Neverness to Everness: Quirky Fun, But Is It Everlasting for Pakistani Gamers?

Pakistani gamers, are you always on the hunt for the next big gacha game to sink your teeth into? Hotta Studio, the developers behind Tower of Fantasy, have dropped their latest sci-fi urban action title, Neverness to Everness (NtE), and it’s been quite the ride. From its wacky characters to unexpected adventures, NtE certainly knows how to make a dazzling first impression. But can it truly become your next daily obsession, or is it destined to be a fun, albeit temporary, distraction?

My journey into NtE started with something as mundane as needing tomatoes for my in-game cafe, part of the “City Tycoon” side activity. What I thought would be a simple trip to the market turned into a full-blown adventure! First, I bumped into a pair of sentient boxing gloves that decided to turn the street into a boxing ring. Talk about unexpected mini-bosses! Then, on my trusty (and painfully slow) scooter, my path was blocked by green, bouncing anomalies. Imagine SCP meets Scooby Doo, but with even goofier scenarios – that’s the vibe. The city is just brimming with these bizarre, supernatural events, be it a cursed object, people turned into teddy bears, or paintings that just want some praise.

Just when I thought I was getting closer to those elusive tomatoes, a carjacking interrupted my quest. Naturally, being the good citizen of Hethereau, I jumped into action! The real-time combat in NtE feels super satisfying, especially if you’re used to games like Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves. Spamming flashy Ultimates and Skills, combined with well-timed dodges for bonus damage, makes every fight a blast. And after all that, I finally found my tomatoes. Turns out, the item description had the shop info all along – talk about a facepalm moment! But honestly, if I’d just read properly, I would’ve missed out on such a memorable, chaotic gauntlet of detours.

This initial experience was so unique and engaging, and it really set my expectations high. NtE’s main story is just as charmingly absurd. You play as Zero, an amnesia-stricken hero who teams up with Eibon, a perpetually broke group of Anomaly Hunters led by the carefree Hitori. The team is a lovable bunch of misfits: the impossibly polite butler Adler, energetic kids Nanally and Sakiri, genius Edgar, stoic bodyguard Daffodil, and my personal favorite, Tageydo – a chubby otter with a TV for a head. The developers seem to have asked, “What if we made an anime full of ‘filler’ episodes, but they were actually good?” The result is a delightful mix of corny jokes, anime references, and increasingly goofy bosses, like battling a boombox or sparring with a giant interdimensional fluffy dog.

Beyond the main story, NtE also offers a “Bond” mechanic where you can go on dates with certain characters. By giving gifts, you unlock perks like new date spots, holding hands, or inviting them to your house (where you can even make them strike some questionable poses, haha!). While it’s not Mass Effect-level romance, it’s a nice way to spend more time with your favorite characters and delve deeper into their stories.

However, after those initial hours of pure fun, the open world starts to lose its sparkle. What seemed like endless possibilities quickly turns into a shell housing various “Hethereau Hobbies” mini-games. Don’t get me wrong, some of these mini-games are genuinely fun – maniacally serving cafe orders in “Owner’s Selection” or speedrunning a bank robbery in “Pink Paws Heist” gave me a real chaska! But the problem is, there are only nine of them, and you’re pretty much forced to repeat them to earn Fons, the in-game currency. Fons are essential for buying cosmetics, houses, ranking up your City Tycoon levels, and even getting copies of a free S-Class character.

This grind is further compounded by the “City Stamina” currency, which limits your mini-game sessions. Plus, the main story itself is level-gated, meaning you HAVE to engage with these repeatable activities to gain EXP. What starts off as a quirky, enjoyable distraction quickly becomes a mundane chore. Yaar, doing the same activity for the hundredth, or even thousandth, time can really drain the fun out of any game, no matter how charming its characters are.

Now, let’s talk about the gacha system itself. On the surface, NtE seems quite player-friendly. You can earn free S-Class Arc weapons just by playing, purchase S-Class character copies with in-game currency, and even pick your “Awakenings” (character buff copies) out of order. Plus, there’s no dreaded 50/50 here; reaching 90 pulls guarantees you the featured character. That’s a zabardast improvement! However, there’s a catch: collecting all cosmetics for a limited banner character requires a whopping 200 pulls. And the way the gacha pulls are presented as a board game, visually showing you an S-Class character just a few moves away, can be dangerously tempting for your wallet. It’s designed to make you think, “just one more pull…”

Ultimately, Neverness to Everness is a game I want to root for. Its initial charm, unique world, and genuinely funny, lovable cast of characters are fantastic. The combat is satisfying, and those early, unexpected adventures are gold. But the repetitive open world and the forced grind for progression seriously dampen its long-term appeal. While it might not become my everyday gacha mainstay like Honkai: Star Rail, it’s definitely worth checking out for its story and characters. Maybe with future updates, Hotta Studio can introduce more varied activities to keep the city feeling alive. Until then, NtE is a fun, wild ride for a while, but perhaps not forever. What do you guys think? Will you be diving into Neverness to Everness?