Free-to-play open-world RPG Neverness to Everness (NTE) just launched a new closed beta test, called the Co-Ex Test, that’s playable on PC, PlayStation 5, and mobile. It showcases the improvements developer Hotta Studio has made in the months since the last closed beta, including vehicle updates, new minigames, and gameplay tweaks. And alongside the beta, they announced that pre-registration is available now on the App Store and Google Play.
The Containment Test beta in July added a requisition system that allows you to commandeer vehicles across Hethereau, the giant metropolis where NTE takes place. And now, that system has been refined. New types of vehicles have been added, including muscle cars, supercars, and sportbikes, and the physics of all vehicles have been improved. Handling is tighter, while collisions and the exterior damage they cause are more realistic.
There are also a lot more ways to interact with vehicles. Characters can join you as passengers, and they’ve gotten new riding animations. And you can honk the horn and jump out of a vehicle before it’s come to a stop. You can also pop tires, knock out windows, and damage vehicles to the point where they explode.
You can requisition vehicles whenever you want, but causing excessive damage or disturbing public order will activate NTE’s multi-level wanted system, which has also seen some changes. As your wanted level rises, there will be escalating consequences. Police officers and bots will pursue you, and they’ll get more aggressive as your wanted level increases.
Previously, if you were apprehended by police officers, you simply paid a fine and were immediately let out. Now, you’ll be sent to a detention facility, where you have more options for how to get out. You can still pay the fine to leave immediately, but now you also can try to stage a jail break, which obviously comes with some risk. Or you can work off what you owe, which basically amounts to cleaning up the facility. It’s the slowest option, but it costs no money and comes with no danger. So you’ll need to weigh what’s most important to you: speed, danger, or cost.
Hethereau is almost constantly plagued by reality-defying anomalies, and the main story will see you working as an unlicensed Anomaly Hunter to investigate these weird occurrences and figure out how to stop them. But in between these story beats, you’ll be able to take part in leisure activities and hobbies.
You can buy a home to return to after a long day, or you can buy and customize a car and race against street crews or against other players in multiplayer. The Co-Ex Test added new activities and hobbies too, including fishing, games of Mahjong, a musical rhythm game called Super Sound (which you can see below), and a shop management sim mode.
Fishing is the most in-depth addition, with a total of 76 different types of fish spread across designated fishing spots in the city. Each district of Hethereau has its own spots, and different fish are located in different bodies of water. So you’ll need to venture across the city if you want to catch them all. Whatever you catch can be sold for tokens, which can then be traded for fishing-related items or fons (the in-game currency). And as you catch different fish, you’ll earn additional rewards for filling up your fishing log.
If you like being able to take over a shop and manage its day-to-day operations to improve it, then Owner’s Selection is the mode for you. You can find shops in the open world available for purchase. Once you buy one, you’re in charge of improving its popularity and business level. You do this by hiring staff, decorating the shop, and stocking products. As the shop’s popularity grows, its level will rise and you’ll earn increased profits.
There’s also a new dungeon-style extraction mode called Pink Paws Heist that you can access at any time once you’ve unlocked it at Tycoon Level 18. In it, you’ll gather resources and either fight or avoid patrolling anomalies to find your way to an exit. You’ll get points based on which resources you successfully extract with, and those points can be traded for currency, upgrade materials, and other goodies.
The Co-Ex Test will last until February 20, and public signups are closed, but you still have the chance to win access. Go to this site before February 13 and link your PWG account, then tune in for Twitch Drops livestreams that will run until February 13 at 10:59 p.m. Eastern. During the livestream, you’ll have the chance to directly receive access to the beta. Good luck!
Once the beta test ends, Hotta Studio will take player feedback and implement it into later versions. A final release date for the full version of NTE has not been announced yet, but we do know it will be available for free on PC, console, iOS, and Android with cross-progression across all platforms. For the latest news and info, you can follow NTE on Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, or Discord.
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