10 Games to Play if You Love Neverness to Everness

One genre that has taken gamers by storm in recent years is a mixture of open-world, anime and gacha, as seen in games like Neverness to Everness (or NTE for short). Though not perfect by any stretch, it's a compelling combination, and one that keeps fans coming back day after day. And while NTE is a lot of fun, sometimes you want something slightly different.

Fret not, because I'm here to help! I have a whole list of games that are perfect for you if you love Neverness to Everness. Not all of them feature gacha mechanics, but they're all open-world adventures with a distinctive anime style. That said, some are definitely more cartoony than others, and there's a big assortment of well-known series in the mix.

As for how they're ranked, generally speaking, I went with overall reception, though I also factored in how similar each game is to Neverness to Everness. So get ready to roll the dice, and pray the RNG gods are with us in this colorful list!

10 The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin

The Sin of Pride

On paper, The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin looks great. It faithfully recreates Britannia, and lets you and a group join together to explore a vast realm. It also features several familiar faces, including Prince Tristan of Liones, who's thrust into a strange mashup of time and space. The game even has colorful combat and well hidden secrets.

There's just one problem with The Seven Deadly Sins: Origin — it's way, way too grindy. And while that is often a component of this sort of game, it's not well handled here. Worse, it doesn't do justice to the stories of the characters, and instead feels like a soulless effigy, which is really unfortunate.

While Seven Deadly Sins is a fantastic anime, it's really not well handled in this particular game. But fret not, because we have many more games to discuss on this NTE list.

9 Tower of Fantasy

Hotta's First Attempt

Since both Neverness to Everness and Tower of Fantasy were by Hotta Studio, it's fair to say the games are very similar to each other. So, of course, I had to include it on this list. After all, it's a fascinating and stylish adventure about a world wrecked by man's greed, and offers a vast, dramatically altered world to explore.

One of the hallmarks of the game, other than creating your own personalized avatar, is a variety of weapons to attack with, as well as complex exploration techniques only held in check by a stamina meter. Like many anime-inspired games, there are also plenty of incredibly gorgeous women who are more than capable of annihilating you.

While Tower of Fantasy does allow up to 4 players to work together in this apocalyptic shared world, the game was met with mixed reception. Still, if nothing else, it provided a blueprint that was later used to improve upon it in Neverness to Everness.

8 Digimon World: Next Order

Advent of the Digidestined

While many of the games on this list are a bit more recent, we're going back in time a bit with Digimon World: Next Order. This was a game that was available on PS4, PC, Nintendo Switch and even the Vita, if that tells you anything. But despite some extra stretch lines, this is still a great open world JRPG adventure, just not one with a lot of randomized elements.

That said, you start the game with a choice of 10 Digimon, and will eventually be able to bring a team of two different partners with you into battle. Fret not if they don't meet your expectations, since they'll just perish and get reborn as Digitamas with improved stats. That said, your goal is to have a strong bond with your team of digital monsters.

Combat in the game is real time, and your partners will make use of AI to assist you. Which sometimes doesn't work as planned, but overall was pretty enjoyable. It's a bit on the bland side, but Digimon World: New Order still offers a lot of content to unlock, including 200+ different Digimon.

7 Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot

It's Over 9000!!!

I have a bit of a weird relationship with the Dragon Ball series. While I adore the art style and find the combat sequences engaging, I'm also annoyed by how loudly the characters shout, and how long it takes for some battles to get started. Despite that, I still watched a ton of it in the early mornings before classes during college.

So I guess what I'm saying is that I enjoy games like Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot, even if I find aspects of the series perplexing. And honestly, it's impressive how expansive the game is, letting you experience firsthand all the major battles and story notes of the long-running series. That includes the Saiyan Saga, Frieza Saga, Cell Saga and Buu Saga, not to mention Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot's recent DLC.

Ultimately, your mileage from the game will depend on how diehard of a fan you are of the series. If you're really invested, you'll probably love everything about it. But if you're a bit more jaded like myself, you might have a harder time getting behind Goku's adventures in Dragon Ball Z: Kakarot.

6 Final Fantasy XIV

From Calamity to Success

Let's just be honest, Final Fantasy XIV was a bit of a hot mess when it first arrived. It was met with complaints and dissatisfaction from fans. Which is why many were so relieved that Square Enix and Yoshida managed to right the boat with version 2.0 and beyond. Since then, it's become a critical darling, and some even consider it one of the best games of all time.

Final Fantasy XIV is everything fans love about Final Fantasy but with cooperative mechanics thrown in for good measure. You choose what sort of Class you want to start with, pick your server, and jump into adventure. You'll take quests, gain EXP and fight totally over the top yet familiar monsters, like Bahamut and Malboro, in what is often considered the best storyline in any Final Fantasy ever.

