Neva’s new DLC demonstrates Nomada’s mastery of tense, complex emotions

Recently, I received a distressing text from my mother: Sophie, our family dog who has been a constant in my life since high school, had fractured her leg. It was a frightening update, especially considering she is a petite 15-pound senior approaching her 15th birthday. I had to briefly compartmentalize the worry to jump into a scheduled interview, but the moment it concluded, I called home for the full story. As it turns out, Sophie had a tumble while at the veterinarian’s office. While the break was serious, she is fortunately on the mend and expected to make a full recovery.

My thoughts remained fixated on Sophie as I delved into Neva: Prologue, the poignant new expansion for Nomada Studio’s 2024 action-platformer. Unveiled during February’s State of Play, this DLC serves as a prequel, chronicling the initial meeting between the protagonist, Alba, and her lupine companion, Neva, back when she was just a vulnerable pup. Much like the core experience, the Prologue is a visceral, heart-wrenching journey; I found myself audibly gasping when Neva plummeted through a decaying walkway and shouting “Give me back my dog!” at the television when she was snatched away by the antagonist. The visionaries at Nomada Studio, who also created the masterpiece Gris, remain unparalleled in their ability to weave profound emotional resonance into the medium of video games.

(Gallery featuring Alba in the pink forest, cradling the wolf pup, and traversing the dark swamp landscapes.)

Neva: Prologue begins with Alba wandering through a surreal, rose-tinted woodland where the trees and sky blend into shades of soft pink. This brief moment of levity, spent chasing butterflies, eventually gives way to a grim, murky marshland. Familiar shadow-creatures—reminiscent of Spirited Away’s No Face—emerge from the muck to strike. It is here that Alba encounters and pursues a solitary, frightened wolf cub. After a tense chase and several skirmishes with these viscous foes, a bond is formed. Alba names the pup Neva. For significant stretches of the journey, Alba cradles Neva tightly against her chest, a gesture that poignantly mirrored how I used to carry Sophie—watching her little head sway as she peered curiously at the world behind my back.

In this prequel, Neva lacks the formidable power she eventually wields in the main game. She is fragile, defenseless, and utterly dependent. This vulnerability fundamentally alters the gameplay; while Alba is carrying the pup, her legendary agility is hampered. She loses the ability to dash or double jump, forcing the player to navigate environmental perils with a sense of weighted, protective responsibility.

(Gallery showing the giant slug-like boss encounter and the tense stealth sequences.)

The DLC’s most harrowing sequence involves a colossal, gastropod-like titan pursuing the pair through a void of inky darkness. This leads into a masterful stealth segment where Alba, having tucked Neva away in a safe crevice, must navigate treacherous platforms out of the monster’s line of sight. It’s a classic “move during the shadows and freeze when the lightning strikes” sequence, but the emotional stakes are elevated by the desperate need to return to your newly adopted companion in one piece.

When the two are inevitably separated, Alba’s journey becomes a frantic rescue mission. She braves grueling platforming challenges and combat encounters, driven by a singular goal: getting that little white wolf back into her arms. It is a sentiment any pet owner understands intimately; whether you have shared your life with an animal for twenty minutes or twenty years, the bond is immediate and absolute.

Sophie was never far from my mind during these final moments. Despite still considering her “my dog,” the reality of adulthood and moving states means I see her far less often than I’d like. Each visit in recent years carries the quiet weight of a potential final goodbye, and this injury in her twilight years only underscores that fragile reality. Fifteen years is a monumental lifespan for a dog; our previous companion, Casper, a gentle bichon, passed away at fourteen in 2018.

Regardless of the eventual heartache, the game echoes a beautiful sentiment: “Something beautiful will grow. We’ll just move forward.” With Neva: Prologue, Nomada Studio has once again demonstrated the power of video games as a vessel for processing grief and complex love. It serves as a haunting, beautiful reminder to cherish our animal companions for as long as we are lucky enough to have them.

Neva: Prologue is available now on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X. This review was conducted on PS5.

Source: Polygon