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NTE: Neverness to Everness

NTE: Neverness to Everness

Hotta Studio · released Jul 6, 2026

ActionAdventureRPGFree To PlayPCPlayStation 5iOS (iPhone/iPad)

NTE is a supernatural urban open-world RPG developed by Hotta Studio. Your story begins in Hethereau as an unlicensed anomaly hunter. Team up with a diverse cast of companions, each with unique abilities, to unravel the city's mysteries.

75
VGC Score
Stablehigh confidence

anchored at patch: “Ver. 1.3 "Rising from the Moonlit Fog" Patch Notes” (14d ago)

76%
At launch
83%
Steam all-time
73%
Press
65%
Player sentiment
79%
Recent sentiment

Screenshots & trailers

Review sentiment over time

Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.

How this score was computed

The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.

ComponentPositiveQuality (0-100)Weight (pseudo-reviews)
Press reviews (Metacritic)7340
All-time Steam reviews83%771000
Metacritic user ratings6583
Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted)79%73999
Calibration prior (typical game)7250

Scoring window: since the last significant patch (Aug 18, 2026) · 300 reviews sampled · 999 total reviews in window · weighted 195.1 up / 41 down · computed 3h ago · full methodology →

Press & Creators reviews (12)

Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.

  • 80
    trust 69May 4, 2026

    If you like urban open worlds with life sim elements, then it’s impossible not to recommend NTE right now. This game has one of the most beautiful, vibrant sandbox settings I’ve seen in some time, and despite some irksome characters, I’m generally enjoying its plot so far, which blends slice of life mangas with sci-fi horror. The gacha business model is understandably not going to resonate with everyone, but at launch this is one of the more generous games in the genre thus far. And the sheer number of things to do day one, from managing coffee shops to beating down possessed DJ decks in DDR-style rhythm battles, is simply unprecedented.

    read full review ↗
  • 86
    trust 65Apr 29, 2026

    NTE is a game that feels like it’s constantly pulling you in different directions, yet somehow still holds together as a cohesive experience. It wants to be a gacha RPG, a city life simulator, a driving game, a management sandbox, and a narrative-driven anomaly hunter all at once. And instead of collapsing under that weight, it actually becomes a strong foundation to support how its systems interact and flow with each other. Of course, that ambition isn’t perfectly refined yet. Some systems still lean a bit too simple and story pacing can break immersion when level locks interrupt momentum. But even with those rough edges, the important part is that NTE never feels aimless. It commits to what it is trying to be, a multi-layered city RPG where everyday life and anomaly-driven chaos coexist.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 63May 12, 2026

    NTE: Neverness to Everness won't set the free-to-play world on fire, but it's still a surprisingly strong debut effort with a solid foundation.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 62May 7, 2026

    NTE: Neverness to Everness delivers a stylish and surprisingly varied gacha experience, packed with activities and strong presentation. While none of its systems truly stand out, the mix of vibes and accessible progression make it easy to sink hours into. The real test will be its long-term support, but for now, NTE has all the ingredients to become a lasting hit.

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    trust 61May 13, 2026

    Neverness to Everness is an ambitious open-world gacha game overflowing with content, whose greatest strength lies in the city of Hethereau and the wide variety of activities it offers, ranging from exploration and management to combat. The gacha system is surprisingly generous compared to the standards of the genre and helps make the experience accessible even to free-to-play users, while the sandbox structure can keep players engaged for dozens of hours. On the other hand, some fairly evident limitations emerge: the combat system is functional but lacks depth and fails to compete with the best titles in the genre; the narrative struggles to find an engaging pace in this 1.0 version; and the cast of characters does not leave a particularly strong impression, either in terms of writing or character design.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 61Jun 1, 2026

    It’s a game that requires a lot of improvements before it can be truly great. I think that if you have the teeniest bit of curiosity, there’s nothing that should stop you from trying the game out for yourself. As a gacha game, its monetization isn’t aggressive, and playing it myself throughout this month was an experience I found decent, although it barely hits the passable bar. I’ll be closely following the development of this game because I do see the vision that Hotta Studio wishes to craft, and I truly hope the team can bounce back.

    read full review ↗
  • 65
    trust 58Apr 30, 2026

    Neverness to Everness delivers a stylish, lively city packed with plenty to do, and its generous gacha system makes it easy to enjoy everything it has to offer without constant frustration. But beneath all that charm, the bloated gameplay formula starts to show, especially in its story and combat, which struggle to stand out in an already crowded field of other known gacha giants. If you’re already invested in similar games, this can be a fun, low-pressure addition to your routine. Just don’t expect it to reinvent the wheel since it’s more of a comfortable, content-rich ride with a few slightly annoying bumps along the way.

    read full review ↗
  • 65
    trust 56May 13, 2026

    Ultimately, at launch NTE just lacks sufficient content to keep it interesting past a few days of playing, especially the abrupt story end. What's there is decent quality for a free-to-play game, and you're not forced to spend any real money, as everything is doable through in-game progress. You can't go wrong with checking it out, but don't expect a huge RPG or an offering which meaningfully separates itself from the rest of the gacha pack beyond its city setting.

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    trust 53May 7, 2026

    Neverness To Everness is a perhaps overly ambitious title that attempts to do a little bit of everything without truly excelling in any single aspect. Indeed, while all of the game's components are enjoyable, none of them truly leave a lasting impression; ultimately, one ends up appreciating the sheer variety of the offering more than its actual quality. All of this translates into an experience that is certainly entertaining during the first few hours of gameplay, but one that risks faltering in its attempt to sustain player engagement over the long haul. It is now up to the developers, therefore, to rise to the challenge through post-launch support that simultaneously adds new content and refines what is already available.

    read full review ↗
  • 80
    trust 51May 6, 2026

    Neverness to Everness was a gacha game that took a lot of my time. It has a little of everything in this game. Supernatural fights, car stealing, fishing, bank heists, and everything in between. Since it is a combination of a lot of elements from other games, it doesn’t do as much as those specific games can. It is still a fun time.

    read full review ↗
  • 75
    trust 48May 16, 2026

    Neverness to Everness delivers a refreshing urban gacha experience that successfully blends GTA-style sandbox activities with vibrant anime aesthetics. Although its combat lacks depth and menu navigation feels cumbersome, the sheer variety of side content and a generous monetization model make it a compelling free-to-play adventure despite its superficial mechanics.

    read full review ↗
  • 70
    trust 40May 18, 2026

    The audio department is less impressive, featuring music that serves a functional role within the gameplay, with a few tracks that actually manage to stand out, while the sound effects and voice acting (which we sampled in both English and Japanese) do little to push beyond the typical limitations of the genre, offering many stereotypical performances.

    read full review ↗

Patch history

  1. Ver. 1.3 "Rising from the Moonlit Fog" Patch Notes
    Aug 18, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  2. Server Maintenance Notice: July 29, NTE (UTC+8)
    Jul 28, 2026significant · resets scoring window
  3. Version 1.2 "999 Nights" Patch Notes
    Jul 7, 2026significant · resets scoring window