I have absolutely nothing negative to say about Neva. As a story, Neva is a living fairy tale that plays out in dreamlike scenes of natural beauty, starring two creatures bonded by tragedy and propelled by an intense need to protect each other — and save the world in the process. As a game, Neva offers exquisite swordplay and intuitive platforming action, with a contained suite of abilities that evolves purposefully with each new stage. As a piece of art, every frame of Neva is breathtaking.
This is what a faultless game looks like. This is how it feels to play something perfect.
Alba is the protagonist in Neva and she’s badass. When we meet her, she’s a seasoned warrior and nomad with a cloud of silver hair, dancer’s limbs, and a billowing red cape that hides a slender sword. Her wolf companion, Neva, is just a cub at first, easily distracted and still learning how to navigate the forests and fields of their world. In the beginning, Neva needs Alba. By the end of the game, after seasons of growth and vicious battles, Alba also needs Neva.
None of these descriptors are spelled out in words, but the characters’ actions and a few beautifully animated vignettes make their backstories clear, and the entire story unspools in a similar fashion. The only speech in the game comes from Alba as she calls out, “Neva?” or, “Neva!” or, “Nevaaa,” with each press of the interaction button. Her tone and level of panic shifts dynamically with Neva’s position in the environment — Alba’s voice is strained with worry when she and the wolf are separated, and it’s soothing or playful when they’re near each other. Standing next to Neva and pressing to interact lets Alba pet her (and yes, there are achievements for doing so). In a million small ways, the game’s mechanics forge a deep emotional connection between Alba and Neva, until it eventually feels like they’re a singular entity, fighting the darkness as one.
Alba and Neva’s world is stunning. It’s composed of lush forests, sun-drenched valleys, soaring mountains and twisting cave systems — and all of it is being consumed by an oozing, ink-black decay spread by swarms of bulbous monsters with stark white faces. The decay acts like cordyceps, suffusing the bodies of massive animals and transforming them into zombie-like murder machines. In other areas, it takes the form of spiky brambles and skeletal vines that deal damage if you touch them. The monsters — round bodies, screaming faces and spidery limbs — appear consistently with a variety of ranged, melee, airborne and rushing attacks. It’s Alba and Neva’s mission to destroy the decay and the monsters, and reclaim their land. For the completionists among us, there are also glowing white flowers hidden among the levels, and finding them all unlocks something special.
The game is divided into four seasons, and as Neva grows, so do her abilities. Alba, meanwhile, is always strong and she only becomes more powerful as she and Neva learn how to fight together. To start, Alba can jump, double jump and dodge, and she has a basic sword attack and a downward thrust that can strike enemies and burst through weak floors from above. In the back half of the game, Neva is able to leap on invisible platforms and essentially teleport to any area she pleases, watching from high ridges as Alba climbs walls of white flowers to reach her.
This is a distinct contrast to the early stages, when Alba had to coax cub-Neva to jump across small gaps, and it drives home the game’s core theme of parental love. Eventually, Alba is able to throw Neva into battle like an aimed projectile, and she’ll ferociously attack whatever enemy she hits. This ability is a little silly at times — like when you’re trying to reach a hidden flower and you end up hurling Neva into a wall repeatedly until the angle is just right — but it quickly feels like a natural, necessary extension of Alba’s arsenal. Besides, Neva doesn’t seem to mind.
Mechanically, Neva is an incredibly light and responsive platformer. Playing on PlayStation 5, inputs never lag; Alba is able to jump, double jump and dodge with ease, and this trio of abilities resets with the lightest of touches to the terrain. Enemy hitboxes are tight, encouraging players to fight up close and dodge through dangers in between swings of Alba’s sword. Health regenerates as Alba lands hits without taking damage herself, and healing cairns are sprinkled generously throughout the scenes. Mid-air levels, where Alba leaps between cliff sides and bounces off floating enemy blobs, cultivate a brilliant sense of precision, daring players to push Alba’s maneuvers to their absolute limits. Neva offers subtle yet clear direction through environmental cues alone, and I never once felt lost in its platforming sauce. The levels shift with the seasons: complex navigation puzzles and delightfully tricky mirror levels are steadily added to the sidescrolling action, constantly testing Alba and Neva’s capacity to work together.
Alba and Neva are connected in every scene, but their bond is tangible during battles, particularly once the wolf throw becomes a reliable part of Alba’s attack-dodge rhythm. This only makes it more distressing when, in some stages, Alba has to battle on her own. Neva’s presence brings a fullness to Alba’s abilities, and especially in the game’s last few hours, my controller felt distinctly empty any time she didn’t fight alongside me.
I don’t want to say too much about the final stages of Neva. The game builds to an inevitable, emotionally intense conclusion, with pockets of deep longing and sublime reconciliation sprinkled throughout the rising action. Yes, Neva will make you cry. I definitely did, with big, ugly tears.
Neva is infused with magical realism, blending the familiar with the impossible in a format that looks like a living children’s book. Otherworldly terror creeps around the edges of each landscape, foreboding and exquisite, and the game’s animations are anime-smooth. Neva looks incredible and it plays just as beautifully — a rare and powerful combination. Just like Alba and Neva.
Neva comes out on October 15 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X/S and Switch, developed by Nomada Studio and published by Devolver Digital.
This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/neva-review-a-platformer-thats-so-perfect-it-made-me-cry-160037311.html?src=rss
