NeonXSZ - open world 6DOF shooter about to emerge from early access

[Huw the Poo]

Steam page

(Linux, Mac, Windows)

NeonXSZ is a Descent-inspired 6DOF shooter which is set in an open world environment.  It's about to emerge from early access but there is no difference between the current build and the launch build, so if you're interested, feel free to dive straight in.

I picked it up last night and played for an hour, so I don't have a handle on it yet, but I was impressed enough that I thought it was worth posting about.  I really like the neon aesthetic and the open world aspect; evidently there are two factions at war with each other and you're supposed to help your faction to victory.  You can accept missions (I've seen assassination and courier missions so far) or wander around doing what you like.  There are RPG elements in that you loot your enemies and upgrade/buy components on your ship (you can also buy different ships).  There seems to be a generous number of different components you can buy and install.

It's very configurable with regard to difficulty and so on, and like an RPG you can see a threat level of any enemy you target so you can stay away from fights you definitely won't win.  I have to say that it's quite pleasant zooming down what passes for corridors (they're more like race tracks) looking for a good scrap.  Teleporters litter the world, so if you're in a bind you can get to the nearest, even if it's enemy-controlled, and get the hell out.

I'll definitely put some more time in today and will report back with more impressions, but feel free to ask any questions.  Certainly no buyer's remorse from me, which is quite nice for an impulse buy!

[Huw the Poo]

Well I've put in a good six and a half hours now according to Steam, and I'm even more impressed.  It's an extremely well designed game.  All the information you could possibly want is at your fingertips; the cockpit is crammed with information and MFDs, and when that isn't enough, you can hold the right mouse button to pause the game and bring up your cursor, which you can point at things and get more info.  You can also select targets in this way.

The setting is cyberspace, with you representing the OS fighting the invading viruses.  Ships belonging to both sides duke it out, with you in the middle being the main agent.  The game is split across several stations, with each station containing a number of hubs connected by long corridors, and circling a central hub which contains arenas.  In order to progress from one station to the next, you have to either increase your tech level high enough or beat all of the arenas at the hub.

Your tech level is an average of the tech levels of the six core components: shields, shield regen, energy, energy regen, engines, engine regen.  But you can also switch between a multitude of guns and missile types, as well as install miscellaneous components which boost various core components.  It's a looter's dream, this game.  When you blow up an enemy, it (rather satisfyingly) pops into a dozen or so loot bubbles.  Collecting these advances your knowledge of components; attaining 100% knowledge of a component allows you to slot it for free at an upgrade shop.  You can, however, simply buy upgrades where they're sold, for a price.  The more knowledge of an upgrade you've acquired, the cheaper it will be to buy.

Rather brilliantly, you can tweak a setting in your cockpit to indicate what level of ships you're comfortable fighting, and the HUD will duly point you in the right direction to find such ships (the game calls it a hunting ground designator).  Everything's perfectly set up to enable you to just fly around, fight, acquire loot, level up, and just keep going.

You have shields of course, but you also have energy which powers everything but shields.  So the "main guns" may not be very damaging but their fire rate is so high and energy drain so low that they're still usable as a last resort.  In the other extreme, the lightning gun does incredible damage but at short range and at high energy cost.  There are a multitude of weapons in between.

The best thing about NeonXSZ in my opinion is its open-endedness.  Admittedly I'm not a particular fan of the 6DOF shooter genre generally, but I don't recall any others being so open.  You can mill about and do what you like, with your only goal being to move from station to station.  It's one of those games where you're executing a plan, only to be sidetracked by something else you spot along the way and decide to pursue.

It really is a fantastic, unexpected gem of a game.  I only picked it up on a whim because I had refund money sitting in my Steam wallet and nothing on my wishlist was grabbing me.  I'm so glad I did!

I might even make a video of this.

[Huw the Poo]

I might even make a video of this.

...and here it is!

[WYBaugh]

Huw, thank you for the video...very informative.  And you have a better voice than JH :)

[Jarhead0331]

Huw, thank you for the video...very informative.  And you have a better voice than JH :)

Good to know that 9 out of 10 chicks, and WyBaugh, prefer an English accent.

[WYBaugh]

Huw, thank you for the video...very informative.  And you have a better voice than JH :)

Good to know that 9 out of 10 chicks, and WyBaugh, prefer an English accent.

O0

[Huw the Poo]

Thanks guys.  And Jarhead, I did notice you said English and not Welsh, but I shall not rise to your bait!

[Yskonyn]

Wow Huw, this actually looks like a fun game now that I can see it in action.
Thanks for sharing.

[Huw the Poo]

That was my hope, Ysk!  At first glance it just looks like Descent but there's actually a lot more to it.  It's also worth noting that it's absolutely rock solid too; no reported bugs or glitches or anything!

The dev is also adding joystick support because people keep asking for it.  They'll be sorry!  It doesn't support joysticks for good reason.