N2O: Nitrous Oxide

About

N2O: Nitrous Oxide is a first-person parkour game set in a sprawling urban landscape. Players speed through the city on nitrous oxide-powered rollerblades, performing tricks and evading adversaries. The game emphasizes speed, agility, and exploration, offering a unique blend of high-speed action and urban exploration.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

81%

Audience ScoreBased on 36 reviews

music11 positive mentions

stability2 negative mentions

The game features an awesome soundtrack by The Crystal Method, enhancing the overall experience.
It offers a nostalgic trip for fans of the original PS1 game, with solid gameplay and fast-paced action.
The visuals are trippy and colorful, creating an engaging atmosphere that complements the gameplay.

The port suffers from technical issues, including awkward controls and a lack of graphical enhancements.
Many players experience game-breaking bugs, such as being unable to progress past the start screen.
The gameplay can feel repetitive and lacks impactful mechanics, leading to a less satisfying experience.

music
21 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
52%
33%
14%
The music in the game is widely praised, particularly for its memorable late 90s electronica soundtrack by The Crystal Method, which significantly enhances the overall experience. Reviewers note that while the gameplay is competent, the soundtrack stands out as a key selling point, creating a captivating atmosphere that resonates with players long after their initial experience. Overall, the combination of great visuals and an engaging soundtrack makes for a highly enjoyable gaming experience.
- “Released in 1998 for the PSX, N2O is a tunnel shooter heavily sold on its soundtrack by famed late 90's electronica producers, The Crystal Method.”
- “But god damn, the soundtrack coupled with the trippy visuals make it a fantastic time, especially if you already like Vegas.”
- “Great visuals and soundtrack, rock-solid gameplay.”
- “You don't even get the benefit of Crystal Method's 'Vegas' on CD, or for that matter, a way to play any music at all.”
- “The music, thankfully, seems fully intact, but the aspect ratio is set to 16:9 in fullscreen and thus stretched if you aren't playing windowed.”
- “A lot of your enjoyment of this game is accentuated by the soundtrack (check any of the other reviews).”
gameplay
8 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
38%
25%
38%
The gameplay has received mixed reviews, with some players finding it repetitive and lacking excitement, as it primarily involves shooting bugs in a tunnel without satisfying visual feedback. However, others appreciate the solid mechanics and nostalgic feel, highlighting the game's memorable soundtrack and the retention of classic elements that contribute to its overall experience.
- “All the old codes work, nothing's been taken out, and the new additions don't change or get in the way of the gameplay that made this one a classic.”
- “Great visuals and soundtrack, rock-solid gameplay.”
- “The game mechanics are simple enough.”
- “But the gameplay is just repetitive and weird.”
- “The gameplay is basically rotating around a tunnel shooting bugs.”
- “The bugs don't even explode when you shoot them, which means this gameplay consists of basically watching a bunch of rotating bugs.”
graphics
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
57%
43%
The graphics are described as highly saturated and trippy, enhancing the fast-paced gameplay and immersive experience, particularly when paired with the soundtrack. While the visuals create a thrilling atmosphere, some users note that the port could benefit from enhancements to better showcase the underlying graphics, which may be obscured by the original console's limitations. Overall, the game's aesthetic is a mixed bag, offering both a captivating experience and some graphical shortcomings.
- “But god damn, the soundtrack coupled with the trippy visuals make it a fantastic time, especially if you already like Vegas.”
- “With graphics that are highly saturated and trippy, combined with its high-velocity gameplay, and an experience enhanced by the electronica band The Crystal Method, it's a concoction that might not fare well with those prone to epilepsy or motion sickness, but for those of us who can stomach it, it is an absolute thrill ride.”
- “To me, Tempest can be a stressful game, whereas I have always found N2O to be an amazingly relaxing game; maybe it's the soundtrack, maybe it's the awesome PSX visuals, or it could just be that the whole package is a sweet, sweet ride.”
- “This port could use some graphics enhancements--it runs in an emulator and it would be nice to see some of the features you'd see in common PC emulators, which this game would look much better on if you increase the resolution and add some smoothing.”
- “This is a really trippy game and it runs pretty fast, so you won't really notice the graphical jags in the environment, but you won't be able to see the detail on all the insects either.”
- “With graphics that are highly saturated and trippy, combined with its high-velocity gameplay, it might not fare well with those prone to epilepsy or motion sickness. For those who can stomach it, it is an absolute thrill ride.”
stability
2 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Users report experiencing stability issues, including bugs and glitches that affect gameplay, with one instance where the game incorrectly identified itself as 'ten pin alley' during troubleshooting.
- “Such psychedelic worlds and awesome buggy bad guys.”
- “(While troubleshooting, Steam even claimed that I was playing 'Ten Pin Alley', so perhaps that's a hint at their future intentions with said branding.)”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect highlights the extensive use of the song in various media, including video games, advertisements, and movies, particularly during the mid-2000s, indicating a successful strategy for leveraging popular music to enhance brand visibility and engagement.