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It stands to reason, then, that Neon White is going to be tricky for players to learn due to the lack of historic precedent. There should be no shame felt my making errors within the game. Especially when considering that the entire community is trying to figure out what to make of it.
10 Fear Of Discarding
Replaying the game as a veteran, it’s hilarious to remember the maps where discarding felt like the end of the world. Destroying a weapon for a slight jump? That seems sacrilegious! What if enemies pop up later and White is unarmed?
By the end of the game, discarding a weapon barely even registers; there is probably a better card right around the corner. Even the best weapons are disposable. If discarding a weapon means a slight shortcut, odds are, that’s the way it was meant to be.
9 Failure To Explore
The timer is something that is hard to ignore. it’s not even in the corner, it’s right there in the middle of the screen the entire time. Players wondering how long the game takes to beat often feel they can do it in half of the time if they just click buttons a bit faster.
But the speedrunners aren’t the ones slamming on the gas at all times. They dissect each level first and look at the locations of various opponents in different areas. Eventually, most players will understand this as they try to get Ace medals, but it takes time to realize it.
8 Repeating Tactics
This is one that hits home for most gamers. They’ll be off to their usual demon-slaying antics in the game and find that they are about three seconds away from an Ace medal. “So close!” they tell themselves. So after about five more runs, they trim half of a second off of their time.
Don’t do this. While some Ace medals are demanding, if the time is off by more than a second or two, it’s not about getting a cleaner run, it’s about finding a better path. “Clicking better” creates an unhealthy loop with doubtful results. Break the habit and try something else.
7 Over-Focusing On Close Enemies
See that opponent off in the distance there? Probably not. Most of the time, the map throws White into situations that need to be dealt with immediately. But they give him guns that can fire across the entire map. Logically speaking, those enemies are just as imperative as the ones nearby.
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Many maps have these distant foes that require diverting from the ideal path to take out. But by shooting them from across a chasm, gamers can take all the shortcuts without worrying about missing any demons at the end of the run.
6 Dodging Shots
White has three health at the start of each run. That doesn’t sound like very much. In a game like The Legend of Zelda, some alarm might start blaring, warning the player of impending doom by an unfortunate shot. But this is Neon White.
Health is only going to be relevant during boss fights. Taking damage shouldn’t even register on the radar. The instinct is understandable; thing gets fired, dodge out of the way. But it’s better to keep the time low and barrel through these insignificant projectiles.
5 Early Achievement Hunting
Who doesn’t see achievements pop up on screen and wonder how to get more of those? When gamers see a challenge, it’s natural they’d like to overcome it. That’s part of being a gamer to begin with. But hold off on the cavalry for a second.
Let go of the game’s initial anticipation and simple focus on the objectives. It’s tough enough to get good times and find hidden objects. Focus on that. All the missions are replayable, so if the achievement is worth getting, come back to it, don’t get hung up on it.
4 Messing Up The Turn-In Order
The RPG portion of Neon White is brief, but messing it up definitely impacts the experience. Ideally, players should collect all the gifts and get gold or better for each part of a mission. They come back, turn in their gifts, talk to everyone, collect their Heavenly Delights ticket, turn that in, and get back to the game.
That’s never really explained. The first time through, everyone is going to figure out gifts eventually, but it can be too late. The story can have a full breakdown with characters mentioning events a while ago as though they had just happened.
3 Picking Favorite (And Least Favorite) Characters
Gamers are going to love the cast of Neon White for all of their eccentricities. Players are used to describing the ensemble as “good guys” or “bad guys.” That’s a bit too simple for this game. There are villains to remain villains and heroes that stay (somewhat) heroic.
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But it’s all there with a healthy pinch of salt. Some of the villains are sympathetic. Some of the “good guys” are heavily toxic. Let the story tell itself without getting too much hate or love invested in a single character.
2 Moving On With The Intent To Come Back Later
There are a few problems with moving on with coming back later, though everybody thinks it’s a wise idea. Not only can it be too late to complete some of these objectives after a certain point, but there is a more mechanical issue at play.
After butting heads with a map for some time, players will get familiar with it. When they move on, they will lose that familiarity and need to re-learn when they come back. It’s frustrating, sure, but it’s better to claim a long victory than to have these defeats hanging around.
1 Start The End Mission Too Soon
Those looking for a happy ending will need to turn in all of their gifts first. All of them from every map. And there’s no do-over for collecting them later. Sure, the boxes will check and give credit, but the superior finale will require a brand new playthrough.
Most players make this mistake. Maybe it’s an incentive to get gamers to do the entire game over again with this knowledge. No matter the motivation, gamers should know that it’s best to hold off on that final mission until everything else is wrapped up.
Neon White is available now for PC and Nintendo Switch.
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