I’m not picky about how I come upon an indie game. Whether it’s my own searching or someone tossing it my way, if it’s dope, I’m on it. But I got to experience a different way this past Friday. I got the chance to be a part of The Cookout, a networking event for Black professionals in gaming.
And on top of just being a fun experience, it was pretty awesome to see so many people who look like me in this space. And while there still aren’t nearly enough of us in gaming, being in there made it feel like there were tons of us.
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During the event, CryoGX, a solo dev, talked a little about his game Advent NEON. So naturally, I hit Steam to check it out. And, yeah, I need all eyes on this one.
Advent NEON ANSWERS A QUESTION I never knew I wanted to ask
Imagine if you could get the best of Sonic Adventure in the 2D Sonic games. That is what we’re talking about here with Advent NEON. It’s fast, the controls are tight, and the gameplay is consistently engaging. It also made me wonder why this was never done before.
A great way to tell you have something special is if it answers a question no one knew they had. And playing through the demo, I immediately wondered, “Is this what it would be like if Sonic had hands?”
The answer is a resounding yes. Not only can you bounce around levels with insane precision, but the combat is damn near perfect. I’m currently experiencing some controller issues, so I’ve been playing this game in Mouse and Keyboard style.
And once I got a handle on what I was doing, everything felt fluid. You can also play on just the keyboard. I’ve played a lot of solo dev games, and while they have felt great to play, Advent NEON is polished in a way that you would swear multiple people worked on it.
And that soundtrack is beautiful. It’s both modern and nostalgic. I really don’t know what else I can say about this game other than go get it. If you miss the 2D Sonic games and you want some great platforming in your life, Advent NEON is the way to go.
It’s out right now on Steam.
