NEON STRUCT
- May 20, 2015
- Minor Key Games
- 5h median play time
Get on Steam"Neon Struct" is a first-person stealth game where you play as a spy uncovering a conspiracy. Use hacking, stealth, and social engineering to evade security and achieve your objectives. Set in a cyberpunk-inspired world, the game features a variety of environments and challenges that will test your espionage skills.
Mac OS
Windows
Linux
Xbox
Reviews
- Engaging and captivating story that draws players in and keeps them interested throughout the game.
- Creative and fun stealth mechanics that encourage exploration and multiple approaches to objectives.
- Stylish minimalist graphics and an excellent synthwave soundtrack that enhance the overall atmosphere.
- AI can be inconsistent, often leading to predictable and easy encounters that diminish the challenge.
- The game is relatively short, with some players feeling it lacks depth and replayability.
- Sound design issues, such as footsteps being too loud and unclear, can detract from the immersive experience.
- story194 mentions
- 32 % positive mentions
- 64 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The game's story, while not groundbreaking, is engaging and reminiscent of classic cyberpunk narratives, particularly those found in the *Deus Ex* series. Players appreciate the minimalistic storytelling approach, which allows for exploration and player choice, although some find the plot predictable and clichéd. Overall, the narrative effectively complements the stealth gameplay, providing a satisfying experience despite its simplicity.
“The story, while nothing original, is well written enough that it keeps you interested, even if the early plot twist you can see coming a mile away, especially if you've played Deus Ex.”
“Neon Struct is a love letter to the golden age of stealth, with a plot that plays off today's concerns about privacy and government spying.”
“The narrative is minimalistic, but that is quite fitting, not only because it brings storytelling and art style in accordance, but also because Neon Struct clearly aims at players who are willing and able to connect some dots on their own.”
“Really, the plot is boilerplate sci-fi tropes and is not all that engaging.”
“The best event is actually spoiled in the description above, with Jillian's betrayal; after that, the story meanders along with a couple of other decent moments, but I never felt there was any real tension in the story.”
“The story is like you would expect but nothing spectacular with a weak ending.”
- gameplay142 mentions
- 20 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 6 % negative mentions
The gameplay of "Neon Struct" is heavily inspired by the classic "Thief" series, focusing on stealth mechanics that emphasize sneaking and exploration rather than combat. While the minimalist graphics and simplistic mechanics may deter some players, many reviewers appreciate the engaging stealth gameplay and the intriguing story that complements it. However, some find the gameplay repetitive and lacking in complexity, with occasional AI issues that can detract from the overall experience.
“The game has a lot of gameplay mechanics to offer, a variety of levels with some nice maps and a pretty decent story.”
“Sneaking around to discover the secrets of the world around you is rather enjoyable and there are plenty of tense moments in the gameplay.”
“The gameplay is as basic as you can get, and gets pretty boring after a while.”
“The enemy AI in the game is unbelievably stupid, so are the game mechanics.”
“It's still a clear thumbs up, but you'll have to put up with guards walking right past you without seeing you (just because you fulfill the 'I'm hidden now.' criteria), with uneven sound design (at least in regards to the volume of the sounds when it comes to the stealth mechanics), and with simplistic gameplay mechanisms.”
- graphics128 mentions
- 22 % positive mentions
- 75 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The graphics of "Neon Struct" are characterized by a minimalist, low-poly aesthetic that some players find charming, while others view it as overly simplistic and lacking detail. The cyberpunk-inspired visuals, featuring neon colors and blocky designs, evoke a unique atmosphere that complements the gameplay, though they may detract from immersion for some. Overall, while the graphics are not photorealistic and can feel barebones, they are often appreciated for their stylistic choices and the engaging gameplay they support.
“The graphics and art style are minimalist, which I appreciate and can enjoy to a certain degree, but if not for voice acting for the character conversations, maybe some grunts and human sounds would have gone far in regard to world immersion.”
“The graphics are simple and voxel-based, which makes it a lot easier to spot your options and tools in the environment than the games that clearly inspired it.”
“The smooth, minimalist, and neon look to the graphics is very striking, and the featureless faces of the NPCs are unnerving and reminiscent of the themes of the story.”
“The overly minimalist graphics approach hurts the atmosphere overall.”
“The lo-fi environments, while a respectable design choice, aren't detailed enough to sell the 'cyberpunk' aesthetic, making the game look like Minecraft with film grain and a neon haze.”
“The graphics are almost voxel style—big, blocky, and simplistic.”
- music116 mentions
- 42 % positive mentions
- 55 % neutral mentions
- 3 % negative mentions
The music in the game has received widespread acclaim for its excellent synth-heavy soundtrack, which complements the game's aesthetic and atmosphere, particularly in the interstitial areas. While many players appreciate the unique approach of sparse background music during missions, some feel this choice leaves the gameplay feeling empty at times. Overall, the soundtrack is often highlighted as a standout feature, enhancing the immersive experience of the game.
“The soundtrack is excellent and helps to set the mood and atmosphere of the game world.”
“The music is amazing, if you like electronic music, or annoying if you don't.”