There have also been many different expansions for Final Fantasy XIV, including Heavensward, Shadowbringers and Dawntrail. The only thing more exciting for this fan of JRPGs is that sometime later this year, the experience is finally coming home to my Nintendo Switch 2.

5 One Piece Odyssey

Open World-ish

While it's true that the word 'odyssey' is part of One Piece Odyssey, it's also a bit of a misnomer. Though you do get to explore a large, pirate-filled world, it's also pretty linear. But what the game has in spades is great anime style, and it really lets you enjoy One Piece as a JRPG, complete with turn-based combat.

So, even though it's not quite as open-world as other games on this list, the depth of the anime style is why we still included it. There's a lot to enjoy, from incredible voice acting to fierce combat, amazing artwork and a variety of characters to play. Heck, you can even use their powers to explore the world, which is neat.

What's less neat is you're not able to pilot and explore your ship, and that the story is a bit underwhelming. Plus, if you play a lot of Dragon Quest games, you'll probably find the experience pretty easy. But if you still yearn for Luffy and company in a large game world, then you'll find something to enjoy.

4 Yakuza: Like a Dragon

Ichiban's Heroics

When you think of games with open world, anime-styled antics, Yakuza probably comes to mind. But even then, Yakuza: Like a Dragon is a different sort of beast. It takes the massively popular series and injects it with utterly insane JRPG mechanics, which worked out surprisingly well. It's sort of like Final Fantasy if it were on copious amounts of drugs, but the crazy is very charming.

Though you're still free to use freestanding objects to pummel your foes, you'll also pick from a variety of weird Jobs for your team, ranging from barmaid to clerk, and more eclectic stuff, such as homeless guy and musician. Once you choose, you'll engage in turn-based combat instead of real time. And yes, you'll still be able to do typical Yakuza activities, like enjoying some karaoke, blackmail scumbags and gambling.

You play Ichiban Kasuga, part of the Arakawa clan who suddenly has a change of heart after 18 years wrongfully spent in prison. He wants to be a hero, and he'll do it as awkwardly as possible, which leads to a truly enjoyable and utterly weird experience.

3 Wuthering Waves

Solaris-3's Lament

Now that we're nearing the end, it's time for some games that are very similar to Neverness to Everness. And Wuthering Waves absolutely qualifies. It takes place in Solaris-3, where something called the Lament nearly annihilated humanity, and introduced horrifying monsters called Tacet Discords into the mix.

You play an amnesiac Rover, and will explore this destroyed world. There's a ton of gacha here, as well, which has a role in determining the loot at your behest. One of the cool things about Wuthering Waves are Intro and Outro skills, which work when you enter and leave battle, respectively, and can make your Resonator allies very helpful. Wuthering Waves has been a critical darling as well, and is pretty well regarded in the genre.

2 Zenless Zone Zero

Distorted Hollows

One apparently pretty common theme in this genre is the apocalypse. In Zenless Zone Zero, you master a team of randomized Agents and Bangboo to jump into reality distorting Hollows. Which is incredibly dangerous, but also highly rewarding, assuming you're successful. Just be ready to fight twisted Ethereals.

Zenless Zone Zero really embraces the randomized gacha style, and it will even determine the Agents you control in battle. You can then swap freely between three of them, while aided by your adorable bunny bots. You'll want to explore to find more loot, such as Disc Drives and W-Engines. In combat, you'll want to daze foes and then smash them with Chain Attacks.

Bit by bit, the game reveals more of the overall story. So if you're already a fan, you'll find more to enjoy with each successive season. So even though I'm not a huge fan of episodic content, it works here to keep us engaged.

1 Arknights: Endfield

Hypergryph's Masterpiece

I first encountered Arknights: Endfield at PAX West, and the one word I used to describe it then was ambitious. The game isn't content to just be another open-world, anime style, gacha experience. It wants to be the only one people are playing. And to do so, it combines gorgeous visual style, a deep (albeit confusing) plot, strategic combat and a vast world to explore.

My favorite part about the game is how it features combo-based real-time combat, and lets you freely jump between your team to find the best strategy to proceed. You'll learn to appreciate cooldowns and be strategic about when you use each ability and attack. It sort of plays like a classic PS2 JRPG, but with a lot of modern flair.

Really, if you're at all a fan of games like Neverness to Everness, you probably already know about Arknights: Endfield. It's a really impressive example of the genre, and my only real complaint is that I wanted gamepad support when I demoed it way back when (it's compatible now). But I'm sure most PC gamers will be right at home with a keyboard and mouse.