Review: Neva is a Beautiful Tale of a Girl and Her Wolf

On first look, Neva is a comfy recreation about nature and woodland associates. Nonetheless, as quickly as you load the sport up, it shortly reminds you that nature is brutal. Inside minutes, a chicken has died and become a black husk, whereas an imposing wolf-deer is murdered by horrors.

This tone is no surprise while you notice who the developer of Neva is. It’s the newest recreation from Nomada Studio, whose earlier recreation Gris was a lovely but harrowing exploration of grief. Neva looks like that the pure extension of that recreation. It takes the mix of gorgeous visuals and darkish subject material and turns it in direction of the brutal conflicts of nature. And with it, the puzzle platforming now will get harder and features extra fight mechanics.

You play as a lady named Alba, who is just not straight named in-game. She serves as a protector for an unlimited forest, alongside together with her wolf-deer hybrid companion. Nonetheless, at first of the sport, this companion is killed, forsaking a cub named Neva. The sport then chronicles a 12 months within the lifetime of Alba and Neva, as she raises this pup into an grownup so it will probably grow to be the forest’s new protector.

The sport itself is a puzzle platformer. You enterprise by way of the often-surreal wilderness, leaping throughout platforms, air dashing throughout gaps and climbing huge constructions to progress. Alongside the best way you encounter darkish, corrupted enemies that threaten the sanctity of the forest. With every season, Neva takes a extra energetic position in fight and could be referred to as on to stall enemies with bites or harm enemies Alba can’t attain.

There’s an apparent Ghibli inspiration inside all this. It’s not onerous to have a look at our protagonist’s fierce protection of the forest, accompanied by a big wolf creature, and instantly see Princess Mononoke’s San and Moro. Equally, the corrupted enemies, with their writhing black our bodies and mask-like faces, bear greater than somewhat resemblance to No-Face from Spirited Away.

That stated, the sport avoids feeling like an imitation, and extra a piece that exists in the identical headspace. For a begin, its visuals keep away from the Ghibli fashion totally. That is positively the studio who made Gris, with its painterly aesthetic and minimalist design. You might take a screenshot of any a part of this recreation, and it wouldn’t look misplaced on a gallery wall.

Nonetheless, the moment-to-moment gameplay is a large distinction to the slow-paced, meditative puzzle-solving of Nomada’s earlier work. The emphasis on fight provides fail states that Gris lacked, and the first emotional state of the sport is anger fairly than unhappiness. There’s a way of one thing profoundly incorrect occurring to those woods, and Alba and Neva should proper the wrongs. It’s defiant and aggressive.

This implies Neva is much more difficult than it’d seem. I went into the sport absolutely anticipating the form of sluggish, relaxed expertise of a whole lot of artsy, narrative-driven tasks. You stroll lots and resolve puzzles. Certain, that’s right here too, however the further issue provides an thrilling new layer. Fight provides a tiny well being pool, the restricted moveset could make encounters with giant teams tense, and a few platforming segments mixed Alba’s moveset in particular ways in which should be found out with some ingenuity. On no account is that this Darkish Souls, however anybody coming into this anticipating to casually stroll by way of it with ease might discover themselves stunned.

This was welcome, because it created for some nice moments. Sections the place the surroundings breaks open throughout fight, shifting the setting you’re attempting to place your self on. Typically enemies will use the surroundings itself to struggle you, or flying enemies will enter the fray. These enemies drive you to alter your techniques and make you focus in your positioning.

I additionally actually beloved how Neva shook up its platforming sections. The surroundings shifts are a giant approach the sport retains you in your toes, however then some sections additionally require you to ship Neva to assault switches when you’re in mid-air or mix your double soar and air sprint in new methods. There’s additionally a piece in the course of the Winter chapter that intentionally screws along with your perspective, and it’s simply probably the greatest elements of the sport.

The actual shining moments of the sport are the moments of peril the place you’re helpless and Neva jumps in and saves the day. These moments are the actual coronary heart of the sport. Mechanically, they normally add one thing new to your equipment that you simply’ll be utilizing in the course of the subsequent part. Narratively, they present the constructing relationship between Alba and Neva in a approach that’s extremely efficient regardless of the shortage of phrases.

This minimalist strategy to story is one thing that Neva does extremely properly. The one phrase spoken in the complete recreation is “Neva” everytime you name for her. In any other case, the sport’s narrative is communicated totally by way of gestures and moments. We by no means get lengthy exposition in regards to the origins of the corruption, we simply understand it’s unhealthy and should be stopped. Something left unexplained is for the participant to interpret as they see match. Is it a reminder of the cruelty of nature that should be revered? A critique on air pollution and its impact on wildlife? Or may it’s seen as an allegory for demise and rebirth? It’s all legitimate, and also you’ll be left pondering these questions lengthy after the sport is over.

Actually, I wrestle to search out a lot I didn’t like about Neva. Any critique I’ve feels both like I’m nitpicking or attempting to show the sport into one thing it’s not. Might the moveset be somewhat extra expansive to make some sections really feel much less repetitive? Certain, however the recreation’s simplicity is a serious asset in how the sport delivers its narrative. Are there sections the place the surroundings can generally get in the best way of the trail somewhat an excessive amount of? Certain, however these are uncommon and normally throughout quiet occasions the place you’re merely strolling. I definitely don’t recall any moments the place fog obscured fight, for example.

The sport is, admittedly, quick. My playthrough took simply shy of 4 hours to finish, and other than some non-compulsory crops you may make bloom, there’s little incentive to replay the sport. Nonetheless, these 4 hours are stunning and heartfelt, and one thing you’d probably wish to expertise once more.

Neva is a candy little recreation that left a big impression on me. Each body appears like a portray, there’s a shocking quantity of problem and the best way it builds these characters with out saying a phrase is masterful. When you’re a fan of quick, clever experiences in video games, you want to play Neva.

Neva is out now for PC, PS5, Swap and Xbox Collection X/S.