The Indie Informer

My heart aches.

It has soared with beauty, swelled with affection, and shattered with grief — all that range in just the span of minutes as Neva‘s opening unfolded. The rest of the tale leaps off from these wondrous heights, sustaining its altitude and climbing still higher.

Words are piling up inside me, threatening to sweep me away. However, for this review, I need to dam them up. I wish I could erase all five hours of my time with Neva so I could experience it again for the first time. It would be inexcusable to spoil even the least bit of it for you as you get ready to play. So — though I want to spill everything — I’ll say as little as I can while stressing how much you need to jump in.

It shouldn’t shock anyone to learn that the visuals are beyond stunning. The world’s lines are unfinished — frayed at the edges like an impressionistic painting but in sharp relief. Form and function swirl around each other, supporting and enhancing the other. Bold colors paint a vivacious world.

Personality drips from every part of the scene. My lupine companion bounds, snuggles, protects, and frolics with unbridled expression. My character hums a soft tune after I idle a little too long taking in the sights. A chorus of frogs croak, bright butterflies guide the way, and foliage drifts back and forth in the breeze. Every minute or so, I find myself longing to take a screenshot to enshrine the glorious tableau.

In a world so vibrant, the black stain denoting my enemy’s arrival feels offensive. Like the grasping hands of death lurking amid life’s brightest blooms. I charge in to face the foes. My strikes are slashes of steel cutting silver streaks through the air. My movement flows like water, streaming through and around enemies. With every subsequent slash of my sword, life returns to me, until an opponent connects a hit. Fast, smooth action is its own reward.

My lethal dance isn’t just for combat. The landscape’s vertical terrain and environmental riddles make an excellent stage where my graceful feats of strength can win the spotlight. The challenges strike an impressive balance, resulting in level after level of rewarding, energizing, and inventive adventure.

Neva had me open my heart just to feel the slice of the narrative’s knife all the more keenly. I don’t care what you’re currently playing or what you have on your backlog. Put them aside immediately and play this game. It’s destined to rank among the year’s unrivaled titles.