The studio behind GRIS is finally coming out with a new game! The trailer debuted during Devolver Digital’s showcase during Summer Game Fest, and I have to say that it’s looking like it’s going to be at least as emotionally hard-hitting as its predecessor.
As you can see in the trailer above, this new game, titled “Neva,” casts players as a young hunter (or perhaps wanderer) who’s left to care for a majestic, very magical-looking horned wolf pup. Here at the very outset, we’re already getting a strong sense of how close these two characters are, showing that Nomada has only gotten better at expressing closeness between characters and tugging on players’ heartstrings. It’s certain to be a very intense experience no matter what. However, I have some concerns.
(The following is pure speculation, but could be spoilery in nature. Be warned.)
Okay, so here’s the thing things never seem to go well whenever a cute animal is involved in an “emotional” game. It’s even worse if that animal is a dog or dog-like, and it’s even worse if that animal is shown to have a strong bond with a human character. It’s a cliché that’s so old and so well-tread that “the animal’s presence alone is enough for you to determine what’s almost certainly going to happen over the course of the story.
The reasoning is simple it’s a shortcut to getting a strong emotional reaction from the player or audience. We’re pre-disposed to liking dogs and getting invested in their lives, and the effect is even stronger for those who either have a dog or who grew up with a beloved family pet. The sense of sympathy (or at least empathy) is basically built-in and is, therefore, easy to exploit. So, with all that said, I REALLY hope Nomada resists the urge to exploit it. (Especially since we already saw what happened to the pup’s mother.)
When you see something coming, the emotional punch is greatly reduced and can even end up severely undermining the entire experience. It’s even worse with a situation like this, where the “gut-punch” outcome is beyond obvious. I’ll even go so far as to say that if Nomada goes for that obvious end and does the thing, then they’re going to evoke the opposite of what they’re aiming for. Instead of fawning and genuine sadness, they’ll instead provoke resentment and perhaps even anger from the audience.
See, when dealing with an extremely cliché scenario, you really have to earn that obvious outcome, and, the more cliché the scenario is, the more you have to work for it an do it in a way that’s both novel and true to the story. I wonder if Nomada can really pull that off. If they can’t, then their game is going to 100% come off as a cheap attempt at emotionally manipulating their audience, and I for one am not down for that.
When you see something coming, the emotional punch is greatly reduced and can even end up severely undermining the entire experience. It’s even worse with a situation like this, where the “gut-punch” outcome is beyond obvious. I’ll even go so far as to say that if Nomada goes for that obvious end and does the thing, then they’re going to evoke the opposite of what they’re aiming for. Instead of fawning and genuine sadness, they’ll instead provoke resentment and perhaps even anger from the audience.
See, when dealing with an extremely cliché scenario, you really have to earn that obvious outcome, and, the more cliché the scenario is, the more you have to work for it and do it in a way that’s both novel and true to the story. I wonder if Nomada can really pull that off. If they can’t, then their game is going to 100% come off as a cheap attemptat emotionally manipulating their audience, and I for one am not down for that.
What I’d love to see from Neva is not the same old “what a cute puppy, it’d be a shame if something were to happen to it” kind of story I’ve already seen too many times to count. Instead, why not something that’s a pure celebration of that special bond between a person and their beloved animal? I haven’t seen that before, and it’d be a much, much more fulfilling experience. Based on what was shown in the trailer, the potential is there. Nomada just has to resist the urge to grab the low-hanging emotional fruit and go for it!
What do you think of NEVA? Do you think Nomada will be able to resist the urge? If they can’t, do you think they can actually earn the obvious end?
Image from the Neva Steam page
VIRTUAL BASTION 