Neva Review
NEVA REVIEW
evocative journey
Few games have the power to elicit emotion without dialogue. Limbo, Inside, Journey, Hyper Light Drifter and of course Nomada’s debut title from 2019, Gris. The common thread with all of these games, is that they are all deeply emotional and are convey these untraditionally. Unsurprisingly, Neva is cut from the same cloth as these evocative titles.
Getting the bad news out of the way first, Neva is strikingly similar to Nomada Studios first title, Gris and the biggest change is the addition of combat, which is fairly simple and sometimes unfair, the margins for error in the platforming are extremely thin and Neva starts out quite slow.
The reasoning for starting with the bad news is because after coming to terms with the meaning of Neva, I began to second guess all of my criticisms. I contemplated if everything was allegoric and Nomada has earned this shadow of a doubt.
While the intentions of some mechanics will be pondered upon, Neva is a captivating platformer and though the experience is once again short, the playtime pales in comparison to the time it will remain with you.
Seasons
Neva might start out slow during the first couple of chapters, and even feel overly simple early on, but as the seasons pass, Neva begins to blossom into something captivating.
Neva is more of an experience and less of a game. It’s not about levelling up stats, it’s about going through an emotional journey with Alba and her magical wolf cub as they embark on this adventure through changing seasons and a rapidly deteriorating world around them. Neva is nicely broken up into relatively small chapters and seasons, which keeps the gameplay feeling fresh as new mechanics are constantly introduced.
At the core, Neva is a puzzle platformer, which provided some very satisfying moments. More importantly, the focus of Neva is the two elements that are equally paramount to the experience, which are the art direction and the score. Even to the untrained eye, it’s easy to see that Neva is visually striking. Conrad Roset and his Art Direction is on the forefront and this time around it feels that the palette has been expanded.
The score carries nearly as much weight as the visuals, which has once again been composed by Berlinist, who also worked on Gris. The score perfectly encapsulated the experience and evolved with the changing seasons.
From our point of view, Neva is about the journey of parenthood and the challenges it entails. How tough it is to raise a child, protect them, sacrifice for them, help them navigate this world and eventually how this dynamic evolves over the seasons of life.
Neva is still easily relatable even if you haven’t experienced parenthood, however it likely resonates at a higher frequency if you have. Similar to playdead, the meaning of Neva is open to interpretation and each person will likely take away a different meaning.
counter intuitive
Combat was the big addition to Neva and unfortunately, it was very monotonous dealing with a lot of the same enemies, who require the same attack pattern. The highlight of combat and where Neva should have focused was on more of the enemy types that were also incorporated into the environmental puzzles. These enemies were less about combat skill, more about intelligence and kept the focus on the dark beauty of the world. Encounters like this felt unique and displayed the studio at their best.
There was also lots of platforming, which required a precision that the controls didn’t fully offer. There were also plenty of stunning set pieces that all featured razor thin margins for error. The slightest mistake usually resulted in death and required the player to start the whole set piece over. Constantly dying felt counter intuitive to what Nomada is trying to make you experience.
Final Thoughts
Most of the criticisms with Neva are intertwined with wondering if everything was designed purposefully to serve as allegories. While this will remain unknown, our biggest criticism is that Neva was only a minor evolution from the studios previous work. With a studio this talented, it feels like Nomada played it safe
Nonetheless, the puzzle platforming gives a strong sense of satisfaction, the visuals are stunningly unmatched and sonically, the score is hauntingly beautiful and epic. Neva is a captivating title that evokes deep emotions and is an easy recommendation.