Neon Echo

61%
Game Brain Score Based on 296 reviews
  • gameplay
  • music
  • graphics
Neon Echo Game Cover
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Neon Echo is a 3D side-scrolling action Roguelite game with an anime and tech-wear style.

  • PC
  • Windows
Genres & TagsPlay Modes

Reviews

61%
Audience ScoreBased on 296 reviews
gameplay28 positive mentions
grinding6 negative mentions
  • The game features a vibrant art style and engaging visuals that enhance the overall experience.
  • Combat is fast-paced and fluid, providing a satisfying gameplay loop reminiscent of popular roguelikes like Hades and Dead Cells.
  • Despite being abandoned, the game still offers enjoyable mechanics and a charming aesthetic that many players appreciate.
  • The game has been abandoned after the entire development team was laid off, meaning no future updates or content will be released.
  • Many players have reported issues with localization and voice acting, which detracts from the overall immersion.
  • The game is currently in a state of incomplete development, leaving many features and potential unfulfilled.
  • gameplay61 mentions

    The gameplay is characterized by smooth combat mechanics, engaging room fights, and a mix of character-specific and generic upgrades, providing a satisfying rogue-like experience. While the rhythm mechanic is intended to enhance gameplay, many players find it less effective than traditional attack spamming, leading to mixed feelings about its implementation. Overall, the game offers a fun and addictive loop with vibrant visuals, though some players note issues with pacing, localization, and the depth of upgrades.

    • “The gameplay is incredibly smooth, with great and unique visuals, and a fun (if somewhat poorly translated) story.”
    • “This game satisfies the itch of good combat with rogue-like elements, great difficulty curving for those that want a challenge, and has a great gameplay loop that helps you get stronger to accomplish more, similarly to Skul or Ember Knights, but in more detailed and specific ways.”
    • “The gameplay flow is great, combat is fast and fun, and mixing and matching cores is very satisfying.”
    • “The rhythm mechanic is totally not used; if you sync with the rhythm, you're supposed to be rewarded with more damage, but honestly, spamming the attack button is almost always more efficient.”
    • “Impenetrable gameplay jargon without the tooltips to explain them... excruciatingly slow metaprogression... loose, unsatisfying game feel: limp sound effects, jerky animations, gradual low-impact wind-ups for enemy attacks... only played briefly, but not impressed.”
    • “Overall, I don't think it's an enjoyable experience; feel free to try the game, but the gameplay isn't that good.”
  • music50 mentions

    The music in the game receives mixed reviews, with some players enjoying the funky beats and electronic vibes that enhance the gameplay experience, while others criticize it as bland and generic, especially given the game's strong thematic focus on music. Many feel that the soundtrack could be more varied and impactful, particularly in relation to the combat mechanics, which only minimally incorporate musical timing. Overall, while the music contributes positively to the atmosphere, it falls short of expectations for a game centered around sound and rhythm.

    • “The music and art are wonderful; you can tell where the work went in development already.”
    • “The combat is fantastic and the music absolutely slaps.”
    • “Before getting into a few nitpicky things that I think could greatly improve this game when it is completed, I would like to start off by saying the music, art, and combat are all amazing.”
    • “Music-wise (which is announced like it's the most important thing in the game), it is absolute trash, bland, or whatever you'd call it - it is not the same music that plays here on the store.”
    • “For so much being themed around music, I'm not particularly impressed by the soundtrack.”
    • “The musical-battle aspect is very minimal and feels a bit tacked on, as it only affects one skill and it's not easy to hit just basing your timing on the music.”
  • graphics36 mentions

    The graphics of the game have received widespread acclaim for their vibrant and unique art style, with many users praising the cute character designs and overall visual appeal. The visuals are described as polished and colorful, contributing significantly to the game's immersive experience, although some players noted a disconnect between the character illustrations and the gameplay aesthetic. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, enhancing the enjoyment of the gameplay and narrative.

    • “This game is absolutely fire, with gorgeous art style.”
    • “Graphics, visual effects and character design are very nice and colorful.”
    • “The graphics are amazing, the gameplay is elevated, and I recommend this game for anyone who is looking for the next generation of roguelites.”
    • “Now the graphics.”
    • “Oh my god, the graphics.”
    • “The chibi aesthetic is endearing and cute, but when the dialogue occurs, the character illustrations create such a disconnect from that aesthetic of the gameplay that it pulls me out of it, and I became hyper aware of how jarringly different those styles are.”
  • story14 mentions

    The game's story is generally viewed as underdeveloped and confusing, with many players feeling it lacks resolution and coherence. While some appreciate the charm of the characters and the thematic elements related to sound and music, others find the narrative unengaging and secondary to the gameplay experience. Overall, the story is seen as a weak point, with players expressing a desire for more character options and less grinding to unlock them.

