REVIEW: Neva dazzles, but falls short in story

Nomada Studio came out of the gate swinging with GRIS, an incredibly beautiful experience in multiple ways. The developer, comprised of a team burnt out on making AAA titles for big-name publishers, aimed to create something completely different from the mainstream efforts they had spent so many years on. GRIS achieved that goal and with flying colors, forever cementing Nomada Studio as a developer capable of captivating software.

It was inevitable for the team’s second release to be compared to GRIS. When you’re a studio with literally two games under your belt, people want to see where your sophomore outing stacks up to your debut. That brings us to Neva, a game that follows Alba and her wolf cub as they work their way through an equally beautiful and unforgiving world.

Outside of being the studio’s only releases, GRIS and Neva are actually quite similar in mechanics and direction as well. Both feature a female protagonist, both aim to tell an emotional story, both put their own spin on side-scrollers and cinematic platformers…the comparisons go on and on. Thankfully, both games are also amazing experiences, but Neva falls a tad short of reaching the same heights as GRIS before it.

While GRIS was lauded by millions of people, there was some pushback on the core mechanics of the experience. GRIS may present itself as a platformer, and there’s certainly plenty of running and jumping to do, but it also leans heavily into the “walking simulator” genre. That resulted in a game where the focus was clearly the story, and platforming acted as the vehicle to get the tale told. Neva almost comes off as a reaction to the comments GRIS received, as there’s no doubt Neva is firmly rooted in traditional game territory.

Neva may seem like it offers a gameplay loop akin to GRIS, but there’s no doubt the mechanics in Neva have been greatly expanded. The biggest change is the fact that Neva offers combat, and it’s a true joy to participate in. With just a handful of moves and opportunities, such as an air dodge, sword strikes and companion team-ups, Neva does a lot with a little. Movement and flow throughout combat feels fantastic from beginning to end, and the drip-feed of fresh abilities is expertly handled, making for the perfect cadence.

The environments in Neva are also a lot more dynamic than GRIS in terms of what you’re tasked with. There are all sorts of gameplay puzzles to tackle, and they use movement and abilities in some truly fun ways. Figuring out how to reach an area, unlock a secret, traverse a dangerous gauntlet of enemies and pitfalls, it keeps things extremely engaging. Throughout the entire adventure, it’s evident Nomada Studio worked diligently to provide interesting and amusing ways to take on enemies and travel through the game world, and they succeeded on every level.

Pushing the gameplay along every step of the way is the story of Alba and her wolf cub. Neva starts off with a moment that’s sure to bring a tear to your eye while also motivating you to take on the journey ahead. What awaits is a tale of depression, acceptance, determination, change, rebirth, and the circle of life. A lot of ground is covered as you work your way through Neva, and just like with GRIS, there’s more going on here than just what you see on the surface. Unfortunately, this is where Neva stumbles slightly in comparison to Nomada’s first title.

The story of Neva (without spoilers) is definitely an intriguing one, and it’s peppered with many poignant moments. That said, it all comes off a bit more straightforward and easy-to-parse when compared to GRIS. Much of the beauty of GRIS, outside of the game’s audio/visual presentation, was from the story and its interpretations. GRIS said so much, and quite deftly. It was moving to a degree that we don’t see from most games. It surely aimed to convey a few core ideas to the player, but it also let them find their own meanings and explore multiple avenues.

You can obviously apply your own meaning to the events in Neva, but the narrative here seems a bit more cut-and-dry. Again, it’s not a bad tale by any stretch of the imagination, but it does come off slightly disappointing when compared to what GRIS achieved. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with a simpler story and less nuance, but when it comes to my personal expectations, I was thinking Neva would at least match what GRIS did, if not take things further. To see a dialed-back story with a measured, modest approach did put a measurable damper on my time with the game.

In every other area, Neva is another top-notch creation from Nomada Studio. Somehow this game is even more visually impressive than GRIS was, and that game is drop-dead gorgeous. Neva has a striking look, and while it shares a few similar strokes to GRIS, it very much manages to find its own visual identity. This is yet another title where any given moment would be absolutely at home in a print fit for hanging in your home. It’s literally filled with moments that are so striking that you have to stop and take it all in.

The same can be said for the game’s audio, which offers up another pitch-perfect soundtrack courtesy of composer Berlinist. Any moment in the game, be it a sad, happy, scary or intense one, is dialed up to 11 thanks to what Berlinist has pulled off. Music can take a great game and make it an excellent one, and there’s no doubt the Neva soundtrack takes a wonderful base and builds upon it exponentially. This is one of those game soundtracks you can put on in the background while working or relaxing, and the time will literally fly by. Heavenly doesn’t even begin to describe the work done here.

All in all, Nomada Studio has a lot to be proud of in Neva. When all’s said and done, there’s really nothing to gripe about with this title. It’s another title that has an insane amount of love and care poured into it, and that’s evident the entire adventure. This is not a game that’s simply good or great; it’s undeniably sublime. The problem is that it just falls short of what GRIS accomplished, which makes the story’s simplicity stand out that much more.

In another world, Nomada Studio released Neva as their first title and saw critical and commercial success, and then they followed up with GRIS to even more acclaim. That’s not the world we live in though. What we first got from GRIS is certainly present in Neva, but to a lesser extent in the story department. With story being the key driver in both titles, it’s hard not to feel just a tad let down by Neva. It’s an ever-so-slight drop, but a drop nonetheless.