“The soundtrack worked more than the graphics for me.”
“The other impressive innovation of Neon Struct is the initially baffling choice to not put background music into most of the missions.”
“My main criticism would be that there is no ambient music during the missions.”
“Music: indifferent at its best and annoying at its worst, especially the combat song.”
- atmosphere35 mentions
- 51 % positive mentions
- 40 % neutral mentions
- 9 % negative mentions
The game's atmosphere is widely praised for its immersive cyberpunk aesthetic, reminiscent of classics like *Deus Ex* and *Thief*, despite its minimalist graphics. Reviewers appreciate the effective use of music to enhance the experience, although some note that the lack of voiced dialogues and limited ambient sounds detract from the overall immersion. Overall, the atmosphere is described as captivating and integral to the game's storytelling and emotional impact.
“The game manages, despite its simple graphics, to create a believable world and an immense atmosphere.”
“On top of that, the atmosphere of Neon Struct is undeniably palpable, with a steadfast dedication on the developer's part to a barren neon and concrete aesthetic that so pointedly gives face to the overgrown surveillance state of the modern world, coupled with a fantastic soundtrack by electronic duo The Home Conversion that just oozes synth, dissent, and wonder.”
“The gameplay, music, story, and overall atmosphere all combine to create an amazing unforgettable experience.”
“As another reviewer commented: it's a boiled-down thief without any of the atmosphere.”
“However, the overly minimalist graphics approach hurts the atmosphere overall.”
“Limited ambient sounds sort of take away from the atmosphere.”
- replayability6 mentions
- 33 % positive mentions
- 17 % neutral mentions
- 50 % negative mentions
The game's replayability is mixed; while it offers different character outcomes and endings that encourage multiple playthroughs, some players feel it lacks the depth and charm of similar titles, leading to a limited experience after the initial run. Although it can be completed in about 4-5 hours, some users anticipate decent replay value through varied playstyles, while others find it lacking once the mechanics are mastered.
“Took me about 4 hours to beat, and it does have some replayability with different outcomes for characters you meet along the way, and definitely a different ending to explore.”
“It does have replayability somewhat when you can try to be more stealthy or faster.”
“It doesn't have the instant replayability of Eldritch or the charm of Thief, leaving it as a pale shadow of the games it draws inspiration from.”
“I tried to test the replay value, but I found none because I already knew what I was doing.”
“The game might be a tiny bit expensive for what is ultimately a 4-5 hour game, but I expect I'll get some decent replay value from it.”
- humor3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
The humor in the game is derived from its absurd stealth mechanics, such as guards failing to notice players even when they are very close, and the comically simplistic graphics and sound effects. Players find elements like the eye logo on punching bags amusing, contributing to a cartoonish villain vibe, despite the overall primitive execution of the game's design.
“For some reason, I've found the eye logo being printed on punching bags in a black site prison facility positively hilarious, in a cartoony villain type of way.”
“I found it hilarious that you can be 1ft away from someone and they don't notice you sometimes, but it works well enough.”
“The stealth system is hilariously easy to exploit and the AI is near non-existent.”
- grinding3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
Players appreciate the game's excellent level design, which helps mitigate the potential tedium of grinding, making it enjoyable in short sessions. However, some find the gameplay can become repetitive and boring over extended play, particularly criticizing the frequent use of tedious minigames for actions like hacking and lockpicking.
“Neon Struct overall is a fun game to play, yet sometimes repetitive and it does get boring and tedious if played for a long time. It's a great little stealth game to play in short bursts!”
“Minigames for hacking/lockpicking are, once again, an awful idea -- if I need to take an action frequently, do not make me play the same tedious minigame.”
- emotional3 mentions
- 100 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 0 % negative mentions
Players express a strong emotional connection to the game's atmosphere, with many feeling its impact lingers long after playing. However, some critiques highlight that the character models' lack of realistic faces hinders deeper emotional investment, and the antagonist's weak presence, along with a lackluster climax, diminishes the overall emotional weight of the narrative.
“The amazing vibe this game made me feel won't die for a long while; I love it to bits.”
“The emotional depth of the story left a lasting impact on me, making me reflect on my own experiences.”
“The characters' struggles resonated with me, creating a profound connection that I didn't expect.”
- stability3 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The game features appealing graphics but is marred by occasional glitches and microfreezes, particularly noticeable during the hacking minigame. These freezes seem to occur consistently in specific areas, detracting from the overall experience.
“I got some microfreezes for a fraction of a second every now and again, which was annoying, especially in the hacking minigame. It's quite fun for a hacking minigame to actually be a game, rather than a precision or memory challenge.”
“Curiously, these freezes were not random; sometimes when reloading, I experienced the same freeze in the same part of the area.”
- optimization1 mentions
- 0 % positive mentions
- 0 % neutral mentions
- 100 % negative mentions
The reviews do not provide specific insights into the game's optimization, instead referencing a performance by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds in "Wings of Desire," which suggests a focus on artistic elements rather than technical performance. Overall, there is no clear consensus on optimization from the provided text.
