‘Neon Inferno’ Oozes ‘90s Cool, and May Be One of the Most Gorgeous Pixel Art Games I’ve Played (Demo Impressions)

Pixel art. When it’s done right, it’s one of the greatest art styles that indie developers can use for their projects. There are a lot of pixel art games out on the market, but very few that look as genuinely stunning as Neon Inferno does. A mix of Contra, Metal Slug, and Cyberpunk 2077, Neon Inferno is fast, furious, and just gorgeous to see in motion. Fantastic lighting, great game feel, and an electric soundtrack make this one that I’ll be keeping an eye on for the foreseeable future. I didn’t expect one of my favorite Steam Next Fest demos to be a run & gun shooter, but here we are. Neon Inferno feels like the culmination of arcade glory and modern visual art. It’s beautiful.

The Lighting, the Shooting, Everything About ‘Neon Inferno’ Just Oozes Style and Substance

Neon Inferno immediately gives Blade Runner vibes from the moment I started the game. The cybernetic backgrounds, plenty of blue and pink lighting. It’s just gorgeous from the moment it’s booted up. Thankfully, it’s not style over substance here, as Neon Inferno was quick to throw me into some of the best-feeling action I’ve experienced in quite a while. Running and gunning, as expected, feel great. But the mixture of foreground and background shooting, all masterfully handled by the team at Zenovia Interactive, has me incredibly excited about this one. No matter the difficulty option I selected, I felt like death was just a shot away. Enemies here are relentless, and I always needed to be on my toes to avoid certain death.

But where Neon Inferno really shines is the boss battle at the end of the level. A massive truck, equipped with lasers and missiles, pulls up beside me. I’m riding at breakneck speeds on a motorcycle. Blasting enemies while trying to take down a Yakuza boss who’s packing a laser weapon. Drones start filling up the screen, and suddenly, the truck gets absolutely demolished. Now, it’s a one-on-one for the ages, as I frantically blast this boss and hope that he doesn’t send me to the shadow realm.

Neon Inferno would have been the coolest game at the arcade when I was younger. But I’m glad to say that its blend of side-scrolling action and shooting feels perfect on a computer screen. Multiple characters, four selectable difficulties, and plenty of replayability. Neon Inferno is a hell of a game. One that I would encourage you to check out as soon as possible. You won’t be disappointed.