As a game enthusiast who has had the pleasure of experiencing both Gris and the upcoming Neva, I find myself intrigued by the unique artistic approach and heartwarming themes that these games share. The evolution from the detailed stroke work of Gris to the simplistic yet impactful flat colors in Neva is a testament to the creative journey of its developers.
The game titled “Neva” is an upcoming action-platformer, crafted by the same team behind the visually stunning and critically praised “Gris“. This masterpiece is developed by Nomada Studio, and unlike “Gris“, which explores the five stages of grief, “Neva” delves into the intricate bond between Alba and Neva – a parent-child relationship. The artistic styles reflect this narrative, with Alba’s world characterized by more muted colors and Neva’s showcasing a vibrant palette that encompasses various stages of life and nature. Although “Neva‘s” art is one method through which Nomada Studio aims to distinguish itself from “Gris“, the objective remains to create a game that is equally captivating in terms of beauty.
In a recent conversation with Game Rant, the lead producer of Neva, Roger Mendoza, provided additional insights about the game’s unique art style and its differences from Gris. He shared some inspirations behind one specific famous 19th-century artist. Mendoza also elaborated on how these artistic adjustments influenced Neva’s animation techniques and many other aspects of the game. (The transcript has been simplified for better understanding.)
Neva’s Character Design
Q: Could you tell us anything about Neva and Alba’s backstory and how they came to meet?
A: We don’t plan on delving too much into the past events leading up to our story. Instead, it begins with their union and mutual care, without any specific lore attached. The players are encouraged to create their own interpretations of the characters’ backgrounds as the game progresses. Consequently, there isn’t a detailed backstory for these characters.
A: What was the reason behind your selection of a wolf cub for Neva’s character, and were there any other creatures you took into account while creating her personality?
Initially, I had suggested that the character should be human, but there were certain conditions or requirements I had set for Conrad [Roset, Nomada creative director]. To my surprise, he found no issue with this idea. As we encountered some technical difficulties with animals, Conrad made a compelling argument for a stronger emotional bond if we opted for an animal instead of two humans. The concept of the wolf emerged during our brainstorming, designing, and discussions phase. Given our affinity towards the Studio Ghibli movie Princess Mononoke, this choice seemed fitting. Conrad swiftly created a few designs that we found satisfactory.
Neva’s Studio Ghibli Inspirations and Opening Sequence
Question: Was there any other impact on the game by Princess Mononoke, or was one of the adversaries reminiscent of No-Face from Spirited Away?
In simpler terms, the game shares some similarities with the theme of “Spirited Away”. Both stories involve nurturing relationships and a world that’s deteriorating. Just like how the forest is being destroyed by a negative influence in “Mononoke”, our game also has subtle references to this classic Studio Ghibli movie, which happens to be my personal favorite and one that Conrad appreciates too.
As a gamer, I’ve got to mention something that really resonated with me when Conrad brought up ‘The NeverEnding Story’. The idea of ‘The Nothing’ in that book had a significant impact on the game we’re talking about. I’d love to delve deeper into that or perhaps discuss any other popular culture references or stories from outside of our usual sphere that might have influenced our game in some way?
Sure thing!
Drawing from Monet, the renowned painter, he significantly drew inspiration when constructing the backdrops and overall design. To provide a gaming analogy, we were greatly influenced by “The Last Guardian”, a game centered on nurturing and raising a companion. This game holds a special place in our hearts, serving as a solid starting point to understand its dynamics and strive to incorporate the best aspects into our own unique approach.
A: What made you decide to start Neva by depicting a bird’s death, and is there perhaps a link between this and Gris?
A: We’ve made it clear that Neva is not a sequel to Gris. While many have suggested a follow-up to Gris 2, we believe that Gris already has its own complete story. However, there are opportunities for growth and expansion within the Gris universe. The concept of the bird symbolizes the interconnectedness of nature and the beginning of a decaying world in Gris. While the stories of Gris and Neva are separate, we have incorporated elements from Gris into Neva, but not in a way that links their narratives.
Neva’s Sound And Music Design, Working With Berlinist
Question: The gamers experienced a deep emotional ride through the music in Gris. Can you discuss the music and sound design in Neva, and how you craft these elements based on the game’s narrative?
We collaborated with Berlinist, who also worked on the game “Gris.” From the inception of this project, they have been an integral part of it. It’s not as if we presented them with the game and said, “We need music.” Instead, they were involved right from the conception stage, starting with the initial concepts, all the way back from the very beginning.
