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Enhanced Gaming Experience: Neon Abyss: Infinite Review of Gameplay, In-App Purchases, and Multipl

2K View2023-06-19

As a player of both the PC and Switch versions, it's been a while since these two platforms received updates. The main reason is the porting process, which caused the progress of the PC version to lag behind. I'm really curious if this is a straight port without any changes, it would be the biggest flaw of this port. However, if there are many new contents added, it would be worth my anticipation for the mobile version. I hope to experience different gameplay experiences on different devices. In terms of the porting experience itself, compared to the PC version, there are a lot more contents added, which is worth my anticipation. However, there are still many areas that haven't been fully ported and many aspects that need optimization. I hope the developers continue to evolve the game. Although, please don't forget about the PC version just because of the mobile version.

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✨[Comparison with the PC Version]✨

The active effects of weapons have been removed [Possibly due to incomplete development] (Thanks to the insightful comments).

In single-player mode, you can't return to the previous room, so if you leave any items behind, you won't be able to retrieve them. It's frustrating for those who enjoy item farming (I don't understand why).

The gameplay requires unlocking talents, so you can't fully experience it right away. It requires grinding. In order to fully experience all the game's content, players have to grind. However, the current mode of the game only involves grinding levels. Due to the random luck, it's sometimes difficult to obtain good items, resulting in levels being difficult and requiring multiple attempts to clear.

Auto-targeting for attacks has been added to reduce the difficulty and make it more beginner-friendly. However, the auto-targeting is sometimes unreasonable. It follows the nearest principle rather than prioritizing boss targeting. It would be great if players could have the option to manually select the target priority.

Decorations for the interface need to be unlocked. It's flashy and serves as a monetization and grinding point, which I think is not ideal (I don't understand why).

Many easter eggs and peculiar items have been added for players to discover on their own.

Online multiplayer mode has been introduced, but the effects can stack and cause lag. If there are explosive effects, it can be even laggier.

Some textual content and character illustrations have been removed for the sake of harmony. Some character illustrations have a lot of mosaic censorship (I don't understand why).

Melee combat is still lacking. Even with the best melee character, melee combat remains weak in the late game. I hope melee combat can be improved or a melee weapon system can be introduced.

There are still many aspects that haven't been ported. The game is currently in a semi-finished state. I hope it will be further improved in future updates.

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✨[Comparison of Art Style with the PC Version]✨

The game takes place in a pixelated world filled with cyberpunk and ancient architecture. You represent the neon world on the surface and explore the endless abyss beneath. The combination of vibrant cyberpunk and ancient brick walls creates a unique and visually striking aesthetic that is very appealing and provides a sense of novelty. However, after a while, the repetitive visuals can lead to aesthetic fatigue. The mobile version inherits this unique art style but removes some necessary and essential harmonious visuals. That's the biggest difference in terms of art style. There's nothing new; it's just missing a few things.

I think the 3D modelers should apologize to the original artists. The character designs are incredibly beautiful, but the game's 3D models don't do them justice. It's like meeting someone you've only seen online, and the difference is quite significant. I hope the game's 3D models can match the same level of quality as the original artwork.

The characters and boss battles in the game are interesting. The characters lean towards the cyberpunk style, and the vivid contrast brings a fresh experience. The boss battles include many references to real-life elements, but many related terms have been removed to pass censorship, resulting in incomplete boss names. However, we can still understand them instantly and have a knowing smile. It's evident that a lot of effort has been put into the boss designs and their attack patterns.

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✨【Praise for the Electronic Style Game Music】✨

The game's music is immersive, especially in normal mode where it features continuous electronic music accompanied by different sound effects from shooting bullets, creating a dynamic sensation. However, the repetitive nature of the music can lead to a sense of fatigue, which is a common issue in many games. Neon chose to address this by allowing players to change the music by entering different rooms or selecting albums, turning the in-game music into a sort of collectible item. It's particularly interesting that the music in the game is contextual and perfectly matches the environment you're in. For example, the music in the item room and challenge room is different, with the former leaning towards a serene and relaxing tone, providing a pleasant feeling when obtaining items, while the latter creates a sense of pressure, making you question if you're truly ready to face the challenge. These aspects of the game are highly commendable.

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✨【Imperfect and Lacking Game Plot】✨

As a roguelike game, the focus is often not on the plot, and Neon seems to embrace this concept fully, giving you a beginning but no apparent continuation. Just like the name suggests, the plot feels infinite, and players struggle to find a coherent storyline or captivating narrative.

