Neon Blood Review — Detective Work Without Much Detecting

Neon Blood had the potential to be something truly outstanding—a gripping investigative experience with a deep cyberpunk narrative and tactical combat. Sadly, the final product falls short. While it has some great features, particularly its art and visual presentation, many other key aspects are either underdeveloped or poorly executed, making the experience somewhat disappointing.

One area where Neon Blood shines is its presentation. The art direction, world-building, and atmosphere are fantastic. Every corner of the environment feels thoughtfully designed, with care given to even small details. The mix of pixel art characters and 3D environments creates a unique cyberpunk setting.

The game also features incredible cutscenes with stunning hand-drawn animation that brings the characters to life, translating their pixelated silhouettes into fully rendered drawings. The soundtrack complements the setting beautifully, and it’s easy to see why Neon Blood stands out aesthetically.

However, for all the visual brilliance, the substance beneath the surface falls flat, leaving the game feeling more like an eye-catching shell rather than a fully realized experience.

One noticeable flaw is the linear approach to exploration and storytelling. It’s frustrating to see such a richly detailed world that you can’t truly interact with. The game follows a rigid, railroaded structure, severely restricting your ability to explore the various locations within the city. With the potential for such an interesting setting at your fingertips, it feels like a missed opportunity not to have the freedom to delve deeper into the world. Instead, you’re confined to a narrow path that limits any real interaction with the environment, leaving the world-building feeling underutilized and shallow.

Similarly, the investigation mechanics in Neon Blood are disappointingly basic. For a game centered around detective work, there’s a lack of actual mechanics for tracking clues, interrogating suspects, or really doing anything detective-related. Instead, you essentially play a point-and-click adventure, going from point to point and reading the prompted dialogue. The lack of meaningful choices severely undermines the “detective game” aspect.

A detective game set in a world of cybernetic implants offers a myriad of interesting possibilities for solving mysteries, which the game even hints at. Instead, the investigation sequences feel more like passive observation than active participation.

Your relationships with other characters are similarly underdeveloped. There’s no opportunity to form deeper connections with your allies or explore different approaches to missions. Even with the introduction of some interesting characters (cyberpunk hackers, fellow detectives, etc.), the game fails to capitalize on their potential, leaving the story and its participants feeling one-dimensional.

Combat is another area where the game falls short. While initially interesting, the system quickly becomes repetitive and overly simplistic. You can breeze through most battles by spamming a single attack. In most RPGs, combat becomes more complex and engaging as more characters join your party. This doesn’t happen in Neon Blood. Combat remains the same repetitive slog without adding new party members.

The narrative of Neon Blood suffers from similar flaws. The story is predictable and lacks complexity, following a straightforward, railroaded path with little in the way of twists, surprises, or player choice. There’s no real sense of mystery or opportunity to piece together clues meaningfully. Instead, everything is plainly presented, leaving little room for engagement or a deeper connection. The lack of complexity in both plot and character arcs makes the story feel uninspired and lacking impact.

I also found some of the dialogue downright weird. Characters sometimes make inflammatory or bizarre remarks that feel out of place, often with little reaction from others.

Despite these problems, there’s no denying the talent and effort that went into Neon Blood’s development. The art is breathtaking, the soundtrack beautifully complements the setting, and the game runs smoothly without noticeable bugs or glitches. However, this polish can’t make up for the underwhelming gameplay, lack of player agency, and missed narrative potential, especially with the lack of even basic accessibility options. (You can’t even change the resolution.)

Neon Blood took me about four hours to complete. For $20, it feels a bit expensive for what it offers. If you’re interested and don’t mind the cost, give it a try, but more thrifty gamers should wait for a sale.

If you value visual aesthetics and enjoy a game for its artistic qualities, Neon Blood might be worth playing. However, if you were hoping for a deeper experience with engaging mechanics, meaningful choices, and an impactful narrative, you’re likely to be disappointed. What could have been a standout title is ultimately a missed opportunity—a beautiful but shallow game.

Try Hard Guides received a PC review code for this game. Find more detailed looks at popular and upcoming titles on our Game Reviews page! Neon Blood is available on Steam, Xbox, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch.