The best stories teach us simple lessons. They remind us, that whatever state the industry, the country, or the world might be in, if we allow ourselves to let go and to listen - we can find something beautiful.

That's what Neva is.

A harmonious blend of sound, color, and emotion wrapped in a simple but mechanically tight package that undermines the current noise of battlepasses, angry articles, and million dollar missteps.

It reminds us that gaming, at its best, is a story-telling art-form.

I jumped into Neva right away because I loved Gris. It was a once-in-a-lifetime game for me... a beautiful story, stunning graphics, fantastic scenes, and lovely music. It is a hard act to follow.

After an opening scene that pulls the heart strings, Neva is a journey by a girl and her wolf-like companion. You traverse a landscape that is beautiful and treacherous. The game has gorgeous graphics and music but I have not found the early sections to be as compelling as Gris. Combat has been added which is not my favorite feature. Luckily, the developers have provided a 'story mode' option that eliminates death-by-enemies and the need to manage your health.

Six-plus hours into the game, I am enjoying the adventure and looking forward to the story developing. Then, I hit the end of the "Fall Part 1" section that requires a long sequence of precision platforming up a disintegrating tree. This is a timed exercise and it is a very tall tree with no intermediate save points. Miss a jump or run out of time and you start over. If this were for an achievement, I'd just move on and give up on 100%. But, I have to get past this tree in order to continue the game. At this point, the tree is winning and I've seen the death scene ad nauseam. I keep coming back to try again and, when I make the jumps, I run out of time near the top and experience (yet) another death. The fun factor is wearing off and I am beginning to dread my next tree encounter. If this is a harbinger of the skill level required to complete Neva, I am in trouble.

I have not given up yet but would describe Neva as a 'Precision Platformer.' I had some tough jumps to make in Gris for achievements, but never got stuck like this. I should have believed the reviews that stated Neva was much more difficult than Gris.

I can't slam the game. It is beautifully crafted for the player with the proper skill set (which apparently is not me). If you are uncomfortable with speedily performing precise aerial maneuvers with a controller, then Neva may not be for you.

Meanwhile, that darn tree is still mocking my feeble attempts to conquer it...

Gorgeous art, incredible music and a touching story. Neva did not disappoint.