Neva test from igamesnews.com

In 2018, Gris, the first project from the young Spanish studio Nomada, was released… And I believe that the expression “first attempt, masterpiece” applies here. The puzzle-platformer stood out for its incredible artistic direction between hand-drawn watercolor and surrealism, as well as its theme. Without saying too much, we follow a young woman who is the victim of a painful experience and is lost in a broken world that she created from scratch (to use the description on Steam). Neva, the team’s new project, carries an equally poignant message but in an adventure with a more conventional appearance and first reading.

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Neva says Neva

In Neva we play “Alba”, a young woman who lives in a particularly sunny and flowery region accompanied by a wolf cub. But dark forces – which resemble a cross between Princess Mononoke and Gris’s ink creatures – arrive without warning and wreak havoc on everything in their path. The green meadows are covered with miasma, animals die or even become possessed. Our heroine and her little four-legged companion have no choice but to flee while holding out hope of stopping the catastrophe.

If Neva, like Gris, remains a “flight forward” (strictly speaking there is no exploration, it is not a Metroidvania, we move from left to right almost constantly), Nomada emphasizes the action-adventure dimension here

. Alba hides a katana under her pretty red cloak and she won’t hesitate to use it when monsters block her path! However, his attacks remain limited (a three-hit combo and a dive), as does his life. Alba only has three “hearts,” symbolized by three flowers at the bottom of the screen. When this reserve runs out, you will have to restart the current battle (don’t worry, Neva is generous with checkpoints).

The calm before the storm

Finally, a little originality. By the way, there are no healing items or items here. To restore your health, you must hit an enemy. Each successful attack gives you a petal back. To restore a full flower and find a heart, you need to make 6 hits in a row (without getting hit). A very simple mechanism, but one that leads to this great moments of tension – some bosses are honestly forgettable – without ever descending into excessive difficulty. Aside from her sword skills, Alba can also dodge and run in the air using a roll.

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Man’s best friend

But in the fight the heroine is not at the mercy of herself; our faithful wolf can help us. Because yes, in Neva, The cub will grow with the chapters from the start (there are four, each dedicated to a season) and learn new skills. First of all, it will be possible to send the animal at certain enemies when they glow white. You can then launch the attack in all directions/select your target manually. All in all, Neva’s fights are about balancing the abilities of Alba and the wolf, and while this doesn’t (clearly) reinvent the wheel, it works more than well. We were just surprised by some of them Hitbox. The black substance that makes up most enemies’ bodies is not always easy to see, and sometimes we were hit even though we thought we were at a great distance.

In the second chapter the Albawolf can intervene in fights (enlarged image)

In short, when we return to our sheep – or rather, our wolf – our faithful companion will acquire other skills that we will not develop here (that is part of the surprise effect). Basically, we have to keep in mind that the structure of Neva gives us a very specific feeling that our four-legged companion is “growing”, which also allows Nomada to regularly integrate new mechanics or situations. The title is short (4 hours), but makes you want to swallow it in one sittingand even if the very linear structure of the title is a little noticeable old fashionedYou always want to move on and discover what’s next.

After a first chapter that is undoubtedly a bit too classic (but serves as a good starting point), the studio lets loose after that – playing with the level design, the platforming sequences, the positioning of the enemies and of course the art direction! Despite being less memorable and “simpler” than Gris, Neva retains some sacred paintingssupported by beautiful light and fog effects. You’ll be amazed (and your ears, because the soundtrack is equally remarkable). We must not forget the character design and animation of all the characters on the screen, which are of a very high level, as well as the successful contrast between the landscapes at the beginning and at the end of the adventure.

The further we venture into Neva, the more tormenting the scenes become and the more filled with a rare loneliness she becomes.

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One game can hide another

Despite everything, Neva could disappoint! Beyond the action phases The title ultimately offers little interaction with the wolfalthough a button on the controller is dedicated exclusively to this. Alba can actually call him when he’s far away – we also appreciate that the sound of “at heel” changes depending on the context – and pet him when he’s close… In hindsight, that’s all send first chapters They help the animal when it is caught by a monster or sees that its path is blocked by an obstacle. Even in the passages where Alba and the cub are strangely separated, we feel no lack. Because ultimately that’s not what Neva wants to say.

We won’t give you our reading of the title (that’s part of the experience too), but of course The true meaning of Neva is closely linked to that of Gris. Ultimately, Nomada’s baby isn’t Really a game about a young woman and her wolf: Alba is not there to help the animal grow, on the contrary, he is the one who watches over the heroine. And to see how such a heavy and timeless message emerges from a seemingly “banal” work is simply brilliant.

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