- Publisher: Devolver Digital
- Release Date: Oct 15, 2024
- Also On: PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Switch, Xbox Series X
- Critic score
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- Unscored
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Oct 14, 2024Neva may not be the most complex 2D platformer, but it still might make you cry.
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Oct 14, 2024Neva ultimately feels at odds with itself, trying to be too much at once. Its combat and platforming are competent, but not enough to carry the game on their own. Neva’s story seems to be reaching after pure emotional appeal and a more concrete tale at once, but landing awkwardly between them. While the sense of Alba and Neva’s connection is enchanting at first, the game loses focus on their relationship as it wears on. Even its stunning art — the best part of Neva by far — is stuck halfway between some of the most gorgeous depictions of nature I’ve ever seen in a game and less successful dives into surreal yet sparse environments. Maybe I’m being cold-hearted, but even its adorable wolf cub couldn’t keep me interested for long. Neva has its moments when everything briefly clicks, but in the end it takes a half-step in too many directions at once.
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Oct 29, 2024It's much more than a beautiful game. [Recommended]
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Oct 14, 2024Neva prioritizes a meditation on life and loss that too often feels half-baked and pales in comparison to Gris’ execution of the same themes. Much of Neva feels propped up by its predecessor to cover its weaknesses, with familiar themes and the same platforming (flaws and all) from Gris encouraging fans of that game to not look too closely at this game’s faults. Ultimately, when Neva attempts a final narrative twist that fully leans away from the initially compelling and original themes of its story, it’s too much of a shift too late in the game, and only serves to undermine the few unique choices this experience attempts. At least it’s short.
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Oct 14, 2024Between the combat and platforming, Nomada Studio also uses long stretches of almost nothing in a surprisingly emotional way. There are plenty of times throughout Neva where the only thing I’m doing is pushing my controller’s joystick to the left or right — with Neva or without — in an effort to simply move forward. I’ve actually found an element of challenge in these too-quiet moments: Am I going the right way? Does that really matter? I just move forward.
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Oct 14, 2024I am in real danger of sounding ungrateful, because jeopardy was something I wanted more of in Gris. It's present in Neva, but the nuts and bolts need tightening before it hits an Ori And The Blind Forest, game of the year, orchestral tour sort of level of greatness. That aside - which in fairness is quite a big "that" in an action platformer - I think Neva is a step above Gris. The experience as a whole is engaging and bittersweet enough that I'll even forgive the 'it was all a dream' switcheroo.
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