Why Neverness To Everness Has Made It Into My Rotation, For Now

Neverness to Everness has been available globally for about a week now, and I’ve been playing the game quite a bit. I’ve completed the current main storyline and done all the side quests. Well, at least all the sidequests I’ve found. Some things aren’t marked, and you just have to stumble across them. Now, I’m working on leveling up my team and doing the city content while roaming Heatherau, protecting citizens from gangs and anomalies.

As side content goes, the free-to-play open-world game has quite a bit of it. Of course, there are the standard things like repeatable boss fights needed to level characters and obtain gear. And there are the collectibles scattered around the city. Some of those are items that can be used as gifts for the game’s Bond system – otherwise known as the dating system, although not all characters get the same treatment so far. Other items, such as the crows/lost souls, can be turned in for rewards.

Then there’s the City Tycoon feature. Similar to Arknights: Endfield’s factory system, the City Tycoon is designed to have an impact on regular gameplay. It’s not only a way to make money and get an apartment (or apartments). It also offers you ways to enhance your characters and vehicles. As an example, apartments can host anomalies. Each anomaly has something to offer. Some will be a regular source of items while others will provide passive enhancements for characters and vehicles. There’s even a statue in the first apartment that will open a path to a boss you can fight for gold.

City Tycoon is also where players will find some of the game’s more chill activities, like fishing, running a cafe, or racing. All of which are nice if you’re just logging in for the vibes on any given day. So, it also serves the purpose of giving you a reason to log in, even if you’re done with story content and don’t feel like fighting bosses.

All of these features are nice, and honestly, probably enough to keep me around. The story’s interesting and the gameplay is fun. Yes, like any game there are some quests that can feel like a lot of running around for nothing. But that didn’t really detract from the game for me, probably because I was constantly getting sidetracked by random anomalies, biker gangs, and the like. If you’re not using the teleports, going from one place to another is rarely a direct trip.

That said, for me, aside from the story, the real selling point is the anomalous realms. These are areas that players can enter – either by their choice or by accident. Some will lead you to a boss you have to fight in order to nullify them. Others are puzzles that need to be solved. While not quite at the same level, it’s the closest thing I’ve had to Secret World puzzle solving in a live-service game in a good while. My hope is that these continue to be a regular feature of the game as they add more content.

There are, of course, some things that need addressing in the game. The biggest of these has to do with community complaints around the use of AI. The game obviously has quite a few assets. Things like book covers, drink labels, billboards, and the like. This has been a topic of conversation among players on social media and, despite the game actually being a lot of fun, could be what turns otherwise interested players away. Ideally, these concerns will be addressed in upcoming updates.