Neverness to Everness is the most exciting gacha game since Genshin Impact

Neverness to Everness is an upcoming open-world gacha game that should be on every Genshin Impact player’s radar. 

Neverness to Everness has caused quite a stir within the gacha game community. It’s not hard to see why. Developed by Hotta Studio, the team behind Tower of Fantasy – NTE aims to rival industry giants Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves. 

Blending both GTA-inspired urban environments and vehicle gameplay, NTE is shaping up to be one of the most ambitious gacha games I’ve seen. While more information on the title will be available in September this year, the recent gameplay reveal trailer already boasts some impressive features.  

Vehicle gameplay reminiscent of GTA

One of the biggest surprises from the NTE gameplay reveal was the vehicle gameplay, which enables players to cruise around Hethereau City in style. It’s hard not to see the GTA inspiration here, as the footage shows one of the characters speeding through neon-soaked streets, narrowly avoiding fleeing pedestrians, before rocking up at a garage. 

This allows you to kit out your car with cosmetic customizations, with upgrades improving everything from handling to weight, and overall speed. On top of that, vehicle gameplay can even be switched from third-person to first-person, giving you an even more immersive experience. 

There’s even an adjustable radio station that gives off those late-night GTA driving sessions. It’s currently unclear whether there will be other vehicle options aside from cars, but we did see one of the game’s enemies riding a flame-spewing motorbike – so, there’s hope!

Unique traversal mechanics

Why climb up buildings when you can run up them? Well, that’s what the devs thought when they created Nanally, a cat girl who can effortlessly scale walls. Upon activating this skill, Nanally’s feet firmly stick to the building’s walls, allowing her to run down them before gliding to the ground below. 

It may seem like a small thing, but when you’re spending hundreds of hours exploring the same locations, having fun movement mechanics is essential in easing tedium. This is especially true when you’re grinding out dailies, doing fetch quests, and trying to find hidden items. 

While we haven’t seen what other characters can do yet, we’re hopeful that Hotta Studio will include more fun and interesting ways to explore Hethereau. 

A living breathing city 

One of my biggest gripes with gacha games is that while the environments may look pretty, they often feel devoid of life. Sure, games like Genshin Impact populate major POIs with NPCs, but they often serve no use outside of set dressing. 

According to Hotta Studio Producer, Kee Zhang, NTE includes dynamic NPCs that have “destinations and genuine actions.”

There are even operational shops and a business management system, where players can purchase vehicles and property. During the gameplay reveal, we saw a fully furnished flat that appeared to be kitted out with lavish furniture and collectible items. 

Not only does this give players something to work towards, but it will hopefully help create a meaningful end-game experience. After all, who doesn’t like decking out their digs with some cool designs?

Familiar combat with a supernatural twist

Neverness to Everness’ combat will be very familiar to Genshin Impact, Wuthering Waves, and Zenless Zone Zero fans. It utilizes the same four-party system, whereby players can switch between their squad in real-time, combining supernatural abilities for massive damage. 

However, what makes NTE stand out is the set pieces themselves. During the five minutes of gameplay, we saw one character run down a normal-looking street, only for it to transition into a nightmarish parallel world.

Once stationary objects gained sentience and red rifts appeared on buildings, giving the environment an otherworldly appearance. After defeating the enemies with their supernatural abilities, the player then opens a door which transitions the scene into a library with floating books. 

This scene then flashes to a school corridor that extends as the player runs down it leading to the boss arena. While these may be set pieces, it’s clear a lot of care has gone into making NTE’s environments feel unique and emphasizing this “otherworldly” feel. 

If you’re curious to learn more about Neverness to Everness, then be sure to check out our hub and pre-register for the game by using our handy guide.