I'm not generally a life-sim guy but I am very eager to dive into Nivalis. A big part of that arises from the strength of Cloudpunk, the previous game from developer Ion Lands, which I really liked, but Nivalis itself—based on the admittedly not-a-whole-lot we've seen of it so far—looks brilliant too.
Sadly, we're going to have to wait a little bit longer than expected to dive in, as it's been delayed until spring 2025.
"Ion Lands' highest priority is to ensure that Nivalis provides the best possible experience for the player and the team appreciates the patience and support they have received from the ever-growing community as Ion Lands navigate through this creative journey," publisher 505 Games said in a very non-specific explanation for the delay.
And fair enough, sometimes you just need more time to get things done, and I am more than happy to be patient for two reasons. One, the classic: "Suck is forever," and I'd rather wait to get a Nivalis that lives up to my hopes—which, frankly, are very high.
And two, the new trailer—the one embedded up top—has me breathing just a little more rapidly than usual. I've been in the business long enough to know that trailers are nothing more than a blend of aspirations and hype, concocted solely to get attention and, ideally, crank up excitement. Even so, sometimes a trailer hits just so, and I cast aside my game journo cynicism to let myself be caught up in it.
This is definitely one of those trailers: It's a powerful mood, with just enough of a glimpse at previously-unseen material to keep me hooked all the way through and a poetic denouement that lands perfectly. Will the game live up to the dream? No clue. Could I be setting my sights too high? Quite possibly. Am I concerned about that right now? Nope. Yes, I have been successfully marketed to, and I don't care.
