Gris studio's gorgeous wolf adventure Neva gets first gameplay trailer

After its intial reveal last year, the sad and beautiful wolf adventure Neva has got its first gameplay trailer. It's the next game from the maker of the equally sad and beautiful Gris, and yep, I'm stocking up on tissues now, this one looks to be a real tear-jerker.

Revealed during tonight's Summer Game Fest, Neva's new gameplay trailer looks properly gorgeous, with sun-dappled landscapes aplenty, as well as cool, midnight blue caves, and hazy swamps where you can practically feel the moss squelching beneath your feet.

You play a young woman named Alba who forms a mysterious bond with your young wolf pal Neva, and together you'll travel across these stunning vistas, encountering other beasts of all shapes and sizes - though not all of them are as friendly as they first appear. I spy some very Spirited Away-inspired No Face creepy crawlies in there, and nope, don't you even think about getting your gloopy mitts on my wolf's bright white coat, matey, how dare you.

Fortunately, Alba has a nifty needle sword at her disposal to rend those evil tendrils from her fluffy animal companion, and as the trailer goes on, we get to see more of the game's combat in action.

You'll also notice that your wolf gradually matures from a mere pup to a fully compenent fighter as well, eventually becoming capable of tail-whipping enemies right alongside you. It's not clear from the trailer whether you'll have any direct control over your wolf during these sections, but either way, I can't wait to see what they're capable of when they're fully grown - those horns look like that can pack a real punch!

Alas, there's still no concrete release date for Neva other than 2024, but it will be launching on PC, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series S/X, and Nintendo Switch when it does.