When you can stop a game at any point and have something as beautiful as Neva staring back at you, it’s worth stopping to enjoy those moments. I took a lot of screenshots while playing Neva, which is probably more than I could use in this review. However, it was impossible for me not to keep snapping away at this 2D hand-drawn beauty with an array of colours and contrasts. It is truly one of the most stunning things you can play.

In their follow-up to 2018’s Gris, Spanish developer Nomada Studio has continued with something similar to the art style and vein but added some mechanics they haven’t yet played around with. Namely, there is combat in this game, compared to the puzzle-platforming in Gris. At its core, however, this is still a contemplative game with a focus on having an emotional connection with the player through its images and hopefully being able to communicate with simple storytelling ideas.

As Neva begins, Alba, the white-haired warrior protagonist, is accompanied by an older wolf-deer hybrid and a pup; when monsters attack them, a gushing wave of darkness fells the older of the two wolves and leaves Alba now in a world with just “Neva,” the pup, and a world being sucked dry of it’s beauty. These monsters seem inspired by the faceless ‘Nobody’ from Studio Ghibli’s award-winning film, Spirited Away, and the narrative itself, a warrior woman with a wolf companion, is easily comparable to Princess Mononoke, especially when you add in that both Ghibli film and this game, are heavily leaning into telling stories about the violent and dark destruction of our world and animals habitats to evil forces, that may or may not be, representations of our own-selves. There’s plenty to digest with the images presented in Neva, including these creatures climbing upon themselves to chase what seems to be god-like creatures rising above all else on the backs of the work of the labouring ones below, their heads, often stuck in the literal ground and unable to see what’s happening around them. However, at its core, the simple themes of environmental storytelling are bound to hit players of all ages, as it presents dying forests and corrupted creatures with such a swing of contrast from stunning coloured beautiful landscapes to dark and dying deserts.

Neva takes place over a year. As the chapters progress, seasons change, but they aren’t just used as time jumps to change the scenery from summer to the glacial white of Winter but also to progress the relationship between Neva and Alba. As the game begins, it’s Neva who needs Alba more than the other way around. Neva hides in combat, can only move up and over extensive areas with help from Alba, and is very timed. In Winter, however, Neva is now a fully-grown wolf that Alba can ride upon, will strike first in combat, can help Alba when stuck, and can before a partner in combat and not cower in the back. Throughout the seasons, Alba can press a button to call out “Neva?” “Neva!” and my favourite version, “Nevvvvaaaaa,” in search of the wolf. You can also stop and pet Neva at any point. Building the bond between the two is as much a part of the game as it is something you, as a player, will get more out of by engaging with the two characters on their journey.

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Each chapter gives you a mix of simple platforming areas and some optional ones where you can stop to get a collectable. I only messed around with these a little as, outside of a trophy/achievement, there was no in-game motivation to find them all. Combat is basic, but it’s better than I was expecting it to be. Although there’s not much outside of a three-button combo and a dodge button, those core elements feel smooth and good. And when a few boss battles reared their heads, they were challenging enough. As Neva gets older, there are a few new ideas thrown in that help keep things engaging, but this isn’t a game you’ll be raving about for its combat.

I managed to beat Neva after just three hours, but I didn’t stop to get all the collectables, which would probably have added at least an extra hour. There are lots of moments in those three hours, however, that are some of the most generous seconds put to a video game.

(Review code provided to Explosion Network.
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