32-bit action shooters like Contra, Wild Guns, Metal Slug, Sunset Riders, and others like it, you’ll be right at home.

Story

Neon Inferno takes place in 2055, smack dab in the middle of a New York City that is the battleground of a war between four crime syndicate families and the corrupt NYPD. You play as either Angelo or Mariana, professional assassins who work for “The Don,” a mysterious figure atop The Family who has plenty of work for our heroes.

Throughout Neon Inferno, you’ll complete missions for The Don like assassinating targets, cleaning up loose ends, or providing backup for fellow Family members. You’ll explore all of what future NYC has to handle, from jumping over rooftops, to riding futuristic jet skis on filthy brown water, to traversing the catwalks of an opera house, and more.

Graphics

I cannot stress enough just how beautiful this game is. It’s not hyperbole when I say it might be one of, if not the best-looking sprite game I’ve ever played. It’s not just that the characters, vehicles, and environments look gorgeous — it’s that the game runs beautifully on top of it all.

Characters flow elegantly when performing anything from tactical rolls to death animations. The bustling cityscapes in the background transport you into the future.

Gameplay

Gameplay isn’t overly complex and should feel familiar to those familiar with the run-n’-gun genre. The assassins can shoot their gun, use their knife, dodge, and shoot into the background/foreground, depending on their position on the screen. During vehicle segments, you can also shift your position from the foreground to the background and vice versa.

The melee ability can also deflect certain bullets back at the enemy firing them. When you hold down the melee button while deflecting, you can enter what the game calls “Bullet Time,” where you can aim the projectiles at different enemies or launch them into the background.

This is unfortunately where the cracks in Neon Inferno’s armor begin to appear. For a game that requires precision, sometimes my inputs wouldn’t register, causing me to take unnecessary damage. I noticed this mostly when trying to melee while I was firing or shooting into the background after jumping. Granted, these could probably be bugs that will be patched out when the game releases, but it’s something to look out for.

Also, this game is punishing. Everything deals damage to you, even things that normally wouldn’t in other games. Projectiles from defeated enemies still deal damage. Any environmental hazards still deal damage after you clear boss battles. If you die during the boss victory screen, you will have to fight the boss again. You could convince me either way that these were oversights or intended mechanics – but no matter that, they’re present and need to be acknowledged.

Between missions, Angelo and Mariana can buy weapon upgrades. In my experience, the shop offers one game-breaking item, a homing attack that tracks enemies in the foreground and background, and a bunch of other mediocre items. Save your cash for the homing attack and skip the others.

The game offers a story mode, where you can save between missions and exit, as well as an arcade mode, where you’re challenged to get as far as possible on one credit. All in all, the game took me just under three hours to clear, with continues and dabbling in the arcade mode and whatnot.

Audio

The game’s soundtrack features a booming synthwave collection of songs that wouldn’t be too out of place in a John Wick film. I really enjoyed how the music synced up well with the action on the screen.

Like many arcade games, the enemy death noises are memorable and gave me a chuckle when I heard them. Make sure to listen closely when you defeat an enemy in a mech suit and see the pilot burst out in flames — it’s a good laugh.

The Verdict – 4/5

Neon Inferno made me nostalgic for a genre I never played much of growing up. Its vintage run-‘n’-gun gameplay coupled with its gorgeous spritework provided me with a short but enjoyable run.

The bugs I encountered were likely due to the game’s pre-release status and could be patched out by the time you play it, but be advised that sometimes the controls might not be as tight as you need them to be.

That being said, the game will be an absolute blast for fans of the run-‘n’-gun genre as well as fans of high-octane, arcade games and beautiful sprite art.

Neon Inferno releases on Nov. 19 for PC. The game is available for pre-order or purchase on Steam.