Rated 16/20, this superb video game has been nominated three times for the Game Awards and it’s no coincidence

Game news Rated 16/20, this superb video game has been nominated three times for the Game Awards and it’s no coincidence

Alba sings the seasons

Released in October 2024, Neva is a 2D platformer that takes what Nomada does best, namely well-crafted universes and top-notch artistic direction. In Neva, the player embodies Alba, a young woman accompanied by a wolf cub in a once bright world now ravaged by dark forces. The duo is then forced to flee. Like Gris, the gameplay of the software is relatively simple, but Neva introduces an action-adventure dimension through combat with simple but effective mechanics..

Alba is equipped with a katana allowing her to perform basic attacks. The life recovery mechanic is also quite original: each successful hit generates a petal, and 6 consecutive hits allow you to restore a flower and find a heart. Alba also has a dodge and an aerial dash, which reinforces the dynamic aspect of the game.

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Beware of the sleeping wolf

Throughout the adventure (which spans 4 chapters corresponding to the seasons), the heroine’s animal evolves and develops new abilities. Little by little, the interactions between Alba and the wolf become more strategic, in addition to generating quite moving sequences.. In its general structure, Neva is as linear as it is classic, but Nomada manages to find well-thought-out situations. Graphically pretty, the software is accompanied by a magnificent soundtrack. The latter is a real plus for immersion.

Behind this poetic ecological fable, Neva does not offer innovative gameplay. The most perceptive will say that it was the same for Gray, and they will be right. We liked the way the title took us by surprise with its nature full of details which contrasted with the emptiness of certain passages, imbued with a surrealism which echoed Gris. With their latest production, Nomada Studio in any case marks a new success, both intense in its rhythm and having a real artistic dimension. It should be done in one go, the adventure lasting less than 5 hours. At the last Game Awards, it was nominated in three categories: best artistic direction, best independent game and best game with a positive message.. He won the prize in this last section.

Finally, know that if the challenge, although very affordable, that Neva has in store puts you off, the developers have thought of you. Before starting a game, or at any time in the pause menu, it is possible to choose between a standard difficulty or an even easier challenge that gets rid of any notion of a life bar. Neva is for everyone, even those who don’t play much.