Neva: Nomada Studio shares a deep dive into the design and DualSense features of its gorgeous PS5 platformer

blog.playstation.com:

Neva is the next game from Nomada, the studio behind Gris. In it, thehero Alba forms a bond with a teenage wolf. Over time, the wolf will grow bigger and stronger, and the duo’s relationship will evolve.

You’ll be able to play Neva on PlayStation 5 soon, and we have implemented a number of features designed especially for the console.

The game’s original concept was about two human characters then morphed to an animal – including a bear – before settling on the wolf cub that the team felt will provide a more interesting relationship and striking visual.

Neva will make full use of the unique features of the PS5, including utilizing the DualSense controller to draw you deeper into the game’s hauntingly beautiful world. We want you to be as immersed as possible in Neva’s story as Alba and her wolf, Neva, forge their bond and work together to defeat the strange creatures confronting them.

There was a lot of gameplay testing to understand what sort of attacks would be interesting without getting in the players’ way. Neva doesn’t always auto-attack, as she grows and becomes more capable Abla will be able to direct her attacks using the thumbstick and adding a more strategic approach to combat and even puzzles.

In combat, Alba can command her wolf companion Neva, to attack enemies that she can’t handle on her own. When the wolf lunges at a foe and unleashes a fury of teeth and claws, you’ll feel the full kinetic force of the attack through the DualSense’s haptic triggers.

Alba is a woman of few words, but whenever she calls for her furry friend, you’ll hear her shout out Neva’s name. On PS5, her voice will echo through the DualSense controller’s built-in speaker. When Neva is a young cub, the mischievous wolf will be easily distracted, and you’ll have to call out his name to make him stick by your side.

Early in the story when Neva is just a cub there will be tender, sweeter moments where she is a bit nervous about jumping over chasms or by the world around her so