    • “The gameplay is incredibly smooth, with great and unique visuals, and a fun (if somewhat poorly translated) story.”
    • “The whole story and characters are themed around sound and music, but your moveset is not.”
    • “During the story, character models actually move and make facial expressions, though they're chibi models, but cute.”
    • “The game still has loose ends; they didn't bother wrapping up the story at all.”
    • “- The story and writing make no sense and are just plain confusing.”
    • “I don't personally care for the anime stuff or the terrible story, but the gameplay loop is neon crack.”
  • humor9 mentions

    The humor in the game is largely derived from its English dub, characterized by a heavy Chinese accent that many players find hilariously entertaining, despite acknowledging the poor localization. The voice acting adds a comedic layer to serious cutscenes, making the overall experience amusing and quirky, though it may not appeal to everyone. Players often choose to play the game for its humor, particularly the amusing voice performances, which contribute to its charm as a roguelike.

    • “The English dub done in a heavy Chinese accent is hilarious.”
    • “Everyone says that the localization is really bad, which it is, but it makes some really serious cutscenes and whatnot really funny.”
    • “I'm playing this game for the voice acting at this point; it's hilarious.”
  • character development6 mentions

    Character development is highlighted through exceptional NPC and character design, showcasing a vibrant and detailed aesthetic that enhances the game's atmosphere. While the visuals and art are praised for their creativity and flair, some players feel that the variety in character abilities is lacking, suggesting a need for players to engage more deeply to unlock new powers and items. Overall, the love and care put into character design are evident, contributing positively to the game's appeal.

    • “NPC and character design are all made with love.”
    • “Tons of style and flair with great art and character design.”
    • “In fact, a ton of detail, care, and love has gone into the various special effects, character design, and art to give it a futuristic neon-rave feel.”
  • grinding6 mentions

    Players express frustration with the grinding mechanics in the game, noting that the requirement to repeatedly play through levels with a single character to unlock others can lead to tedium and boredom. While the game offers enjoyable gameplay, the grind for character progression and stat increases detracts from the overall experience, making it feel overly tedious and time-consuming. Many wish for more immediate access to character options to better match their play styles.

    • “Really fun game, didn't like the grinding aspects for quality of life run improvements.”
    • “Beyond that, I find myself disappointed that I can't play as the other characters right away. I had hoped that I could swap between or choose one from the get-go to play as a character that matches my own play style, but they are all locked behind progression of the 'main missions' that force you to play as just one character through the same levels over and over until you reach that milestone. I bought this because I wanted to play as the gunslinger or the brawler; the sword thing got old very quickly. At some point, the enemies become such damage sponges that it becomes too tedious and regrettably boring to want to continue. So if any dev reads these, please make the character options available from the start, not locked behind grind/death fest, because in the end, I put down the controller because I realized I wasn't having fun with it anymore. No elemental buff can fix that.”
    • “This is a big bonus as far as play and fun, but does not segue well with the hugely grindy meta-progression (e.g., the hundreds—and no, I'm not kidding—of boss kills required are going to take a lot longer now than it was taking in the early hours, because it simply takes longer to get to the bosses).”
  • replayability3 mentions

    The game is noted for its high replayability, drawing comparisons to titles like Dead Cells and Have a Nice Death, thanks to its fast-paced, flashy side-scrolling gameplay that encourages repeated playthroughs. Players appreciate the engaging mechanics that enhance the overall replay value typical of the genre.

    • “A side-scrolling anime/PGR-like game that has high replayability.”
    • “The gameplay feels more like Dead Cells, or more recently Have a Nice Death (with a touch of rhythm and timing) - very fast-paced, flashy side-scrolling with all the replayability you'd expect from games of this genre.”
    • “The gameplay feels more like Dead Cells or, more recently, Have a Nice Death, with a touch of rhythm and timing. It's very fast-paced and flashy, but lacks the replayability you'd expect from games of this genre.”
  • optimization2 mentions

    The game requires further optimization before its official release, particularly in scenarios with numerous enemies on screen, which can lead to lag. Testing on a Steam Deck may provide a useful benchmark for performance evaluation.

    • “There is still a significant amount of optimization that should be done before this game is ready for official release, but the lag is only an issue when there are a ton of enemies on screen.”
    • “I’m playing on Steam Deck, by the way - might be a good hardware baseline for benchmarking and performance tests.”
  • atmosphere1 mentions

    The atmosphere is highlighted as stunning, complemented by impressive character designs, though the music is considered somewhat generic. Overall, the experience is mixed, with some elements falling short.

    • “The character designs are fire, the atmosphere is stunning.”
  • stability1 mentions

    The game demonstrates excellent stability on the Steam Deck, with users reporting smooth performance and reliable gameplay.

    • “Runs great on Steam Deck.”
Positive mentions (%)Positive
Neutral mentions (%)Neutral
Negative mentions (%)Negative

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Play time

29hMedian play time
28hAverage play time
25-30hSpent by most gamers
*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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