After attracting strong criticism from the public and the media, Gray It was a luxury showcase for Studio Nomada. The Catalan game triumphed above all for its exceptional artistic section, as well as for a deep and very well drawn narration throughout its platforms and scenarios. And so, those responsible decided to bet on a new project, retaining the essence of the first, since Neva would not be understood without the prior launch of Gray. Yes indeed, each section has been significantly improvedassuming an appreciable jump in quality from the moment we take orders for Neva. But let’s look at this in depth.
Nature and friendship in the background
Swindle NevaNomada Studio follows the path marked by Graywith the aim of delivering a new story that resonates with players, told once again through sublime visuals. In this case, we put ourselves in Alba’s place, a girl whose destiny is quickly linked to that of a baby wolf. A fateful event will lead them to rejoin their paths to free the forest, which will be plunged into total darkness.
Neva and Alba’s adventure is full of dangers, including ruthless beings who corrupt those who inhabit the forest, plus a darkness that gradually floods the picturesque landscape brilliantly drawn by Nomada Studio. Your suggestion sometimes reminds me of Princess Mononoke.one of the masterpieces of Studio Ghibli (overcoming huge distances). The corruption of nature down to its deepest roots, a towering wolf and an accompanying warrior…perhaps this was not the starting point to build Nevabut the comparison was inevitable in my head. And I think the same thing will happen to many.
The best thing is the relationship between the two characters and how it evolves, similar to Neva. Our wolf companion starts as a baby, but as the game’s chapters progress, spread across the different seasons of the year, he will grow and change his attitude towards his surroundings. And the effort at this point is noticeable from the developers.
Neva is like Gris: art in its purest form
Yes with Gray We did not find authentic paintings at every step, in this case the sensation increases with the brilliant bet of Nomada, with an even richer and more varied color palette than in the first game. With this adventure the narrative went in other directions and sought to capture concepts as complex as depression, overwhelm or loss. Hence its tone and visual section. However, Neva chooses to strike us from the first minute with all the beauty of nature. A pristine, colorful world in all its splendor, brimming with life.
The message and plot are different, but a lot of it is also conveyed through the images. And in this sense, Nomada Studio was able to exploit its creativity and art even more. Art that maintains the appearance of a moving watercolor. I am not exaggerating when I say that each frame could very well be used as a decorative painting in any context and would not be out of place in either case.
The entertainment surprised me very much. To start, The way Neva moves with us changes in the same way as with its appearance and age.. He has “powers” so to speak, and over time he uses them to overcome obstacles between platforms, in addition to helping us in our encounters with certain enemies. For its part, Alba also has a fairly decent animation repertoire (including the dimensions of the title). We can pet Neva, help her from a young age if she is scared or hurt, and of course, call her to follow us and not be left behind.
More combat, more metroidvania
Another very successful point from Nomada Studio with Nevait’s the way they approach the genre commonly known as “metroidvania”. I can’t say that it is in its purest essence, but it is true that the fight acquires a central position to give it that distinctive look compared to Gray. Moreover, it will not take us long to fight these dark enemies around us, and we will do so thanks to Alba’s sword.
But don’t expect anything shallow along these lines either. At the end We will press the “X” button to kill enemies with a clean sword swing
Oh and there are bosses. I won’t say much about it, but there are some great moments. Like I said, don’t expect an in-depth experience with the combat system, but that doesn’t mean it’s not enjoyable. Sometimes we can cope with it, and other times, as happened in the great Oriwe will only have the option to run away and try to be as precise as possible by jumping and dodging from one side to the other. Of course, puzzle-wise, the game is quite simple and won’t be a major problem for even the most casual users.
The sound level, also up to par
Music is one of the most important elements of a video game, and in titles like Neva They acquire as high an importance as the story itself or the artistic section. The melodies fit perfectly into every moment, giving the necessary drama during the game, making us nervous in moments of greatest tension or highlighting the most beautiful and impressive images that the game can offer us. Certainly, Nomada knows how to set the rhythm of his video game with a suitable soundtrack.
On the other hand, even if the sound work may seem quite simple, I really like the few sounds that were provided to Alba. Once again, the protagonist of Neva
If you liked Gris, you will like Neva
Nomada Studio is back with an exciting new adventure, where what made it great is still present. Graybut at the same time, knowing how to improve an already very good experience. We will have the fight very very presentalmost from the start of the adventure, with a moving artistic section, in line with Graybut with a completely different color palette. Neva This is a partly continuous experience, but it adds new elements that make the experience more dynamic.
In terms of bugs or errors, I have to say that the game is very polished. On a narrative level, This time he moves away from the hit his previous proposal left the player with.which I personally don’t like, although I was expecting something similar touching on sensitive subjects. Concerning the playable section, it does not invent the wheel, far from it, but it serves to give it that metroidvania air that suits it so well. Anyway, if you liked it Grayyou will like Neva. It’s not the most ambitious proposal in the world, but it gives us a few hours to revel in the art of Conrad Roset.
From here, we would like to thank Devolver for providing us with the code for this analysis.
Neva
Pro.
- Nomada Studio’s art is always wonderful
- The evolution towards the more metroidvania genre
- Fantastic level design
Contra.
- The combat system is effective, but quite simple
- On a narrative level, I expected the treatment of a riskier subject.
I have traveled to worlds you would never believe, putting an end to enemies beyond mysticism. I felt my pulse quicken with each battle, and the sigh of someone who knows he will have to get back up. There’s always a villain waiting and an adventure around the corner.
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