Neva Analysis – An explosion of art in motion

The Barcelona-based studio Nomada Studio presents Neva, a moving adventure with an artistic proposition that borders on excellence.

Those of us who come from the city of Barcelona are known as “quemaco” in rural (and not so rural) Catalonia. An expression in Catalan that means “how beautiful”, something that we city dwellers do every time we go to the countryside and are amazed by the landscape, enjoying the beauty of a tree or some rocks as if they were something exotically beautiful. .

Neva managed to make it the living expression of a “burner” every minute that the adventure lasts. The artistic proposal of the Barcelona studio Nomada Studios has captivated my attention since the beauty of its handmade creations, the feeling of immensity of its settings and the rhythm given by its soundtrack. Every detail has been taken care of with great care and good taste. Underlining, even more, the ability to keep your mouth open from start to finish.

Although Gris, his previous delivery, already boasted of everything described, Neva has managed to raise the bar in every aspect and maintain this level of excellence in the new playable mechanics. The combat system is the main new feature and occupies a significant part of the adventure alongside exploration and environmental puzzles with scenery elements.

The events that take place in its story are carried out by Alba, a young woman accompanied by Neva, a kind of wolf with horns and magical powers. Both must fight against the darkness that makes its way through the colorful world they inhabit, corrupting everything in its path and denying the existence of beauty in everything around them.

When the beauty of life shines

The history of the Neva unfolds through a complete stationary cycle, beginning with the hot summer, passing through the decadence of autumn and the cold solitude of winter until reaching the hopeful spring. Each of these phases is perfectly captured with recognizable artistic styles that evolve in tandem with the narrative proposed by Nomada Studio. Highlight certain phases of autumn or winter which have been recorded in my retina, either because of their good taste and finesse in its artistic representation or even the originality in terms of mechanics that I found in other phases. As I said, I felt “exhausted” in the vast majority of parts of this adventure.

Neva is a game that feels constantly alivelargely because their sets are in full motion. Either by progressing at the rate we move through them, or by moving their structures in the environmental puzzle phases. The use of the camera is also of great importance throughout the adventure. Play to get closer to the center of the action when the moment requires it or zoom out the camera shot to make us feel small in front of the immensity of the world around us.

Good taste and attention to detail

The exploration and environmental puzzles are also solved in a very elaborate way, converging at all times with the artistic design, respecting good taste when marking the areas to go through without becoming too obvious or intrusive. The same thing happens with combat, at our disposal we will have a set of combo attacks and a dash to avoid our enemies. Without being a revolution in the genre, it works correctly, entertaining and sometimes stimulating.

The other big breakthrough that Neva relies on is its soundtrack, which comes from the band and music producer. Berlinist. As already happened to Grismusic is the great companion of an adventure which is resolved from start to finish without any line of dialogue. Berlinist takes the lead to immerse us even more in the action with fast rhythms which reinforce the tension of the moment or make us enjoy the silence before the immensity of its scenarios. Without neglecting the sound effects to enrich all these little things which, like everything found in the Neva, are not without care.

Findings from the Neva

I tried not to go into too much detail about what I found playable in Neva, beyond pointing out that all the mechanics it offers are done in an original, fun and satisfying way. Because The main reason you should play Neva is the artistic explosion it represents on many levels from start to finish. An exceptionally beautiful art style, an emotional narrative with a hopeful message and a passionate soundtrack that blend into an adventure that lasts as long as it takes.

It’s almost impossible for me to think there’s anything left and even harder to suggest what might be missing. Her story really resonated with me and I feel like it’s exactly what the studio wanted her to be. It’s not just any game or just any story, I would dare to say that it’s a unique project that belongs to what could be considered a new style within the industry. Nomada Studios style.