This new Xbox game is a genuine work of art, and yes, it made me cry

As a seasoned gamer with a soft spot for narrative-driven adventures that offer immersive gameplay, I found myself utterly captivated by Neva. Coming off the heels of GRIS, it was a natural progression for Nomada Studio to continue their artistic storytelling journey.

I’ve only recently experienced GRIS for the very first time, over a year ago, and it remains one of the standout games I played in 2023. Now, the sequel from independent studio Nomada Studio has arrived, and it surpasses all my anticipations.

In contrast to GRIS, which portrays a narrative of sorrow and apprehension as you passively navigate through your pain, Neva narrates a tale of finding resilience in loss, progressing, learning to safeguard what is precious to you, and understanding cycles. Although it doesn’t directly follow GRIS or share many similarities, Neva demonstrates that Nomada Studio’s storytelling prowess in GRIS was no accident.

I truly enjoyed playing Neva, and the advancements Nomada has been making in refining their skills left me yearning for the adventure to continue longer.

What is Neva?

Initially, Nomada Studio released GRIS as their first game – a puzzle-platformer that relied heavily on narrative and featured straightforward gameplay. Now, almost six years since then, Nomada has come back with Neva, introducing a brand new tale set in an entirely different world. This new creation boasts a unique visual aesthetic and an array of novel gameplay elements to explore.

The tale unfolds around Alba, a young woman intimately connected with a colossal, mysterious wolf and its tiny offspring. An ominous encounter with a dreadful menace to nature and existence saddens Alba and her cub deeply. Consequently, they embark on a voyage aimed at healing, fighting the rot that infects their land, and uncovering their unique path towards tranquility.

Neva seamlessly blends puzzle-platformer and action-adventure gameplay with the inclusion of combat and advanced jumping mechanics, yet remains heavily influenced by its captivating visual aesthetics and storytelling. Similar to GRIS, Neva offers a brief journey that can typically be finished within about five hours.

Neva review: The good

This new Xbox game is a genuine work of art, and yes, it made me cry

The pros highlights

Neva adopts a new art style for Nomada Studio, and feels more polished and fluid than GRIS.
The narrative is a little more straightforward than GRIS, but still leaves a lot up to personal interpretation.
As a game, Neva is simply more fun to play than GRIS, with better platforming and added combat mechanics.

As soon as the first track on Neva starts playing, you’re drawn right into the game, just like sinking into a cozy warm bath. The instant the opening cinematic immerses you in its world, you’re gripped by the vivid array of saturated colors. While impressive art direction doesn’t necessarily make a great game, Neva serves as indisputable evidence that Nomada Studio belongs among the elite when it comes to crafting games into works of art.

GRIS showcases exceptional artistic skill on its own, and I must admit that I slightly prefer its distinctive watercolor aesthetic over Neva’s flatter color scheme. However, it’s evident from all perspectives that Nomada has significantly improved in the realm of graphics and animations. Neva appears incredibly smooth, meticulously refined, and polished to perfection, giving the impression that each frame was carefully crafted by hand with intention and care.

The soundtrack is top-notch as well. Though it may not be quite as iconic as some legendary soundtracks, Neva’s original score complements the visuals, setting, and story beautifully with finesse and emotion. The final product has a sense of unity that carries throughout, even when Neva goes all out with large, abstract backdrops and bizarre landscapes. Every scene is breathtaking, making it difficult not to snap around 400 photos.

In a surprising twist, I found Neva’s gameplay to be richer than expected. It showcases promising elements of a Metroidvania platformer, and this isn’t just hyperbole. Compared to GRIS’ basic jumping mechanics, Neva’s platforming is leaps and bounds ahead, offering refined double jumps, rolls, midair dashes, the ability to string together and combine jumping moves off enemies, and much more.

Alba demonstrates warrior skills just as impressively, and although fighting involves basic attacks combined with all your agility moves for movement, it truly is an exhilarating experience. There’s a decent assortment of adversaries to face off against, and Neva doesn’t hesitate to present you with numerous diverse and formidable bosses during gameplay. Your faithful companion, Neva, evolves as the narrative unfolds, acquiring new skills that aid both navigation and combat.

