NTE: Neverness to Everness — Everything We Know

Street races, car chases, street fights, street battles against monsters, sounds familiar? Grand Theft Auto familiar? A bit of Need for Speed? Except NTE: Neverness to Everness is anime, with all of the flashy combat and dramatic flair you expect. Like Need for Speed Unbound meets Persona or Zenless Zone Zero. And I’m here for all of it. 

The trailer does look all over the place. But ultimately, exciting, and can we talk about that dope ass soundtrack? I want it on my Spotify, now. Anyway, enough preamble, let’s get down to everything we know about NTE: Neverness to Everness.

What is NTE: Neverness to Everness?

NTE: Neverness to Everness is an upcoming supernatural urban open-world role-playing game. It’s an anime-styled game, and so features lots of eccentric characters and vibrant places to explore. You’ll play as an “unlicensed” anomaly hunter who joins the antique shop Eijon. Here, you’ll meet other anomaly hunters, heading out into the strange city of Hethereau to fight anomalies and earn commissions from the public in return. 

Every anomaly hunter has their unique and extraordinary powers, including yourself. You’ll partner up in the fight against anomalies, unearthing urban mysteries, embarking on epic adventures, and gradually building your own unique urban story. From funny story beats to tearful moments, the story will take you through the emotions across its riveting campaign. 

Story

NTE: Neverness to Everness’ story takes place in the city of Hethereau. While a bustling and open metropolis, the events and people here are far from normal. You encounter all sorts of folk, with the game’s description highlighting some of the people and their behaviors you’ll meet. You’ll run into “oddities” queuing at the Bureau of Anomaly Control hall, hoping to receive resident permits. An “esper” can clean his work suit with the snap of his finger while he hurries to his destination at the train station. 

People are engaged in chaotic chases after some type of people called “danzaburou.” There are butlers wearing silver gloves, on vacation, though, and chatting to the owner of a second-hand electronics shop. 

This seems to be a city that feels alive with people going about their business and engaging in all sorts of “abnormal” behavior. It’s the very place you’ll make your home, exploring the tension between humans and the supernatural. You’re here to be a witness to strange events, experience, and document them from a first-hand point of view. And all will be little pieces that make up a most thrilling stream of adventures throughout your time in Hethereau. 

Gameplay

NTE: Neverness to Everness doesn’t just seem to focus on one story, but rather multiple paths you can follow and make into unique adventures. A few are highlighted in the game’s description, like a mysterious pawnshop that sprouts up every night of the full moon. A character has a secret crush on Miss Tako, but she’s about to move out of town. I’m guessing you’ll be helping them express their feelings before Miss Tako leaves. 

Meanwhile, you’ll enjoy rewards like exclusive discounts at the Film Orbit photo studio. Also, the weather will change, with rainy seasons demanding the use of an umbrella. Overall, NTE: Neverness to Everness plans to incorporate all sorts of unexpected events and anomalies. It’ll feature something called “unbreakable oaths,” a powerful organization called “the Circle,” and “Prophecies.”

The best way to describe NTE: Neverness to Everness is a GTA anime with supernatural elements, at least as far as the trailer shows. You’ll be exploring the city, discovering mysterious shops, meeting enigmatic shop owners, robotic butlers, and troublemakers. All along, you’ll have energetic companions, also anomaly hunters. As you meet more factions and discover new places, you’ll expand areas you can visit and friends you can make. And all of these will help you craft lots of side stories and adventures.

Most importantly, you’ll have your own ride, which you can customize its speed and look. Or you can ride the Ghost train to enter anomaly spaces. You can buy a home, too, and redecorate it. There’s no set path to follow, with the freedom to carve out your own story and pace.

Development

Developer Hotta Studio and publisher Perfect World Games are currently working on NTE: Neverness to Everness. They have launched an official website and released at least six official trailers. These all showcase the gameplay, characters, environments, and the “Wanted System.” Evidently, much is already complete, with Perfect World calling on gamers to pre-register as early as now.

Kee Zhang from Hotta Studio has revealed plenty more about the upcoming game. Despite the city sprawling with supernatural elements, he says that it’ll still look realistic. He adds that the world you explore will be a “living city,” with operational businesses, dynamic NPCs, and authentic vehicles. Moreover, Zhang expands on your powers called Espers, which will enable you to climb high-rise buildings and use anti-gravity. 

NTE: Neverness to Everness will unfold via episodic narratives, focused on containing the anomalies. While they’ll certainly be dangerous, perhaps even scary, Zhang adds that the stories will add a “light, comedic touch.” Their goal, he says, is to “spark players’ curiosity, maintain immersion, and drive a continuous desire for exploration.”

Trailer

There’s so much going on in the NTE: Neverness to Everness announcement trailer that it’s difficult to know what genre the game is. Fighting scenes, car chases, and role-playing scenes all feature in the game. And while it’s initially all over the place, the overall bopping soundtrack, vibrant visuals, and frantic gameplay reel you in to heavily anticipating the final release.

Release Date, Platforms, & Editions

Anytime now, NTE: Neverness to Everness will be arriving on PlayStation 5 and PC platforms. It’s not yet official, but the expected launch window is late 2025, between the third and fourth quarter. Seeing as the game will be free-to-play, it doesn’t hurt to keep it on your radar. Particularly by following the official social media handle, where news of editions and more updates is likely to be announced.