prequel DLC enriches a beautiful game

Final week, I acquired a textual content from my mother that the household canine, Sophie, who we acquired after I was in highschool and who I actually nonetheless consider as “my” canine, had damaged her leg. It was scary information to obtain a couple of canine who weighs possibly 15 kilos and is on the eve of her fifteenth birthday. I needed to put it out of my thoughts for the second as I used to be only a couple minutes away from becoming a member of an interview. When our chat completed, I rapidly referred to as my mother to listen to what occurred. In brief, Sophie fell whereas on the vet, breaking her leg, however she’s doing nice now and will make a full restoration.

I couldn’t cease fascinated about Sophie whereas enjoying Neva: Prologue, a brand new growth for the 2024 action-platformer from developer Nomada Studio. The DLC was introduced throughout February’s State of Play Stream and tells the story of how participant character Alba met her wolf companion, Neva, when she was only a tiny pet. Similar to the principle sport, the Prologue DLC is harrowing and heart-breaking; I loudly gasped when Neva fell by way of a brittle walkway and yelped “Give me again my canine!” at my TV when she was taken by the sport’s antagonist. The builders at Nomada Studio, additionally the makers of 2018’s Gris, are masters at imbuing their video video games with sturdy emotion, and Neva: Prologue simply additional flexes that energy.

Neva: Prologue opens with Alba alone in a forest, the bushes, flowers, and sky all varied shades of pink. She gleefully chases after butterflies earlier than discovering herself in a dreary swamp. Enemies, the No Face-like creatures from the bottom sport, come out from the earth to assault her. Ultimately, she finds and chases after a lonely wolf pup. After catching as much as the wolf and keeping off extra goopy dangerous buys, Alba befriends the pup, whom she finally names Neva. For stretches of Prologue, Alba carries Neva tight to her chest, identical to how I used to hold Sophie round; I’d cradle her identical to a child, her head bobbing as she watched no matter was at my again.

Within the DLC, Neva isn’t but the power of nature that she turns into throughout the principle sport. She’s only a pet, frightened and defenseless. Throughout these sections collectively, Alba’s restricted in what she will do. Hugging Neva firmly to her physique, Alba can’t double soar, sprint, or assault, however has to persevere by way of hazard regardless.

In essentially the most memorable part of Prologue, a large, nearly slug-like, boss chases after the pair in opposition to an inky black background. It’s adopted by a sequence the place Alba, having set Neva down so the pup can escape by way of cracks within the structure, has to sneakily platform out of the monster’s sight. It’s a basic “transfer throughout darkness and conceal when lightning illuminates the sky” online game sequence, and this time you’re attempting to make it again to your newly adopted pup in a single piece.

Ultimately separated, Alba should journey by way of varied platforming challenges and fight encounters to rescue Neva. Her child’s been taken, and he or she gained’t relaxation till that little white wolf is again in her arms. Anybody who’s cherished a pet can relate; it doesn’t matter when you’ve had your canine or cat, lizard or hen, for 20 minutes or 20 years — you’re bonded for all times.

Sophie was ever-present on my thoughts throughout this last stretch. Regardless of nonetheless calling her “my canine,” between faculty and transferring states post-graduation, I’ve spent way more time away from her than together with her. Each time I’ve visited my dad and mom lately and seen her, I’ve needed to settle for it is likely to be the final time, and the damaged leg in her twilight years doesn’t assist with that actuality. Fifteen years is a very long time for a canine; our different canine Casper, the sweetest bichon you’d ever have met, handed away at 14 years previous in 2018.

It doesn’t matter what occurs, to cite Nicole Carpenter’s 2024 review of Neva for Polygon, “One thing lovely will develop. We’ll simply transfer ahead. Alba and Neva do, too.” With Neva: Prologue, Nomada Studio has carried out it once more, finessing the facility that video video games have as an outlet for our grief and different advanced feelings. It additionally serves as a reminder to carry your pets tight for so long as you possibly can.

Neva: Prologue is out now on Nintendo Change, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Sequence X. The sport was reviewed on PS5. You will discover additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.