It was a quirky journey to find some tomatoes that lured me into believing that Neverness to Everness could be my new favorite gacha. I had just bought my first cafe in its City Tycoon side activity and needed a few dozen veggies to start serving better meals. No problem, right? A nearby shop with a tomato sign seemed like the perfect candidate, but when it turned out the shopkeeper was lying, I embarked on quite the adventure.

On my way to the next shop, I stopped to talk to a mouthy pair of sentient boxing gloves, which transformed the area into a mini-boss boxing ring. After navigating past "anomalies"—supernatural events that feel like a mix of SCP and Scooby-Doo—I hopped on my measly starting scooter to continue the hunt. These anomalies range from:

  • Cursed objects that glimpse parallel worlds
  • People who have turned into teddy bears or animals
  • Paintings that demand praise
  • Random anthropomorphic balls blocking your path

Eventually, after dodging a carjacking and engaging in flashy real-time combat, I finally found my new bud, Basil, selling tomatoes by a cherry blossom-covered roadside. It turns out the item description told me which shops sold them all along—a total facepalm moment, but one that provided a memorable gauntlet of goofy detours.

The Charming Cast of Neverness to Everness

I have played 20 hours more of Neverness to Everness since "tomato-gate," and while I haven't had an experience quite like that again, the game remains engaging thanks to its goofy main storyline and lovable cast. Developer Hotta Studio seems to have asked, "What if we made a game of anime filler episodes, but they were actually good?"

The story begins with a semi-serious threat from a mind-controlling UFO anomaly, introducing the protagonist, Zero, who suffers from classic anime amnesia. You soon join Eibon, a perpetually broke group of Anomaly Hunters led by Hitori, a woman who would rather drink away her money than take on commissions. The team is filled with delightful archetypes:

  • Adler: An impossibly polite, butler-like figure.
  • Nanally and Sakiri: Energetic bratty kids.
  • Edgar: A child genius.
  • Daffodil: Hitori’s stoic bodyguard.
  • Tageydo: An anomaly resembling a chubby otter with a TV for a head.

While this "found family" is wonderful, the main character Zero can sometimes feel a bit dull by comparison. However, the commissions—ranging from clearing haunted photography studios to helping Tageydo on a date—are packed with flashy battle set pieces, corny jokes, and anime references.

Combat, Dating, and a Repetitive Open World

The combat in Neverness to Everness feels satisfyingly familiar to players of Genshin Impact or Wuthering Waves. It utilizes a real-time system where well-timed dodges and skill usage provide bonus damage. You might find yourself battling a boombox, a humungous interdimensional dog, or even a floating ballgown that can slow down time.

Beyond combat, the game features a "Bond" mechanic that allows for dating certain characters. By giving gifts, you can unlock date spots, hold hands during strolls, and even invite characters to your house. While there are no dateable male characters at launch, unique character events occur throughout the city regardless of romanceability, such as baking cakes or simply chatting with friends.

Unfortunately, the excitement of these encounters doesn't always extend to the rest of the world. While bumping into a jellyfish-riding friend in a pet shop is amusing, the open world is increasingly feeling stale. Much of the gameplay relies on almost mandatory, repeatable activities that lack the creative spark found in the game's more eccentric side quests. For all its charm and wacky personality, there is no way Neverness to Everness becomes my new gacha mainstay just yet.