I felt like a spoiled brat sitting at Summer Games Fest Live earlier today uninspired by half of what I saw, but that’s only because almost the first game that caught my eye made everything else seem bland. Neva is a seriously charming-looking upcoming platformer about a young girl’s bond with her wolf cub, showcased in a trailer so evocative that it tapped into something I haven’t felt for some time covering video games. The art direction, the music, the promise of a story that I’m sure is going to have me well up in tears at some point… I just know that Nomada Studio, the team behind Gris is cooking something utterly special here.
Honestly, though, as excited as I am for Neva, I find myself torn between anticipation and disappointment. Not because Neva looks like it’s doing anything wrong –far from it, in fact–, but because I can’t help bemoaning that so often modern games fail to evoke any sense of wonder these days. It’s all so copy/paste, and all so deliberately designed to tap into popular design choices that lock us into grinding character progression.
Maybe I’m just old and cynical, but you can’t deny indie games are left to pick up the slack and provide us with truly enchanting experiences these days. Damn. Wasn’t this industry built on whisking us away to dreamy fantasy lands and telling bold stories? And isn’t the medium’s unique attribute that unlike film and television we actually get to take part?
At least playing Neva I’ll feel like Atreyu riding Artax in The Never Ending Story, or more aptly John Snow being rescued by his Dire Wolf. But unlike the frozen plains of the dreary North, Neva is set in a pixelated 2D world of warm color. The art direction really is superb. We see rays of sunshine piercing tall trees that hang over lush forest floors; our two protagonists adventure their way across the landscape, helping each other as they go.
Beyond simple platforming, there’s combat along the way too. While the melee sequences don’t look especially complex, there’s seemingly depth added by our canine companion, who appears to be able to shape-shift for special attacks. As it grows in size, so too do its attacks by what I could tell. And grow it does; by the trailer’s ending the pair are seen in an embrace where our furry friend is less a small doggo and more a magical giant.
But again, it’s the charm factor that gets me more than anything else. The trailer sequence crescendos in that aforementioned moment of intimacy that screams to me Neva is a story that will stick with me long after the credits roll.
Of course, I don’t actually know. Like many of you, this is the first I’ve seen of Neva. Perhaps it won’t turn out anywhere near as remarkable as all this waxing lyrical is deserving of, but I’m hoping it finds an audience like me who are trying to will some gaming magic into existence.
Neva is set for launch on PC, PlayStation, and Xbox later this year.
