Reviewer's Note: This review will briefly touch on SPOILERS for the main game. Read on at your own risk.

From the Alone in the Dark reboot to Dead Rising 2, free or payable prologues aren't new to games; of course, the list of those releasing after the main gameis much slimmer. It makes sense too: these standalone chapters – whether from the same or another protagonist's perspective – serve as enticing primers to excite prospective fans into paying for their entrée. So, Neva: Prologue is already stepping into stranger territory by materializing over a year after Neva's release and recommending players complete that storyline first. Fortunately, this unorthodox rollout doesn't seem to faze Nomada Studio.

Step back into the role of Alba, a woman with nothing more than her clothes and trusty rapier to take on the elements in this corrupted world. As she's chasing a group of white butterflies, she eventually happens upon a lonely wolf cub that's frightened by the mere sight of anyone else. She gives chase, which eventually causes her to stumble upon a gargantuan demon whose sole interest is in consuming them both.


A description that simplistic clearly signals a straitened gameplay scope; in fact, the only things at Alba's standard disposal are jump, double-jump, dodge-roll, three-strike combo, downward thrust, and mid-air dodge. Alba's only direct contact with Neva reduces her limited moveset than ever before – there are no wolf-infused special attacks nor mounting options to utilize, and Alba can't double-jump while carrying her. She may be more of a hindrance this time (without the original's natural progression), but those moments of vulnerability lead to some of its most intense moments.

Stripped-back mechanics don't mean Nomada ran out of ideas either. One new oleaginous standard minion is what I'll term a "puffer-bat": it strives to kamikaze you with a gaseous explosion, but striking it first gives Alba a jump-boost. It doubles as both a pleasant combat and platforming challenge. Prologue's most prominent mechanical motif, though, is light manipulation. The way it's used to temporarily materialize platforms and enemies ranks it among this series' best ideas. Whether to reach horizontal platforms or vertical ledges, the specific timing necessary to progress never gets dull.


It's also reflective of Prologue's polish. Regardless of how basic its 2D platforming baseline may be, there's something about those occasions when your double-jump & dash are just enough to reach the other side that clicks so well. Like in the original, controls feel taut and kinesthetically satisfying. A couple of foibles are carried over as well. Nomada's yearning to showcase the final level's immense scale zooms-out the camera to the point of misreading scalable walls. There's also the occasionally-confusing hit detection against enemies and Alba, especially how standing within the final boss' weak point is fine yet touching one angstrom of its body is a hit against you. Those types of quibbles like to crop up at the least convenient time.

While, granted, there's a bit of tension over its relevance – since players know how the main story ends, at least its small $2.99 price reflects that. Even if there's only about one hour of gameplay (and change if you're being a completionist) and no supplementary extras like achievements, at least it serves as a modest distraction. A limited story, sure, but it still squeezes as much out of its presentation as possible; even Berlinist pumps out over 10 new tracks here.


Given how its release after the original reflexively inspires anyone to question its purpose, Neva: Prologue provides an adequate answer. Subtracted mechanics can oftentimes prompt developers to hone in and expand on a certain concept, at which Nomada Studio succeeded. A few of the main game's critiques carry over here, but its shorter length also mollifies them. Treated like a little desert (as reflected in its modest price point), it's easily worth it.

Contractor by trade and writer by hobby, Lee's obnoxious criticisms have found a way to be featured across several gaming sites: N4G, VGChartz, Gaming Nexus, DarkStation, TechRaptor, and Cubed3! He started gaming in the mid-90s and has had the privilege in playing many games across a plethora of platforms. Reader warning: each click given to his articles only helps to inflate his Texas-sized ego. Proceed with caution.