You can't ask for a better beginning from a small Studio, Neon City Riders is a great metroidvania experience. of course, it needs to fix some technical issues, but when you dive in what the game has to offer you will find yourself ignoring some the problems you encountered along the way.

Neon City Riders isn’t a bad game by any means. It is just severely hampered by some puzzling mechanics and design flaws. While the titular city itself may be oozing with personality and neon allure, wading through the game’s main quest feels far too cumbersome. It could, by all means, be a fun time for the ridiculously skilled or incredibly patient, but we can’t help but feel that a majority of gamers won’t put the time in to overcome the early-game difficulty curve.

Neon City Riders definitely scores points as a tough, uncompromising, pixel-art-based brawler. Unfortunately, as an open-world adventure, it’s simply too hollow and empty to satisfy players with a desire to explore every nook and cranny.

Neon City Riders promises an epic open-world action-adventure set in a vibrant '80s sci-fi world, but its action and writing are far too flat and clunky to back up its initial promise. It looks and sounds a treat in places, but lacklustre execution makes for a punishing, repetitive and confounding experience. Pull away that admittedly amazing pixel-heavy packaging and you've got a game that fails to make a lasting impression in any meaningful manner.