Neon White Release Date, Trailer, And Gameplay - What We Know So Far

Heaven and hell are about to collide in Neon White, a freakishly fresh title that combines action, platforming, and a wild storyline involving a battle between angels and demons. The Nintendo Direct on Feb. 17, 2021 was full of unexpected and exciting news for a good number of games, and the surprise announcement of this upcoming Switch and PC title was no exception. 

In Neon White, players take on the role of White, a hell-based assassin fighting for his place in Heaven by "exterminating demons," according to Annapurna Interactive. Beyond that, there is already a surprising amount of information available for Neon White, including an over the top trailer that showcases the game's visual style and first-person action. Think you might be interested in stepping into a hellish assassin's shoes and slaying demons who somehow ended up in Heaven? Read on to find out all the latest details on Neon White and prepare for the excitement that's sure to come.

The last game developer Ben Esposito put out was 2018's Donut County. What's he been up to since then, you ask? Presumably working on Neon White, which looks like quite the departure from that more mellow physics puzzler. If you're interested in playing Neon White, you're unfortunately going to have trouble marking a date down on the calendar. While two different sources have a release window for the game, an exact date isn't quite available just yet.

According to both Nintendo and the Steam store, Neon White is targeting a Winter 2021 launch. Technically speaking, only a few days of 2021 will actually take place in winter, which would put Neon White somewhere within the last few days of December. Of course, "winter" could mean the whole season in general, which means Neon White could actually show up sometime during the early part of 2022. A more specific release date will undoubtedly come in time, but for now, this is all fans have to work with.

The official minute-long trailer from Nintendo shows explanatory text interspersed with high-intensity gameplay. The voiceover from the main character, White, that kicks off the trailer sets an eerie scene: "As above, so below. Why do they need assassins in Heaven? To do someone's dirty work."

The text that appears on the screen helps explain the gameplay shown: "Slay Demons with Soul Cards...Sacrifice Cards for Killer Moves...Only One Sinner Can Stay...Be the Best...or Burn in Hell." This version of Heaven floats in the clouds, ornate and complete with greenery, and of course, you know, the demons you'll have to slay. Later on in the trailer, White's voiceover comes back with a message: "It's kill or be killed. You won't last long if you can't rely on yourself...God's judgment has nothing to do with it."

If the trailer captures what the game's really like, the pace is fast, the mission is clear, and the excitement is guaranteed.

Though it's short, the initial announcement trailer gives players plenty of gameplay previews. Developer Ben Esposito is known for beloved mobile game Donut County, so fans of that game are having a heyday. Also on the team is OK KO! writer Ryann Shannon, though both are doing something new with this game. Neon White features a unique combination of deck-building, combat, platforming, and more. According to Engadget, Esposito described the game as "a first-person action platformer inspired by Y2K-era anime and cult-classic character action games...It's a campy anime speedrunning game made for freaks, by freaks." While some developers go through hell to make their games, it sounds like these folks went through Heaven.

 However, there's something familiar about the competing assassins also vying for Heaven. In describing the game, the development team poses the question, "did you know them in a past life?" This suggests that the game may have a bit of a mystery-solving component.

With speed-running components, strategic Soul Cards, and the promise of an intriguing story, there's something for everyone in Neon White. Get ready to bundle up Winter 2021 with what could be your next favorite game.