Mastering Push Forward Combat: The Art of Neon White's Game Design

Neon White excels at keeping players moving with speed and purpose. While its ranking system, requiring players to achieve a certain number of gold ranks to progress, is the most visible method, much more is happening behind the scenes to motivate players to keep pushing forward.

Though many ideas in Neon White are borrowed from games like Doom, Ultrakill, and Post Void, it arguably excels in encouraging forward momentum in combat.

Understanding Push Forward Combat

Before diving into how Neon White achieves this, let's briefly discuss what push-forward combat is. This term describes the desired player behavior in an arena-like level, often in first-person shooters. Rather than "toilet bowling" around the level's perimeter until all enemies are cleared, push-forward combat encourages players to dive into the center of the action, feeling like a true badass. While Neon White is not an arena FPS, it uses these principles effectively, compelling players to move from point A to point B as quickly as possible.

Key Elements of Push Forward Combat in Neon White

1. Pushing Forward as a Requirement In Neon White, progression often depends on slaying enemies to obtain cards necessary for traversal. For instance, defeating a Jock enemy yields the "Godspeed" card for boosting across large gaps, while defeating a Frog enemy provides the "Elevate" card for vertical boosts. This loop mirrors Doom's system of rewarding players with health and ammo drops, compelling them to move forward and collect these resources.

2. Traversal Benefits from Enemies Some enemies offer traversal benefits without giving a specific resource. The Balloon enemy propels players upward upon contact, often chaining together for a stair-like climb. The Shocker enemy, positioned flat on the ground with petal-like platforms, propels players forward when they land on the green platform. These mechanics force players to engage with enemies to progress.

3. Scarce Ammo Ammo is a limited resource in many levels, necessitating precise, rapid shots. Missing too many shots results in losing the gun and the opportunity to use its abilities for traversal, often leading to a level restart. This scarcity encourages players to move closer to enemies before shooting, increasing the likelihood of landing necessary hits.

4. Strategic Enemy Placement In later levels, enemies are often positioned to force players to kill them quickly to obtain new weapons and abilities. These enemies are typically placed mid-air or near gaps that result in death if fallen into. Quickly reaching and eliminating these enemies is crucial for survival and avoiding level resets.

Conclusion

Neon White demonstrates how to master push forward combat, compelling players to engage deeply with its mechanics and move with purpose. By forcing engagement with enemies for traversal tools, creating a scarcity of resources, and strategically placing enemies, the game ensures continuous forward momentum.

I hope this analysis provides valuable insights for implementing push-forward combat in your game. Thanks for reading, and keep on keeping on!