Neon Chrome

Mixing things up a little could have worked wonders, but as it is, playing Neon Chrome is an exercise in tedium occasionally broken up by the odd exciting moment. The progression system amounts to little more than slowly increasing numbers next to things like 'health' and 'damage', and contradictory design choices mean that despite options being made available to you, the best option is almost always the same one. Ultimately, Neon Chrome is a game that wants you to keep coming back for more, but one that offers few reasons to actually do so.

When all is said and done, when the glow of the stylish aesthetic and the intrigue of the Cyberpunk Orwellian narrative have fizzled out, Neon Chrome emerges as an average, sometimes fun but more often than not generic twin-stick rogue-like with a Sci-Fi coat of paint; it rarely lives up to its explosive promise or explores its thematic potential in any meaningful way. It could be argued that the genre is solely about the mechanics, but with a neglected back story failing to compliment the reasonable if hardly revolutionary gameplay, it's difficult not to feel a little flat about the experience on offer.

Neon Chrome is an admirable blend of genres that provides a stiff challenge and potentially massive amounts of playing time. There a feeling of repetition to be found for sure and the need to die, die, and die again won't be for everyone. Those with the mettle though, will find a fun and enjoyable shooter that has the potential to be both strangely compelling and unrelentingly addictive.

While most of this review is spent talking about what went wrong, there is a certain type of gamer who will enjoy Neon Chrome.

Neon Chrome is a fun twin-stick shooter that has a rewarding upgrade feature and a good visual aesthetic. The controls feel tight, even if they do take some getting used to, and the procedural environments, enemy placements, and character selection, all ensure that each playthrough feels fresh. The visual setting from level to level could do with a bit more distinction as each level is based in the same type of office floor, but this is a minor gripe. Overall, there is a lot of game-time to be had within Neon Chrome, and those looking for a twin-stick shooter on the Nintendo Switch should certainly take note.

Neon Chrome's roguelike qualities combined with shoot'em up gameplay mechanics contribute to make this an interesting game that makes the players change their tactics with every level and which presents an immense amount of weapons and upgrades. However, it also feels like it doesn't quite fulfill its potential, as its plot remains stale throughout the game and the audiovisual component doesn't show anything worthy of praise.

In a nutshell, Neon Chrome does set out what it aims to do by giving you a decent top-down shooter that is fulfilling enough to play through at least once. The randomised level layout keeps the action diverse and can drive some to keep playing a long time after you first see the credits roll. It may look very low budget in presentation but what it lacks in visuals, it makes up for in atmosphere.

Neon Chrome is a brilliant title that has plenty of content packed into it with well-designed gameplay mechanics at work to give players a solid title. Though playing in docked mode has a number of minor issues that can be overlooked, the game is a blast to play in handheld mode. If you are looking for an engaging and challenging title you and pick up and play on the go then look no further than Neon Chrome.

It's not an original game by any means, though it also doesn't do anything wrong. I'd be surprised if this game was still finding new fans at this stage, but it's not a bad one to have on the Nintendo Switch for playing on the go either.

Neon Chrome's environmental destruction and bright, cyberpunk colors do a lot to help it stand out from a crowd of dark and dreary rogue-likes.  Giving players a sense of progression helps motivate you to play through multiple rounds, and the procedurally generated levels mean you are always doing your best to scout ahead and make a plan for the next room, whether that be taking out a few walls or running in guns blazing.