Love, Death and Bonds | Neva Review

WACO, Texas (KWTX) - Written by Alex Richardson - Reviewed on PlayStation 5

Code provided by publisher for review

*A Note from the editor: while Alex initially gave this game a 6/10, the language of his review suggested this was not accurate to our rating system’s criteria, after careful consideration we’ve elected to amend the score to an 8/10 as it better reflects his critique.

What do you get when you combine fluid animation, a beautiful orchestral score, and a picturesque landscape? You get Nomada Studios and Devolver Digital’s newest title Neva. A love letter to strife, love, compassion and the bonds we form through shared trauma. The game features a dialogueless narrative where the beautiful artwork, stirring score and careful level design feed you a tale. That tale is one of parental bonds and how the context of the world we live in helps form emotional connections. Our protagonist Alba discovers an antler wielding wolf and her cub whom she helps defend from an engulfing darkness, but unfortunately the mother wolf falls. Now Alba and her new wolf cub Neva must embark on a journey to save their world from a mysterious entity. Neva is a great example of the mastercraft storytelling that can be done through the medium and one that is certain to resonate with many players.

With a storytelling style that is definitively show don’t tell the Nomada Studios team leave the experience to be largely open to player interpretation. There is no dialog in Neva so if you are looking for a game that walks you through the story then this title may not be for you. While I typically don’t go for this style of game, I found myself pleasantly surprised at how much I came to appreciate this title. Though your time with this duo is brief and wordless the connection between both the characters and the player is built quickly. Neva’s story is told through seasons, from harsh winter to lush spring and as Alba matures so too does her young wolf. Watching this relationship grow and thrive as the game went on made for a really gorgeous connection. Nomada Studios’ incredible art direction is on full display throughout the game, in a year full of games striving for photorealism, Neva’s watercolor paint style of simplistic character designs on immaculate environments makes lovingly crafted land a breath of artistic fresh air. The art style is only outdone by the ever-present sweeping orchestral soundtrack that ties the scenes and emotions together.

The story is excellently delivered, however from a gameplay standpoint Neva is not without its shortcomings. While the levels are beautifully crafted, at times the heavily stylized nature of the game itself can cause elements of the level to be obscured. Whether it’s a piece of terrain that seems to be interactable or a platform that is obstructed by scenery or fog, the inconsistencies unfortunately show through the beauty. The game rarely holds your hand or tutorializes things leaving you with little to no guide for what you are meant to do. That being said, the platforming is graceful and Alba’s movements fluid. It was a lot of fun exploring the brush stroked world effortlessly jumping climbing and rolling around. While this game leans more toward an experience piece it is still a game, and the combat and gameplay must be spoken to. Unfortunately, this is the lowlight of the title for me. I understand that this game is more art than challenge and that Neva is not meant to be an intense action game nor a difficult platformer. I couldn’t help but feel let down by the simplicity at times as I enjoyed the visually stunning sets I wanted more options to explore them. I would have liked to see a bit more substance to the gameplay as the only times that I fell in combat or platforming is when I started to rush due to wanting to get to the next scene. The game offers two modes one focused on Neva’s story, making death an impossibility but I found the games combat and traversal to be so benign that these seemed unnecessary.

Neva is clearly a substance game; one whose interactive narrative is the focus of the project not its gameplay. Nomada studios hosts a masterclass in showing how much impact this medium can have by tearing your heart out and filling it back up with warmth. If you play one indie game this year, make it Neva. The gameplay may feel dull for a challenge seeker like me but, there is an undeniable polish to every aspect of it. Nomada have proven their power of execution in story telling by weaving a relatable tale through timeless visuals, a stirring soundtrack and a message that is syre resonate with players across the board. The experience of this game is one of emotional depth, and while our time with the wild pair of Neva and Alba is short lived it is one, I think worth experiencing. I give Neva a 8 out of 10. For Hardwired I’m Alex Richardson thanks for reading.

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