Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield Review

If gamers are looking for something different than the latest blockbuster, then Indie Games are the best place to go if you are looking for something more creative and experimental. This means that these games have some of the best developers and most talented people in the industry. Neil Jones is no exception. He is the sole creator and developer of Never yield,a side-scrolling self-running auto-runner. It emphasizes fast decision-making and replaying levels in the fastest time possible. You'll have a great time playing this game, regardless of how long you play it for.

The music is the first thing you will notice about Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield. The music immediately draws you into the game. A bright, electric trumpet leads the way. Never Yield is a simple game that teaches you only four functions.

Never Yield gives you only four options: sliding, high jumping and dashing. You must be able to complete each level in the fastest possible time without getting tripped up. If you hit a wall or slip under a table, you get a "Do you yield?" message. Replying "Never" will take you back to your previous checkpoint. This is something I loved, because it encourages me to be direct with games like this. This is especially useful when you play on the Insane difficulty. You'll probably be looking at that screen quite often.

The Never Yieldhelps speedrunning feature gives it an amazing replayability. It's especially impressive because the gameplay and music are so intertwined that it is almost impossible to make a mistake while running through levels. It's so good that you almost feel broken when you lose because of the music. Another important point to remember: I never felt like I had failed a section due to something the game did. Every death was due to a mistake I made. The checkpoints were so generous that I could always remember my mistake to avoid making it again.

Never yieldtruly shines on many aspects, especially the soundtrack. However, my favorite aspect of the game is the level design. You will need to avoid everything, including rocks, drones, missiles, giant saw blades, and awkwardly placed chest-high walls. My playthroughs were mostly on the standard difficulty level due to my old trophy hunting itch. It was a fun platinum to get, and I still enjoy jumping into old levels to improve my time. You can have a quick gaming session, or spend a whole day meticulously shaving seconds to improve your level times.

Talking of those levels, one reason they won't become tiresome is that they are all so lively. While you'll be racing past many things in the world, the environmental storytelling, from the enemies and obstacles in your path to the bright "wanted billboards" with your face at work makes it feel real and lived in. The story is told through short cuts at the beginning of each level and the music, which Daniel Wilkins composed.

This creates a sense of mystery and a journey to discovery that the player goes through. Each level reveals more about what's going on and maybe why we're running around everywhere. It was a pleasure to figure out the storyline, which I continue to enjoy. However, I can tell you that you are running from an organization and you must not stop running or they will take your stuff.

Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield has everything I need. Jones may be so inclined. I'd love to see Jones play at different levels and see how far he can push the limits of the level design for Ever Yield. These new levels might also include tracks by Daniel Wilkins. Never Yield still offers a lot of gameplay, even if you don't get an additional level.

On a clean run, each level takes around three to four minutes. However, you will have fewer of them your first time. These levels are perfect for speedrunning and can be returned to often. However, if you don't want to scale the leaderboards, rolling credits on Never yield won’t take more than an hour.

Aerial_Knight’s Never Yield is nothing short of an amazing vision and brilliantly executed idea. This is what makes Never Yield's roots a mixture of upsetting, and uplifting. Neil Jones spent the past decade working as a Black developer in an industry that didn't have enough space for him. So he decided to take the initiative to create it. If you'd like to learn more about Neil Jones and his journey, I highly recommend reading his recent interview with GamesIndustry.Biz. Jones is more than signing his work and adding his username to the title. He is essentially stating that he will not yield to his passions, and this game is proof.