Neon Inferno Review: Run, Gun, Parry, Repeat
As a fan of Retroware games, I have been excited about Neon Inferno ever since we covered it in our preview earlier this year, and now that the full game has arrived I can happily say that excitement feels justified. Neon Inferno is an explosive showcase of what modern retro-action can be when a team fully commits to retro chaos and pure style.
Developed by Zenovia Interactive and published by Retroware, this cyberpunk run and gun adventure challenges your reflexes, your situational awareness, and sometimes even your patience, but in all the best ways.
What Is It?
Neon Inferno is a 2D action shooter set in a dystopian New York City in the year 2055. Multiple crime syndicates and a corrupt NYPD have turned the city into a warzone, and you step into the role of Angelo or Mariana, the deadliest operatives of a rising crime family fighting for dominance.
The game's big feature is the blend of traditional side scrolling run and gun action with a gallery shooter layer that allows you to fire into both the foreground and background. This dual plane system defines much of the experience, and it brings a welcome twist to a genre that rarely strays from its established formula.
During our preview we highlighted how the game mixes the speed of Contra, the presentation of Metal Slug, and the depth of Wild Guns. Now, after playing the final release, we can see a lot of the good stuff was still to come. The boss encounters are bigger, the set pieces more extravagant, and the game’s visual identity stronger than ever.
Neon Inferno wants to stand beside the classics that inspired it, and while it makes a few design choices that not everyone will love, it absolutely succeeds in giving the genre fresh firepower.
Gameplay
From the opening moments, Neon Inferno wastes no time dialing up the action. With a tutorial that throws you straight into the action, you shoot, roll, parry, slice, and swap targets across two layers of action while the screen fills up with explosions, bullets, and rushing enemies. The foreground and background shooting adds a constant mental challenge, especially when mechs, rooftop snipers, drones, and soldiers converge at once. Because you cannot move your character when you shoot the background but instead move the cursor things can get hard to manage between dodging and aiming. You also have a sword to deflect certain (green) bullets , which can also activate bullet time allowing you to redirect their path back into or towards another enemy in for AND back ground.
Boss fights are standout moments where this system shines, forcing you to track attacks across both planes while timing parries to send devastating green bullets back into enemy weak points. The bullet time parry remains one of the most satisfying mechanics in the game. Tapping creates a quick return shot, while holding slows the world and lets you redirect the projectile midair, sometimes hitting enemies in the background for massive bonus damage. The level design pushes these tools constantly, and I enjoyed the demanding rhythm of learning each encounter’s flow.
That said, some stages do push sensory overload a bit too far. With so much happening at once, especially in vertical climbs or multi-layer firefights, it can become difficult to read the battlefield. The good news is that generous checkpoints keep frustration low and soften the edges of the game’s toughest moments. I appreciated this more than once.
Between levels you can purchase upgrades or special weapons however this weapon system feels somewhat restrictive in the way you switch weapons and are forced to commit to it. But the core gunplay is strong enough that it never held the experience back. On balance, the gameplay is fast, creative, and rewarding, with boss battles and vehicle sections that are as memorable as anything the genre has produced recently.
Presentation
Despite its retro roots, Neon Inferno is a visual powerhouse. Zenovia’s artists have delivered some of the strongest pixel art of the year with layered lighting, neon reflections, sweeping cityscapes, and explosive particle effects that pop on every screen.
Environments shift dramatically between levels, taking you from burning slums to high society gardens, onboard speeding vehicles, across collapsing rooftops, and through smoke-filled lounges that look ripped from a gritty cyberpunk film. The cutscenes add stylish touches without interrupting momentum, and they reinforce the criminal underworld story that gives each mission context.
On the audio side, Neon Inferno delivers an absolute treat. The soundtrack mixes retro synth, punchy melodies, slow melodies with dark gravitas, and heavy guitar riffs that fit the on-screen chaos perfectly every moment
Guns sounds are sharp and weighty, and the larger explosions thunder beautifully through surround setups or in your headset. Together the sound and visuals form one of the most confident aesthetic packages Retroware has published so far, and that is saying something given their impressive catalog.
Parental Advice
Neon Inferno is flashy, intense, and full of frequent combat. Expect constant shooting, large explosions, stylized violence, and a gritty criminal atmosphere. There is no realistic gore, but the action is nonstop and the themes revolve around syndicate warfare, assassinations, and morally gray characters. Strong situational awareness is required since the game is intentionally chaotic, so younger or inexperienced players may find the visual density frustrating.
For me the ESRB rating it pretty spot on and I would recommend this for teens who enjoy high action arcade games and understand the difference between stylized violence and realistic depictions.
Final Thoughts
Neon Inferno is a great throwback that is not afraid to modernize the formula it loves. The dual plane shooting system takes time to master but adds depth, strategy, and a constant sense of danger. Boss fights are thrilling and mechanically clever, and the visual chaos, while occasionally overwhelming, is also part of the game’s charm.
The checkpoint system is a thoughtful addition that keeps frustration at bay and lets you enjoy the climb through increasingly wild stages. I walked away impressed with how bold and energetic this game is.
Developer: Zenovia Interactive
Available On: Steam (PC), PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One / Series, Nintendo Switch
Platform Reviewed: Steam PC
ESRB: T for Teen ( blood, drug references, use of tobacco, violence )
MSRP: $19.99 digital / $34.99 for the physical Standard Edition via Limited Run Games
