Advent NEON® Review Summary

Combat is fun and satisfying: Players overwhelmingly praise the combat system, highlighting its satisfying feel, visual flair, and rewarding mechanics. The fast-paced, challenging, yet fair boss fights are a particular highlight, contributing to a highly enjoyable and replayable experience.

Excellent 2D platforming: The platforming elements are consistently lauded for their fluidity, variety, and smooth controls. Players appreciate the well-designed levels that encourage strategic thinking and experimentation, making it one of the best 2D platformers experienced.

Worth the long wait: Many players expressed that the game was well worth the long wait, often citing anticipation since early demos or Kickstarter. The game's unique style and ability to deliver on hype moments were frequently mentioned.

Accessible, fast, tight controls: The game is noted for its accessibility, tight controls, and fast-paced gameplay. Players found it easy to pick up and enjoy, with a slick visual and tactile feel that enhances the experience.

Impressive solo development: Players are highly impressed by the game's quality, especially considering it's a solo-developed project. The dedication and hard work of the developer are evident, resulting in a unique and complete product with good accessibility.

Inconsistent Level Design & Gimmicks: Players found the level design inconsistent, with some sections being repetitive, unclear, or overly reliant on gimmicks. Specific issues include poor visibility in auto-run sections, strict timing requirements, and frustrating mechanics like heat zones and drill trajectories.

Confusing Story & Poor Exposition: The game's narrative and exposition were often confusing or poorly delivered, making it difficult for players to grasp the story and world-building. New mechanics were also introduced abruptly without proper explanation.

Lack of Polish: Multiple players noted a general lack of polish throughout the game, including unpolished animations and a feeling of being unfinished. This contributes to a less refined overall experience.

Frustrating Core Mechanics: Specific mechanics like attack orbs and drill sections were highly frustrating due to poor implementation, leading to accidental deaths and difficult navigation, especially with a controller.

Overly Forgiving Boss Fights: Boss fights were criticized for being too easy due to high player health and overly forgiving mechanics. Some boss warnings were also inaccurate, leading to confusion.

Unique Genre Blend: Players consistently describe the game as a unique blend of fast-paced platforming and beat-em-up combat, drawing comparisons to Sonic, Mega Man, and Smash Bros. This combination results in fluid movement and satisfying melee encounters.

Excellent Level Design: The game features top-notch level design with unique gimmicks and challenges that test player skills. Levels are tough but manageable, and the ranking system encourages replayability, contributing to a high skill ceiling.

Fluid Movement Mechanics: Movement is consistently praised for its fluidity, crispness, and Sonic-like flow. The eight-way dashing, wall-running, and lack of a double-jump contribute to a unique and satisfying navigation experience.

Engaging Boss Fights: Boss fights are highlighted as a strong point, requiring players to master parrying and countering mechanics. Their unique designs and evolving challenges contribute significantly to the game's enjoyment and difficulty curve.

Responsive Combat System: The combat system is praised for being quick, responsive, and satisfying, despite its apparent simplicity. The fast-paced nature of combat is a core part of the game's overall feel.

Low system requirements: Players appreciate the game's low system requirements, noting that it runs smoothly even on older or less powerful hardware. This accessibility allows a wider range of players to enjoy the game without needing high-end PCs.

Highly Recommended Game: Many players highly recommend the game, praising its fast-paced action and comparing it favorably to titles like Sonic and Mega Man. They emphasize its value for the price and overall enjoyable experience.

Desire for a Sequel: Players are very keen on the idea of a sequel, indicating strong satisfaction with the current game and a desire for more content in the future.

Try the Demo: Players suggest trying the demo first, especially if unsure about purchasing the full game. This highlights the availability of a trial version.

Engaging Combat & Movement: The game is recommended for those who enjoy button mashing or mastering precise timing for fast movement, highlighting its core gameplay mechanics.

Challenging for Casuals: Some feedback indicates that casual players might find the game challenging on its default settings, suggesting a potentially steep learning curve for newcomers.

Impressive Solo Development: Players are highly impressed and grateful for the game's development, noting it was created by a single developer over approximately five years. This dedication is widely appreciated.

Catchy and Thematic Music: Players generally enjoy the game's music, describing it as catchy, thematic, and upbeat, with a strong electro/DnB influence. Some find it good but not particularly memorable.

Stunning Art and Characters: The game receives high praise for its visual elements, including amazing sprite work, character designs, and overall art style. Players find the characters charming and the world-building engaging.

Cyberpunk Art Style: The game's aesthetic is frequently compared to Katana Zero, featuring a distinct cyberpunk art style.

FNF Mod Origins: The game's origins as an FNF (Friday Night Funkin') mod are noted, with some players recognizing a similar humor style.