A piano arpeggio is a melody you hear when the pianist plays a few notes in progression. It gives a bittersweet, nostalgic trance to the music. When you combine this with hand-drawn visuals of characters and environments that sing out innocence, you’re bound to tear up.
PlayStation’s Showcase this year had a lot of games that took us on an emotional rollercoaster, but none of them hit harder than Neva’s reveal trailer.
Neva is currently being developed for PC, PS5, Switch, and Xbox Series X/S.
From people who have a habit of playing with your emotions
It’s no surprise that the creators of Gris are the ones who are bringing us this new game. Nomada Studio created Gris as a beautifully crafted game tackling themes like grief and loneliness. It’s important to note that Devolver Digital, a production company with a taste for unique and outstanding games, will distribute Neva.
Neva’s art style is expectedly uncanny, given Nomada Studio’s talented art direction. The notes in color and music from the trailer go hand-in-hand, provoking a sense of belongingness, family, and loss. To better understand and anticipate Neva’s narrative, it might be safe to compare Gris and Neva’s portrayal of their protagonist.
A narrative that continues
The protagonist of Gris transitions from a world devoid of color and joy to a gradually more colorful one. This happens as she eventually embraces the agony and consequences of death. It was a deftly written story showcasing the five grief stages – denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.
From the looks of it, Neva is continuing Gris’ legacy by telling a tale that plays between losing someone you love and fighting to protect them. This time, we explore the perspective of Alba and her relationship with a wolf and its cub.
Gris was often pondering around the idea of loneliness. As the protagonist explores her feelings and completes different leaves, the world’s color shifts slightly, expanding her horizon. This, in turn, carries the idea of coping with one’s sadness without much support from others. However, she does meet an adorable apple-eating friend who travels with her for a brief time.
Similarly, Neva shows a beautiful connection between Alba and how she communicates with the world around her. It’s not clear how she talks to her wolves. Regardless, there’s a pure connection between them that speaks in place of any voiced dialogue or written text.
There’s a large, mysterious darker force in Neva that encapsulates living things. Alba equips her sword to fight this, even though she isn’t able to save everyone. Perhaps, this is the journey we’ll get to look at more of.
We’re yet to see more of the gameplay elements that make up Neva. In the meantime, we can only contemplate whether we’re ready for another emotionally unforgettable journey like Gris.
