Neversong PlayStation 4 Review

Peet is a young orphan from Redwind Village who grew up with no friends. But when he finally finds someone he connects with, a girl by the name of Wren, she is snatched away from him by a supernatural being which is residing in the local asylum. Upon witnessing this kidnapping, Peet falls into a coma. When he wakes up, Wren is nowhere to be found, and all of the adults have mysteriously disappeared while searching for her. 

If this prelude to Neversong doesn't tell players what to expect from Serenity Forge's newest game, I'm not sure what will. The game began as a flash game nearly 10 years ago, and it was a huge success, despite only being 15 minutes long. The flash game, called Coma, is what inspired creator Thomas Brush to develop this uniquely supernatural world. 
 

Without spoiling too much of the story, players will be able to explore Redwind Village, where Peet spent his childhood. While there, they will meet some of the children that Peet may call acquaintances, rather than true friends. As Peet explores, he discovers that the adults of Redwind Village have disappeared into the asylum to look for Wren, and he is being blamed for their disappearance. Not only feeling guilty for the fate of the adults, but also wanting to save his girlfriend, Peet begins his dangerous journey through the asylum. 

However, he has no idea that all of the parents have mysteriously been transformed into supernatural monsters. The mutated adults act as the game's bosses, and there are 5 different bosses to beat throughout the game. To put a unique twist on these fights, Neversong has removed boss health bars in favor of music notes; each boss drops a song upon defeat. Playing this song on Wren's piano will reveal a new piece of equipment for Peet to helping him on his journey.
 

 

The story of Neversong is deep and intricate, and its ending is open to a multitude of interpretations, especially due to the supernatural aspect of the game's enemies. However, the game emphasizes the memories of Peet and Wren's relationship rather than letting players experience it for themselves. For example, a narrator tells players that Wren and Peet bonded over playing the piano together, and shows a few flashbacks to their favorite songs. As Peet explores the world, he will run into NPCs which give the game more character. Although the townsfolk have limited voice lines, they still help to set the tone of the game, which slowly evolves from young innocence to a darker, more realistic view of life. 

Overall, I enjoyed the game, even if its atmosphere and setting was a little bit out of my usual perspective. The game, as per its warning before players begin, references mental disorders and disabilities that some people have in real life, and it encourages them to get help, and know that there are people out there to support them. Although I thought this message was oddly placed at first, I began to discover its importance as I played and quickly finished the game. This nearly 5 hour game accomplishes a massive amount of story in a short time, leaving players with an ending that can be interpreted in many different ways. Without spoiling the ending, I will say that it hits pretty hard, and the creepy art design and supernatural characters simply acts as a veil, hiding the deeper and more dangerous events of real life.

That being said, there were a few hiccups while playing this game on PS4, as I would occasionally experience a frozen screen during map transitions or before boss fights. Some of the puzzles can be maddening at times, due to the fact that some puzzles will inconsistently change, making a pattern more difficult to find. Additionally, there are some locations in which you have to lure a creature awake, though the game is not always clear on how to do so. Many of the hints to puzzles could be found through in-game texts and journals, though these were sparse. All I will say is that whenever I came across a puzzle in Neversong, I often was thinking too hard to solve it.
 

 

As a fan of similarly animated games such as Don't Starve, as well as the intricate story of Neversong, I can say that I would recommend this game to any who are even considering it. Even if it is out of your comfort zone, I encourage you to try this game, if not just for its narrative. Neversong does a great job creating a unique world experience in an indie game; I often felt like it was necessary to retrace my steps and not just always be moving forward. Sometimes, it's helpful to find your way back home, because that's the only way that you'll be able to move forward.

The game was primarily released on PC in late 2019, but the game's popularity has grown so much so that Serenity Forge ported it over to consoles like Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. This console launch will go live later today on July 16, 2020. 
 

Kieran Mouritsen
Editor, NoobFeed