Hotta Studio’s ambitious project, Neverness to Everness, started co-ex testing about a week ago. This test followed the containment test and introduced new gameplay features for everyone to try out – including some prison gameplay. The developer was kind enough to invite us to try out the game this time, and I’ve spent a few hours with it over the past few days.

I have to say, I’m really excited to tell you about it. That means. I should first remind you that this is a beta impression. Therefore, things may change between now and the game’s release. This also means that I encountered some issues in some areas of the game. But while it was frustrating in the sense that I couldn’t really tell you about some features at the moment, it didn’t dampen my enthusiasm to play the game. (I obviously spoiled some of the story when I played the game at launch.)

For those who may not know, Neverness to Everness (or NDE) is a free-to-play action game set in an open urban environment. While the town of Heathreau looks like a normal town from the outside, in reality it has some very unique problems.

As shown in gameplay trailers, the game begins with the player’s character being discovered at the site of an ongoing disaster. There’s an anomaly hanging in the sky, and all conventional wisdom suggests not looking directly at it. It’s a bit like looking at the sun, only instead of going blind you’re changed. However, conventional wisdom doesn’t seem to apply to you, and since something is obviously different about you, the local official decides that it’s best to take you back to the local authority in charge of all anomaly-related matters, the BAC (Bureau of Anomaly Control).

After a while, you are brought before the director, who concludes that you pose no threat (for the most part) and might even be useful. So you – and your amnesia – are sent into the big, bad world, where you meet the people you will live and work with. Think of it like the Trailblazer joining the Astral Express in Honkai: Star Rail, only the family you’re immediately given has a lot more actual children, rather than people the mother figure just likes to refer to as children.

Similar to the player character, the people in your new home, the Eibon Antique Shop, are espers – or people with awakened supernatural abilities. Like Anomalies, Espers are tracked by the BAC. Of course, many of them are employed by the organization. Almost everyone the main character – known as Esper Zero – interacts with is either an esper or an anomaly who has been granted citizenship. Pretty much everyone you know is under the organization’s supervision.

Esper abilities are unique to each individual and have a fairly wide range. Some are definitely what you would expect for combat use. Others are things like a walking database. Esper Zero’s special ability is to detect the true nature of anomalies and speak to them. It doesn’t make you strong, but it makes you useful. Still, it’s a good thing you know how to fight, because you do that a lot.

Speaking of fighting, I have seen many describe NDEs as “Wuthering Waves.” That’s not wrong. Players form a team of four and swap between characters as needed. When an indicator appears on a character icon, you can switch to it and trigger the corresponding effect. Regular chain attacks are performed using the mouse, while the skill and ultimate ability are tied to the E and Q keys.

From what I could tell from the characters I have, the roles consist of Damage, Survival, and Buff. These are each divided into sub-roles. For example, “Damage” offers burst DPS, main DPS, and DoT, while “Survival” includes healing and shield, and “Buff” includes various boosts. Some characters only have a minor role, others more. Some sub-roles also appear on characters with different roles. Used wisely, this can help create a competent group.

Those looking for even more depth can take a look at the game’s Esper ability attributes (elements). Combining certain attributes in a team activates Esper cycles, which create additional effects. However, characters must level up and features must be unlocked before this can happen.

As for the game’s narrative, all I can say is that I’m enjoying it. The world is interesting, the backstory is clearly defined, and there is plenty of humor. If you’re the type of person who wants the world to behave more realistically, humor may not be right for you. Some of these consist of visual gags, such as your character turning into a chibi version when thrown out of a car. However, most of the humor is story-based. You’ll have to deal with a lot of eccentric characters – and unruly children who are sure to get you in trouble.

The story is told through the main quest and a lot of side content. The main story is divided into episodes. Then there are spin-offs, which are complete story quests that are not directly tied to the main story but, like episodes, require the player to have reached a certain level before they are available. Travel guides also offer story content. Then there are the Bond Quests, which are basically little dates or hangouts.

Players also meet people they know in the city and learn a little more about them. Of course, there are plenty of side quests to discover as you roam the map, along with combat encounters, collectibles to turn in, and other activities.

Some of these activities are related to the City Tycoon portion of the game. To explain it simply, City Tycoon grants players access to various features and activities as they level up. To level up, certain requirements must be met, such as completing contracts or acquiring certain resources. As players level up in City Tycoon, they unlock things like the garage, the ability to own property, and a Hunter Exchange.

The game has several hobbies, all listed under City Tycoon. They consist of racing, fishing, playing Majong in the Little Sparrow Maid Café, deliveries, robberies and much more. At the time of writing, I have only managed to unlock the first three.

Of course, there are also repeatable boss fights in the game that will help you develop your character.

One of the other features introduced in this update is the game’s prison system. Just for you all: I’ve become a little invested in crime. Just a little low-level joyride and an altercation with a few police officers who tried to stop me – especially since they apparently had to knock me out before they could pick me up.

I was locked up for six days; During this time I had a choice. I could just pay my fine and go out and actually work, or… I could try to escape. There is also the option of waiting for something to happen. The prison works on a fixed schedule, you are moved from one place to another and are constantly watched. If you ask to work, you will actually be hired. If you choose the escape route, you have to be very stealthy. In the end I just paid my fine.

Finally, perhaps we should talk for a moment about the game’s gacha mechanics, which they call “Fair.” Similar to other gacha games, NTE has two banners running at the same time, one for the time-limited S-class and one for the S-class that you can roll on for a while. Both have their own roll counters and offer a guaranteed A class at 10 rolls and an S class at 90 rolls. The difference is that the limited-time S Rank is guaranteed to be the 90-scroll Compassion S Class.

The other difference between NDEs and other games’ gacha systems is that NTE turned their system into a board game. I know this isn’t entirely unusual. But it’s not exactly the norm. As you roll, you can see exactly where you need to land to get the character you want. Chests contain A-Class and S-Class Arcs (this game’s weapons).

As you move around the board, there is a chance that the board will change or a small event will occur. The end result is that the gacha is a little more fun and therefore potentially a little more addictive.

As for the visuals, I love walking around and looking at all the scenery. Heathreau is a beautiful town and the developers have done a really good job of making it feel alive. I haven’t experienced snow in the game yet (although I know it exists), but I can say that I was surprised when I zoomed in far enough on my character and saw all the little water droplets on his hair.

Once Hotta is done with the beta – which for me was mostly just getting mobs to work in certain situations – I think players will really enjoy their time in Neverness to Everness. Of course, whether it’s the right game for you or not depends on what you’re looking for.