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Out of all the action RPGs with character gacha mechanics we’ve seen in recent years, only a few manage to stay afloat and really reach the top spots of this saturated market. And while many of us already have our favorites that take up at least part of our day, I still get excited to try a new one and see if it becomes yet another title I’ll play daily. Out of those new ones, Neverness to Everness has already earned a spot on my daily grind, even if it hasn’t officially launched, because it has given me everything I wanted in an open-world action RPG, and even some other surprises I was not expecting.
Your Days As an Appraiser
I was fortunate to try out the Co-Ex Test of Neverness to Everness, and as someone who’s had his eye on this game since it was announced, I must say, it met my expectations. Also, before I dive deeper into the details, this was not the final build, so a few systems weren’t finished. Yet most of what I tried worked flawlessly.
Now, let’s start with some of the most essential elements of this genre for me: the setting and story. Instead of a sci-fi or fantasy world, Neverness to Everness puts us in the beautiful and bustling streets of Hethereau. Here, you take the role of an Anomaly Hunter working for the Bureau of Anomaly Control. After a calamity occurs in the city, you join the ranks of this organization full of colorful characters, and your supernatural journey begins.
Of course, since this was an early build, the story wasn’t complete, but I can tell you it left me with a great first impression thanks to the setting and the characters that accompany you. One thing that makes Neverness to Everness work so well in its narrative is that it takes place in an urban setting that isn’t tied to complicated sci-fi or fantasy lore. Not that there’s anything wrong with those, but a more modern setting will always offer more relatable situations for a larger audience.
Another thing that I haven’t liked in recent new gacha titles is the protagonist. I’ve always thought that some studios take so much time designing them, only to leave them on the bench or being a silent main character with two hand gestures. NTE finally introduces a voiced character with a likable personality, and several companions who, thankfully, don’t suffer from the protagonist-glazing we’ve seen lately.
Yet, what really hooked me were the other stories happening in the city, from small dates with other characters to some side quests involving Anomaly-hunting. Neverness to Everness truly sells you on the urban vibes and immerses you in this city, where you deal with supernatural shenanigans on a daily basis. I have to say that, while other games hook me with their gameplay first, NTE allured me with its setting, style, and presentation from the start.
Into The Concrete Jungle
Leaving some of the story aside, Neverness to Everness brings many fresh ideas to the open-world gacha landscape, and a few others that feel too familiar to a point that I didn’t really enjoy them that much.
One of the best things about NTE is, undoubtedly, the city. Despite being a pre-launch build, Neverness to Everness already has several activities to do, such as raising bonds with your companions, hunting anomalies, solving crimes in the street, and a lot of collectibles scattered around that encourage exploration.
The true magic of NTE lies in its map and immersion, to the point I genuinely forgot I was playing a game of a genre where we see the grind first before any other system. The reason I felt that way is that NTE doesn’t really put the grind in your face all the time. It gives you so much freedom that the usual level-gating aspects don’t feel tedious at all.
To give you an example, without knowing it was possible, I pressed my attack button by mistake and hit a pedestrian. I noticed my “Warrant” level was increasing. So, as any sane gamer, I decided to test this out by hitting other NPCs. Eventually, police officers and a flying dog arrived to arrest me. Instead of a black screen saying, “Protagonist goes to jail and time passes,” I got to experience my time in prison—it was fabulous.
The prison was a whole beast of its own, with a daily schedule, traders, at least two escape routes, and a power-washing simulator. And guess what? This system isn’t just there for flair. You can actually earn rewards, such as an outfit for your protagonist and other useful items for your characters, meaning that there’s even progression in a place where you’re supposed to be limited. This alone was enough to convince me that Hotta Studio is breaking the wheel and, instead of following an established formula, is looking for ways to make the experience more engaging and feel less like a chore at times.
Another highlight, at least of this build, was the cosmetics systems. One thing that grinds my gears from other gacha titles I play is how the in-game currency is almost useless. You might spend it to level up a character and buy some items that always stay in your inventory, but that’s it. Here, you can actually buy outfits for your characters with it, and I’m eternally grateful for that. I hope this stays for the final build because it is a system that encourages you to do more content in the game to earn the actual city’s money, and not just currency for pulls.
Speaking of pulls, I rarely talk about those from a test build because we never know how the pull economy will feel until the game launches. Yet, I can say that the presentation, when it comes to pulling for characters, is great. You have a board game-like system here. Each die is a pull, and depending on where you land, that’s the reward you’ll get. Now, I know there is luck involved in the system, and there’s still pity and whatnot, but the presentation makes the whole process much more fun.
Lastly, and going back to that familiar system I didn’t enjoy too much: combat. Don’t get me wrong, it is fantastic in terms of visuals and feel. I even felt it was more difficult than other games, which I enjoyed. Still, it didn’t feel groundbreaking, as it leans a bit too much toward elemental reactions and precise character swapping, which we’ve already seen in many titles. Then again, I only tried a few characters, so combat might feel more engaging once the roster grows a bit more.
Just What We Needed
Ultimately, Neverness to Everness ended up being everything I was expecting since I saw its first trailer, with even more surprises sprinkled on top. Even if I found the combat to be a tad simplistic, the exploration, characters, and the style were more than enough to convince me that this will be one of the biggest new open-world adventures of this year. Hopefully, the official release date won’t take too long because I really can’t wait to see what Hotta Studio has in store for us.
