I have absolutely nothing negative to say Neva. As a story, Neva is a living fairy tale set in dreamlike scenes of natural beauty, featuring two beings connected by tragedy and driven by an intense need to protect each other – and save the world in the process. As a game, Neva features excellent sword fighting and intuitive platforming action, with a limited skill set that deliberately evolves with each new stage. As a work of art, every frame Neva it takes your breath away.
This is what the game looks like without bugs. This is what it's like to play something perfect.
Alba is the main character Neva and she's awesome. When we meet her, she is an experienced warrior and nomad with a cloud of silver hair, the limbs of a dancer, and a billowing red cape that conceals a slender sword. Her wolf companion, Neva, begins as just a young child who is easily distracted and is still learning how to navigate the forests and fields of their world. At first, Neva needs Alba. At the end of the game, after seasons of growth and fierce battles, Alba also needs Neva.
None of these descriptors are described in words, but the characters' actions and several beautifully animated vignettes explain their stories, and the overall story unfolds in a similar manner. The only speech in the game comes from Alba, who calls out, “Neva?” or “Neva!” or “Nevaaa” each time you press the interaction button. Her tone and level of panic change dynamically with Neva's position in the environment – Alba's voice is strained with worry when she and the wolf are separated, and soothing or funny when they are close to each other. By standing next to Neva and pressing to interact, Alba can pet her (and yes, there are achievements for this). In a million little ways, the game's mechanics create a deep emotional connection between Alba and Neva, until they finally feel like a single entity, fighting the darkness as one.
Alba and Neva's world is stunning. It consists of lush forests, sun-drenched valleys, soaring mountains and winding cave systems – all of which are consumed by oozing, ink-black rot spread by swarms of bulbous monsters with stark white faces. Decay acts like cordyceps, coating the bodies of huge animals and transforming them into zombie-like killing machines. In other areas, it takes the form of thorny brambles and skeletal vines that deal damage if you touch them. The monsters – round bodies, screaming faces, and spidery limbs – spawn consistently with a variety of ranged, melee, aerial, and rushing attacks. Alba and Neva's mission is to destroy decay and monsters and reclaim their land. For those who have completed the game, there are also glowing white flowers hidden between the levels, and finding them all unlocks something special.
The game is divided into four seasons, and as Neva develops, her skills grow. Meanwhile, Alba is always strong, and becomes even more powerful as she and Neva learn how to fight together. For starters, Alba can jump, hop, and dodge, and she also has a basic sword attack and a downward thrust that can hit enemies and pass through weak floors from above. In the back half of the game, Neva is able to jump across invisible platforms and essentially teleport anywhere, watching from high ridges as Alba scales walls of white flowers to reach her.
This is a stark contrast to the early stages when Alba had to coax Cub-Neva into jumping through small gaps, and it highlights the game's main theme of parental love. Eventually, Alba is able to throw Neva into battle like a aimed missile, and will viciously attack any enemy she hits. This ability is a little silly at times – like when you're trying to reach a hidden flower and end up throwing Neva at the wall repeatedly until the angle is right – but it quickly feels like a natural, necessary extension to Alba's arsenal. Besides, Neva doesn't seem to mind.
Mechanically, Neva is an incredibly light and responsive platformer. When playing on PlayStation 5, inputs are never delayed; Alba can jump, hop, and dodge with ease, and these three skills reset with the slightest touch on the terrain. Enemy hitboxes are tight, encouraging players to engage in close-quarters combat and avoid danger between swings of Alba's sword. Health regenerates when Alba lands hits without taking damage herself, and healing mounds appear in abundance in scenes. Aerial levels, where Alba leaps between cliff sides and bounces off airborne enemy droplets, cultivate an excellent sense of precision by challenging players to make the most of Alba's maneuvers. Neva it offers subtle but clear direction solely through environmental cues, and I never once felt lost in its platforming sauce. Levels change with the seasons: complex navigation puzzles and delightfully tricky mirror levels are constantly added to the side-scrolling action, constantly testing Alba and Neva's ability to work together.
Alba and Neva are bonded in every scene, but their bond is palpable during battles, especially when the wolf throw becomes a reliable part of Alba's attack and dodge rhythm. This only makes things worse when, at certain stages, Alba has to fight alone. Neva's presence brings the full scope of Alba's abilities, and especially in the last few hours of the game, my controller felt noticeably empty whenever she wasn't fighting by my side.
I don't want to talk too much about the final stages Neva. The game builds to an inevitable, emotionally intense ending, with expressions of deep longing and sublime reconciliation scattered throughout the unfolding action. Yes, Neva it will make you cry. Definitely yes, with big, ugly tears.
Neva is filled with magical realism, combining the known with the impossible in a format that resembles a living children's book. An otherworldly terror creeps along the edges of every landscape, ominous and exquisite, and the game's animations are as smooth as anime. Neva it looks amazing and plays equally beautifully – a rare and powerful combination. Like Alba and Neva.
Neva will be released on October 15 on MacOS, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch, developed by Nomada Studio and published by Devolver Digital.
