Neon City Riders

0 direction after 2 hours of gameplay. what the ♥♥♥♥.

Neon City Riders, developed and published by Mecha Studios, is a retro-styled action-adventure that blends beat ’em up combat with light RPG progression and a semi-open world structure. Set in a colorful cyberpunk city controlled by rival gangs, it presents a familiar premise—a lone masked hero rising against chaos—but delivers it through a mix of exploration, combat, and ability-driven progression that aims to evoke both nostalgia and modern indie sensibilities. The game is structured around a connected city divided into districts, each governed by different factions and challenges. Instead of following a strictly linear path, players are encouraged to explore, revisit locations, and gradually unlock new abilities that expand both combat options and traversal possibilities. This design gives the world a sense of continuity, where progress is tied not only to defeating enemies but also to understanding how different areas interconnect. Backtracking becomes an intentional part of the experience, as newly acquired powers open previously inaccessible paths, reinforcing a loop of discovery and progression. Combat forms the backbone of the gameplay, combining classic brawler mechanics…

It's not a terrible game by any means, but it's just a bit dull. The combat is dead easy, puzzles are extremely simple. Quests are pretty boring, just involving roaming the world talking to every single person and finding items scattered around. All of this is not helped by the fact that a lot of mechanics feel like they're just a bit less than they should be to really be fun. For example, movement speed and mana recharge are a bit too slow. Shield duration and dash length are a bit too short. It adds up to a game that is functional and reasonably competent, but just... dull. I beat the all of the midbosses and got my abilities back, but I just couldn't muster up the desire to continue playing.

Extremely large maps combined with sluggish movement even with dash, dull and easy enemies (and this is from a casual player who doesn't have patience for difficult games anymore). I've really tried to like it but is not for me. Played for about 2 hours and was bored to death.

"The use of a gamepad is highly recommended!" No, the controls are just awful and there is no option to rebind them. 'I' key to talk to NPC 'Y' key to advance dialogue with NPC 'J' key to attack The only thing this game got right is WASD movement.

I thought this game was a mindless arcade hack and slash - but boy was I wrong. Neon City Riders is thoughtful, creative and challenging that makes the world of the game come alive. There are tragic backstories, hidden delights to uncover. If you are a fan of Undertale, the magic of Stardewvalley with the violence and mechanics of Towerfall or Broforce - get this game! I thought after the prologue I would be uninterested, but hour by hour I was sucked in. The puzzles are fun and ever changing with increasing difficulty that keeps you engaged till endgame. And keep an eye out for a hidden ending.