This new free PS5 game is going head to head with GTA 6

(Image credit: Hotta Studio)

  • Neverness to Everness has launched for PC, PlayStation 5, and mobile
  • It’s a free-to-play open-world game with a huge city to explore
  • It features a wanted level, customizable cars, and more

Craving some open-world action ahead of the Grand Theft Auto 6 launch later this year? This new free PlayStation 5 game should be on your radar.

Neverness to Everness launched earlier today, offering a huge and immersive world to explore. It’s set in Hethereau, a fictional urban metropolis with an aesthetic reminiscent of modern American and East Asian cities, which players can freely traverse on foot or via a range of customizable vehicles.

Although it’s not available right now, developer Hotta Studio has already confirmed an upcoming Porsche collab, which will add the real-world Porsche 918 Spyder to drive.

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Like any good open-world game, the city is home to loads of different activities. You can go fishing to unlock skins, play a variety of mini-games like Mahjong, visit a wealth of in-game shops, and even jump into some cooperative online multiplayer modes. There are loads of collectibles, too, plus a healthy dose of side quests to keep you busy.

Although Neverness to Everness has an unapologetically anime-inspired art direction, it’s elevated by some pretty impressive tech. Built on Unreal Engine 5, it features global ray tracing for realistic lighting and Nvidia DLSS support.

A modern urban fantasy

(Image credit: Hotta Studio)

I’ve been dipping in and out of the game throughout the morning, and feel like I’ve only really scratched the surface of what’s there. It looks like the game will even feature light romance options, raising an overall bond level with unlocked characters, and even the option to move in with your favorite.

There’s even a basic wanted level system that punishes you for taking vehicles that don’t belong to you by force or hitting others with attacks à la Grand Theft Auto.

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The main story has the player step into the shoes of an unnamed Anomaly Hunter, an individual tasked with taking down sinister paranormal entities terrorizing the city.

The translation seems a bit rough so far, especially compared to the more polished writing of competitors like Zenless Zone Zero, but it still provides some decent framing for missions, which so far have involved plenty of hack-and-slash combat.

It’s a gacha game, so of course has a cast of colorful characters that you can unlock through progression or by dropping some real-world cash on an in-game purchase.

In the build-up to launch, the game hit more than 35 million pre-registrations, and if you’re interested in diving in now that launch day has arrived, it’s available for PC, PlayStation 5, iOS and Android.


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Dash is an experienced tech journalist who specializes in video games, electronic entertainment products, and the wider industry that surrounds them. He currently serves as the Gaming Editor at TechRadar, leading our review, preview, feature, and news coverage of the latest and greatest releases.

Before joining the team, he was Contributing Writer at PLAY (formerly Official PlayStation Magazine UK) and has written articles for many of the UK’s other biggest gaming magazines including the likes of Edge, PC Gamer, and SFX.

Now, when he’s not getting his greasy little mitts on the newest hardware or gaming gadget, he can be found listening to J-pop or feverishly devouring the latest Nintendo Switch otome.

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