In comparison to another roguelike game called "Nuan Xue," which also falls into the same genre, it doesn't neglect the plot aspect. Despite being a roguelike, "Nuan Xue" manages to incorporate a complete story by allowing players to piece together a cohesive narrative based on the levels, items obtained, and different clues. However, in contrast, Neon lacks this cohesive experience, and the so-called plot consists of fragmentary encounters with characters in the levels, with only snippets of information serving as clues. Moreover, there are very few items that contribute to the plot, making it difficult to connect the scattered pieces of the story. While it's true that plot is not the most crucial element in a roguelike game, it's genuinely disappointing when an otherwise great game lacks in this aspect.

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✨【Quirky Game Items and Effects】✨

Apart from the player's attributes that can be developed, there is a wide variety of items to be obtained in the game, each with its own unique effects. These items often come with surprises, creating a sense of delight upon acquisition. By stacking different items, players can experience the satisfying feeling of mowing down enemies. However, acquiring these items requires the accumulation of player progress and strategic route selection. These items can be stacked without limits, and the final effect depends on whether your phone can handle the visual effects, rather than how many effects can be stacked. This aspect is both good and bad.

While excessive visual effects may not cause performance issues on PC and Switch platforms, when it comes to mobile gaming, it's necessary for the developers to consider the potential impact of excessive effects on different device models. Excessive effects can lead to lag, affecting the overall gaming experience. Not all smartphones have high-end chips and systems, so it might be worth optimizing the game to the greatest extent possible to accommodate players with lower-spec devices.

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✨【Random Level Optimization Suggestions】✨

The game's levels have a significant amount of randomness, as do the items obtained. This can make the acquisition of certain items feel quite mysterious, and the sense of satisfaction from mowing down enemies is not always consistent. Sometimes, even combining a dozen different items may not achieve the same effect as combining just two or three specific items. There seems to be an impassable gap between the upper and lower limits. While players may have the freedom to experiment, they still find themselves challenging difficult levels in order to obtain better items. Alternatively, what if players could obtain items of moderate quality? This could provide a more balanced experience.

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✨【Game Items and Optimization Suggestions】✨

The game features a wide variety of items that have immediate effects on the player once obtained. However, there is a crucial element missing due to the abundance of items: the lack of detailed descriptions. Sometimes, even if a weapon or item is an Easter egg, it is difficult to discern from the description or only brief equipment details. The specific damage and effects of the equipment can only be known once it is equipped. This sacrifice is significant because items can serve as clues to the game's plot or as reference criteria for different combinations. When players acquire new items, their first instinct is to check the weapon's effects and then make different choices for combinations. However, due to the limited reference information, players can only pick up all the items they see and can only buy one item from the shop. This can lead to indecision when faced with two seemingly identical options. It would be better to have a feature that allows players to click and view equipment effects. Additionally, more detailed and precise equipment descriptions would enhance the experience.

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✨【Impact Feedback and Optimization Suggestions】✨

As a side-scrolling action shooter game, the sense of impact is crucial. The game's impact is manifested in the slight knockback of monsters and screen shaking, but it falls short in providing a satisfying impact experience. Sometimes, the sense of impact is barely perceptible. For mobile devices, it would be beneficial to offer more options, such as adding vibration to enhance the sense of impact.

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✨【Attention to Detail, Thumbs Up】✨

The game has high replayability and is the type of game that is easy to get addicted to. It caters to collectors and players with a penchant for completionism with its numerous items. While it can be exhausting to play repeatedly, the game introduces many novel gameplay elements like "dancing," "fishing," "claw machines," and "jumping," among many others. Many of the in-game items are interactive, showcasing the thoughtful design by the game developers.

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✨【Decent Game Controls and Sensitivity】✨

In terms of controls, the game is not as refined as PC games and may have some flaws, as evident from my initial experience. However, the adjustable UI interface and various settings that increase tolerance levels are commendable. Nonetheless, it would be ideal to further improve the controls. Sometimes, a minor mistake can lead to game failure, and it is preferable that any errors be due to my own mistakes rather than low tolerance levels resulting from the game's adaptation.

