Neon White made me into a speedrunning aficionado

It is my opinion Neon whiteI have become a sicko. Before picking up the first-person shooter, I never really cared about getting good times, or “gitting gud,” beyond the occasional desire to get a platinum trophy or 100% a game. My time was more valuable in games that I could complete and collect quests than it was to become an expert player. But now, I’m completely entranced by Neon white’s relentless velocity, and I’m splitting hairs over how I jump or where I sprint just to whittle down my completion times by milliseconds.

Neon white, you play as a class of lesser citizens in heaven, known in their world as “Neons.” Neons are sinners from a previous life that are now employed by angels to fight off demons laying siege to heaven. The missions are made up of tasks that you must complete. You also get cards with special abilities, such as a jump, dash or a stomp. You must kill every demon to complete the job and get to the finish line in the fastest time possible. Based on the speed you finish each level, you will receive a Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Ace Medal.

Image: Angel Matrix/Annapurna Interactive

Going in, I didn’t plan to strive for all the Ace medals, but the game “tricks” you into retrying levels by locking game progression behind a rank system that requires you to amass sufficient gold and Ace medals. After a while, though, I realized that I wasn’t just repeating levels for additional medals, but for the mere joy of hurtling through these compelling arenas again and again. One time, I was within 10 milliseconds from the record. It has been done three times, and I wasn’t even upset. (The game also has leaderboards marking your and your friends’ times, which is a nice little cherry on top.)

Even though you are a sinner playing it, the game makes you feel godlike. There’s so little friction in jumping between levels, and even less frustration in Neon white’s jumping, dashing, and shooting. Although levels rarely last more than one minute, it feels like it takes a long time. Neon white time. Some levels may also have a secret path that’s not immediately obvious. You can reveal this hidden pathway by using a toggled hint or glowing guide. It is easy to restart levels on Windows PC by pressing two buttons. Neon whiteThis makes trying to make it work again a breeze, so that I can concentrate on the thrilling moments.

But it’s more than these practical elements — what Neon whiteSpeedrunning is a joy that captures and then recaptures. Each level encourages me to think creatively about the space ahead — Maybe I could jump with a bomb to get me over the line instead of running — and to practice moving through it, over and over, until I build up the muscle memory to do it semi-automatically. It’s like the satisfaction of defeating a boss in Elden RingHowever, it is for those with shorter attention spans or patience.

The developers use the term “Developers” in their marketing. Neon white a game for “freaks.” This feels like a fair statement given the game’s punk characters and dreamlike environments. Based on my experience, however, this statement might be slightly modified: The game will awaken the wild side of you. I never saw myself as the kind of obsessive player who would pore over a game’s levels just to alter a jump enough to shave off a few milliseconds, but here I am.