In contrast to other 2D platformers, Neva stands out due to the meticulous planning that’s evident in its innovative gameplay mechanics. While GRIS offered an immersive experience, Neva succeeds in being not only engaging but also enjoyable.

Ultimately, here’s the tale. Alba isn’t a chatty main character; in fact, she only utters one word – the name of her wolf-like friend. On the other hand, Neva is extremely vocal, exhibiting behaviors that make him seem like a genuine dog with his actions, gestures, and responses. You’ll need to retrieve Neva when he gets distracted, call him back when he strays, console him when he’s afraid, and even motivate him when he’s hesitant about something.

Alba and Neva have a unique connection due to their shared experience of losing Neva’s parent. This tragic event has created an unbreakable bond between them. However, while grief is present in their relationship, it isn’t the only aspect that defines them. Instead, they are both driven by a stronger motivation – the desire to combat and eliminate the corruption that led to the loss of Neva’s parent and Alba’s own pain. It’s your task to find the courage to battle this corruption and the evil it has spawned, with the ultimate goal of ensuring no one else suffers as they have.

Instead of GRIS which abounds with symbolism and metaphors, Neva offers a more straightforward storytelling approach. The essence of the tale is open to personal interpretation, but for me, it’s about battling to safeguard what you cherish and enduring difficult phases in life’s journey. It’s a moving narrative that concludes as it starts, and it undoubtedly stirred tears – at least I found myself shedding some.

Neva review: The bad

The cons highlights

More than anything, I just wish Neva was longer.
The gameplay mechanics are good enough that Neva, in another universe, could’ve been a much longer adventure without issue.

Neva is a beautifully crafted narrative-adventure, skillfully written and directed, with a touching story that may leave you in tears. However, it didn’t resonate with me as deeply as the heartrending tale of GRIS, and I believe that Neva falls short compared to GRIS in terms of its more subdued color palette and textures, which lack some of the ethereal allure present in GRIS.

I only have one real complaint with Neva, though, and that it’s not longer. I felt that GRIS was the perfect length for the story it told, and Neva is a similar length. However, Neva’s gameplay mechanics lend themselves far better to a longer format than GRIS, which offered little challenge to players during its runtime.

In under five hours, you can finish Neva, and if you’re meticulous, you could even unlock all achievements during your initial playthrough (I didn’t manage to get them all). I was hoping for a deeper exploration of Neva’s enhanced platforming and combat elements, as the game seemed to end rather quickly.

Neva review: Final thoughts

You should play this if …

✅You were a fan of GRIS

Neva represents an ideal model for a studio’s second project, embodying all that a game should strive for in this stage. It’s an excellent choice for those who appreciated the emotional, artistic narrative found in GRIS and are eager for more of such experiences.

✅You love narrative-driven games that still feature satisfying gameplay

I’m perfectly fine with games labeled as “walking simulators” if the style suits the narrative and overall experience keeps me engaged, but many people prefer games that prioritize gameplay over story. Neva manages to blend both aspects effectively.

You should not play this if …

❌You’re looking for a new adventure to take up lots of your time

Neva doesn’t quite reach the pinnacle of artistic mastery, yet it leaves a lasting impression that lingers post-game completion, primarily because of its concise nature. Therefore, this game may not be ideal for those craving a fresh, extended (10 hours or more) adventure.

It took me a bit longer than expected to reach Neva following the completion of my Metaphor: ReFantazio review, but this delay speaks more to the captivating nature of Metaphor: ReFantazio rather than the allure of Neva itself.

Neva may not snatch the “Game of the Year” title away from Atlus’ masterpiece, but make no mistake, this game is fantastic. It delivers everything I hoped for from the creators behind GRIS, and it surpassed my expectations based on the initial trailer. The game is so captivating that my main issue lies in its brevity – just like when you stumble upon an incredible song and lose track of time.

In terms of visuals and storytelling, I wasn’t surprised by the quality from Nomada Studio as they always deliver. However, what truly impressed me was the significant improvement in gameplay found in Neva compared to its predecessor, suggesting that this team might still have some impressive projects up their sleeve. Currently, you can find Neva on Xbox, Windows PC, PlayStation, and Nintendo Switch. If you’re yet to play either of these games, they are available for a combined price of just $29.99 at the Microsoft Store (Xbox).

2024-11-04 16:09