Neva: Prologue review

2024's Neva provided an emotional, heart-wrenching tale of a girl and her wolf facing down the forces of evil over the course of the seasons. Each season, Neva grew stronger as Alba, our protagonist and human companion, stood by her side, fighting the forces of evil. 

While I don't want to spoil anything, if you haven't spent the 4-6 hours to play through that yet, you absolutely should. As a gamer who loves an emotional story (Kena: Bridge of Spirits, Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, the Ori games, and Nomada's own Gris immediately come to mind for me), Neva was an excellent journey full of moments that had both my wife and me gently sobbing. To say it ended in a poignant, beautiful way would be selling it short. 

For those who've rolled credits on Neva, Nomada has given us more content to go back and chew on. For only $3, you'll get access to the Neva: Prologue DLC. This added content gives us a whole chapter of storied gameplay that starts with Alba chasing butterflies and ends, as we all know, with Neva as her sole companion. It's not those beats we're playing this DLC for though, is it? If you've beaten Neva, you already know the journey they take together. The real experience we get here is the tale of their fated meeting and the hardships they had to endure to end up together. 

At an hour to an hour-and-a-half, the Neva: Prologue is what I would consider to be the perfect snack. It's a satisfying experience on its own that won't ruin your dinner. The prologue offers several new areas to explore, complete with original platforming puzzles unique to the DLC. There are a handful of new enemies, a new boss, and a few new mechanics to wrap your brain around.

I don't want to spoil any of the story beats; it's a short experience. I do want to say the tale is still as endearing as fans of the game would expect. It reinforces Alba's role as both a whimsical, lighthearted young lady and the fierce animal-loving protector we know her to be. It also shows that, before the Corrupted Queen, their world still had dark, powerful entities bent on power and destruction.  

With regards to the new enemies, there are two that immediately come to mind. The first is a bat-like creature that explodes when it gets close to you. If you attack it in mid-air, you'll get a height boost to help get to difficult-to-reach places. The second, more menacing foe is another on-the-ground monster with front arms that remind of a brown recluse spider. They face forward, hinging the wrong direction yet sweeping as dangerously as ever. It's cool to see Nomada continue to grow the world and its foes, as unsettling as it is.

With regards to the DLC's aesthetic, there are several new areas that run the gamut from gorgeous and colorful to dark, monochromatic, and somber. I dare say I like the environmental design in the Prologue even more than the base game. The DLC uses light and shadow in some interesting ways that feed your eyes, too. It's a treat. 

For anyone who's finished Neva and wanted more, the Neva: Prologue DLC is an easy recommendation. It does everything we want DLC to do: expands the story and lore, provides new challenges with new mechanics and enemies, and gives us more of the world to explore — all for half the price of a grande coffee. If you enjoyed Neva, play the prologue. You owe it to yourself to spend more time in this world.