"Nivalis Nights" loses me in the everyday life of cyberpunk
"Nivalis Nights" promises a life in a vast cyberpunk metropolis. I run businesses, get to know its inhabitants, and decide for myself which stories I follow and when. It's just that this daily routine hardly draws me in.
My quest log is well-filled. I am supposed to talk to someone, pick something up elsewhere, and pay a visit to another person when the opportunity arises. New tasks pop up regularly and wait patiently for me to complete them.
So, I set off. On the way to my actual destination, I quickly finish another task. It is almost on my route anyway. Convenient. But after a few hours, I notice that I am wandering through Nivalis out of curiosity less and less often. Instead, I plan my routes as efficiently as possible and tick off one item in the log after another.
Actually, this freedom should feel great. However, a different feeling is increasingly setting in for me: boredom.
«Nivalis Nights» combines life simulation and management. Instead of saving the cyberpunk world, I am trying to build a life for myself within it. I take over restaurants and other catering businesses, earn money, invest in my property, and take care of apartments, relationships, and leisure activities on the side.
A city that impresses me less than hoped
Visually, Nivalis has the best prerequisites to keep me hooked. The cyberpunk city is stacked over several levels, advertisements glow everywhere between the skyscrapers, and rain repeatedly turns the streets into reflective neon surfaces. At first glance, the impression is of a densely built metropolis where something could happen around every corner.
In screenshots and trailers, the style seems much stronger to me than in the game itself. Many street sections are less detailed than I expected. While the angular voxel look basically fits the cyberpunk world, in practice it often appears coarser and simpler than hoped.
The characters also fall short visually. Faces often look flat and lack expression, while postures and movements are sometimes stiff. Clothing and surfaces remain comparatively simple. This contrast is particularly noticeable next to the many light sources, reflections, and details of the environment.
The lighting still provides beautiful moments time and again. However, the initial wow effect quickly fades for me.
This is especially noticeable because I am out and about so much. If I am already walking from one destination to the next for minutes at a time, the environment has to be more than just a pretty backdrop for me. I want to discover things, stop, or at least have the feeling that a detour is worth it. Instead, I find myself focusing more and more only on the next marker.
Orientation without a real overview
Nivalis consists of several separate districts that I can explore freely within their borders. For longer journeys between the districts, I use taxis or the metro, while other parts of the gigantic cyberpunk city remain merely a backdrop. Nivalis is more of a collection of larger areas than an open world.
Within these areas, the game helps me with orientation using several indicators. It shows me the direction to the destination and gives hints as to whether a task is in my current district. This is practical, especially with several open quests, because it allows me to roughly plan what can be done on one route.
However, the indicators sometimes lead me astray. Sometimes it shows me a metro station or a taxi as the actual destination, even though these only serve as a connection to another district. Without a detailed map for the individual districts, I also find it difficult to understand routes within a city district. So, I usually know which direction I need to go. But how exactly I get there is not always immediately clear to me.
In addition, Ava, my AI assistant, who guides me through parts of the game and supports me during conversations, keeps popping up in the middle of exploring. These interruptions are unsolicited and tend to pull me out of the flow of the game rather than helping me.
Management with the handbrake on
At least the businesses bring a bit more structure to the game. I can hire staff and gradually delegate tasks. Particularly pleasant: with a restaurant manager, the tedious shopping for ingredients is eventually eliminated. Other work can also be delegated to employees.
I still have to pay attention to how my staff is deployed and whether the business is functioning. At the same time, the design remains limited for my taste. Although I can exert influence, I rarely have the feeling of shaping a business in detail.
Many encounters, little connection
In Nivalis, I am constantly meeting new people. Many of them send me on errands, tell me about their problems, or reappear later. Only a few have managed to stick in my memory so far.
The conversations also often remain bland for me. While they convey what I need to know, they rarely develop a tone of their own. Often, I listen, choose a response, and then move on to the next destination.
Relationships are supposed to deepen these encounters. For me, however, they feel more like another system running alongside the other activities. I often lack the feeling that a bond is actually being formed from individual meetings.
«Nivalis Nights» was provided to me by 505 Games. The game has been available for PC since September 29th.
In a nutshell
A colorful city that fades quickly
Pro
- coherent cyberpunk atmosphere in individual moments
- flexible sequence for many orders
Contra
- many tasks feel like chores to be ticked off
- The city feels less lively and detailed than hoped.
- Characters and relationships remain pale
- Management offers little depth and creative freedom
- Orientation within the districts is unnecessarily complicated
My interests are varied, I just like to enjoy life. Always on the lookout for news about darts, gaming, films and series.
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