In this scenario, we had two key characters, each significantly influencing the game’s musical aspect as well as the changing seasons. The game encompasses four distinct seasons, with unique music themes for each. Our approach involved sharing a significant amount of concept art to help them initiate work on the soundtrack. Later, during the implementation stage, we engaged in extensive communication between them and our designers to ensure that at specific points, the layers are crucial for the storyline and precisely when the music should begin and end.
In our sound design, we collaborated with Rubén [Rincón], who also worked on the game Gris. He is incredibly talented and has great sensitivity. Interestingly, many of the sounds for Neva are actually recordings of his husky, made at home, which added a unique touch to the project. In general, our aim in sound design is to keep things subtle – neither the music nor the art nor the animation should draw too much attention. Instead, it’s crucial that everything blends seamlessly together.
Oh, that brings a thought to mind. I saw on Twitter that a baby’s heartbeat can be found within a specific part of the ultrasound image.
Absolutely, Rubén is her uncle. He captured her heartbeat, which I find quite moving. It’s a fantastic memento he can share with her in the future. He often records such moments. His creativity stems from various sources, making it a joy to collaborate with him due to his unique emotional resonance.
Neva’s Art Style, Animation, And Color Palette
Let me discuss the artistic style in Neva compared to Gris. It appears that you’ve utilized a wider range of colors in Neva, and perhaps there’s less emphasis on watercolor in the environment. Can you elaborate on the art style in Neva and some adjustments made from Gris?
In our new game, while we aimed to create an artistic style reminiscent of what could be found in another game, we didn’t want it to closely resemble the art style of Gris. To achieve this, we modified the watercolor theme and expanded our color palette significantly for this project. The colors are flatter and not as abundant as in Gris. One key difference is that everything in Gris had a stroke, a black outline, whereas this game does not. This lack of outlines can be seen as both a blessing and a curse; it gives the art a more cohesive look but can sometimes make it difficult to distinguish different elements because without an outline, similar colors may appear identical. To ensure clarity and prevent confusion between shapes, we spent extra time working on the details outside the main shapes in our game world. This difference in art style, characterized by the absence of strokes and use of flatter colors, is one of the ways in which this new game sets itself apart from Gris, while still retaining some watercolor elements used previously.
Q: Did the changes have any impact on the animation process, or did it make it easier or harder?
A: Indeed, there’s a story behind the artwork for the game “Gris,” and I must admit it wasn’t our finest hour. An artist painstakingly worked on the hair shades for the Gris character for a staggering six months. However, the black shade we had online was inaccessible in the game due to being extremely zoomed out. Thankfully, this time around, we didn’t need to go through that ordeal because it wasn’t required. The animation process itself remained largely unchanged. The coloring stage, where we bring the artwork to life with color, was significantly easier this time. This proved beneficial as we have a greater number of animations for the main character, including the wolf growing up and various enemies. The flat style was a huge help in managing such a large game.
Paths and Puzzles In Neva
As a gaming enthusiast diving into the world of Neva, I can’t help but wonder: Just how much more intricate could this journey become compared to my adventure in Gris? With Neva being a larger game, will players be treated to an abundance of puzzles, hidden paths, and perhaps even secrets waiting to be discovered? The thrill of exploration is a big part of the gaming experience, so I’m eagerly anticipating what lies ahead!
Sure thing!
A: When it comes to the emotional experience of playing the game, is there a single dominant feeling you aim to evoke, or do you prefer that players derive their own unique emotions from the gameplay?
A: Indeed, this situation is quite intricate. You see, with the game “Gris,” we weren’t certain if players would resonate with it. For us, it was something of a risky venture. This game seems to share that same sense of uncertainty, as when we delve into the theme of parenthood, there are those who have never experienced parenthood or pet ownership. We use the analogy of having a child and having a pet here, but it’s essentially about nurturing and growing together.
And this is the kind of thing that we like people to get. This feeling of caring about someone, and how you love it, you grow together, you raise it, and you teach it. These things come back and eventually take care of you in the sense of growing up together. I think it’s quite strong in Neva. I didn’t have a kid when I started Neva and I have a kid now, so I kind of felt that the shift in the middle. I think, obviously, you connect better with the game with a kid. I don’t think it’s a requirement, but I think it’s a plus.
[END]
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2024-10-10 18:36