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✨【Game Monetization Model and Expectations】✨

The game has transitioned from a one-time purchase model to in-app purchases, which is extremely user-friendly for casual players. This is a common approach in the current mobile gaming market that greatly increases the player base. In-app purchases only affect whether players can have an exceptional gaming experience, rather than hindering access to the game content. Currently, the in-game bundles offer relative value for their price. However, as the game progresses, there is concern about unnecessary focus on in-app purchases. Many mobile games have deviated from their original purpose of providing new gaming experiences and adding fresh content. Instead, they continuously release numerous bundles. I genuinely hope Neon can stay true to its initial intentions and use players' money to create new content rather than inundating players with countless bundles. This is the kind of in-app purchase approach I desire as a player, but it's just my personal hope.

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✨【In-Game Items and Optimization Suggestions】✨

The game has a wide variety of items, and their effects are immediately evident upon acquisition. However, the abundance of items has led to a crucial element being overlooked - the lack of detailed descriptions. Sometimes, even if you know that a weapon or item is special, it's difficult to determine its purpose due to inadequate descriptions or brief equipment details. Specific damage values and effects can only be discovered by actually using the item. This sacrifice is significant because sometimes items serve as clues to the game's storyline or act as reference points for players to make different combinations. With the current lack of reference conditions, players can only pick up the items they see and, when in a shop, they can only buy one item, often struggling between two items that seem almost identical except for their appearance and name. It would be better to add a feature that allows players to click and view the equipment's effects. Additionally, providing more detailed and refined equipment descriptions would greatly enhance the gaming experience.

Although I understand that this is a game feature, and players can check the weapon details without equipping them, I still hope that the weapon attributes can be presented more clearly and include more numerical values... (feeling weak and helpless)

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✨【Impact Feedback and Optimization Suggestions】✨

As a side-scrolling action shooting game, the sense of impact is crucial. The game's impact is manifested through slight monster knockbacks and screen shaking, but it falls short at times, and the sense of impact is barely noticeable. For mobile gaming, perhaps there can be more options to enhance the impact, such as incorporating vibrations.

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✨【Attention to Detail Deserves Praise】✨

The game offers high replayability and easily captivates players. For collectors and perfectionist players, the abundance of hundreds of items greatly satisfies their desires. Moreover, as a casual game, the developers have thoughtfully introduced various novel gameplay elements, such as "dancing," "fishing," "claw machines," "jumping," and countless other interactive features with in-game items. These meticulous details reflect the thoughtful efforts of the game creators.

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✨【Decent Game Controls】✨

In terms of gameplay controls, it is not as refined as a PC game and there are some flaws, based on my initial experience. However, the adjustable UI interface and many settings designed to increase tolerance are commendable. Nonetheless, it would be even better if these aspects could be improved further. Sometimes, a small mistake can lead to game failure, and I hope it is due to my own error in operation rather than a result of low tolerance after porting.

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✨【Game's Payment Model and Expectations】✨

The game has transitioned from a one-time purchase model to an in-app purchase model, which is extremely friendly to casual players. This shift allows even non-paying players to experience the game's content fully. It has become a common practice in the mobile gaming market, effectively raising the ceiling. In-app purchases only affect players' game experience and not the game's content itself. Currently, the in-game bundles are relatively cost-effective. However, as the game progresses and time goes on, concerns may arise regarding unnecessary in-app purchases. Many mobile games have deviated from their original goal of providing players with new gaming experiences and additional content, instead continuously releasing numerous bundles. I genuinely hope that Neon Games will stay true to their original intentions, utilizing players' funds to add new content rather than inundating them with countless bundles. This is my expectation as a player, but I hope it is taken into consideration.

In summary, the game provides an enjoyable experience for both paying and non-paying players. While there may be some disparities between the two player groups in terms of acquiring certain items, the current advantages gained from in-app purchases are not substantial. The game offers various ways to accumulate items through gameplay, and diligent players can bridge the gap with perseverance and skill.Furthermore, the developers have shown dedication to optimizing the game based on player feedback, evident in their continuous efforts to improve the multiplayer experience and address bugs. Although there is room for further refinement in terms of the social aspect and stability of the multiplayer feature, the game's potential for social interaction is promising.Overall, the game's payment model allows for fair and accessible gameplay, and the attention to detail in terms of items and gameplay mechanics is commendable. As the game continues to evolve, it is my hope that the developers strike a balance between monetization and enhancing the overall gaming experience, maintaining a focus on delivering engaging content rather than excessive monetization practices.

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