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Combat System
February 7, 2026 at 12:09 AM
Full rewrite correcting attribute names to Cosmos/Anima/Incantation/Chaos/Psyche/Lakshana, adding named synergies, parry system, Cycle Rate
Neverness to Everness uses a third-person action-RPG combat system built around real-time combos, character swapping, and Esper abilities. The combat is fast. You chain normal attacks, skills, and ultimates while swapping characters mid-combo to trigger synergy effects.
The system has more mechanical depth than it appears at first glance. Attribute interactions, parry timing, stagger management, and off-field passives all feed into how fights play out.
You bring a team of four characters into combat. One is active at any time, the other three are off-field. Swapping is instant and can be done during attack animations, which means combos do not end when you switch. A greatsword swing from one character can chain directly into a ranged burst from another.
Each character has four skill slots plus an ultimate ability. Building a team means choosing characters whose attributes and skill types complement each other, since attribute combinations trigger synergy effects.
Every character and Esper is aligned with one of six attributes. These form a cycle that determines which combinations trigger synergy reactions.
The six attributes are:
Cosmos — Celestial and space-aligned.
Anima — Life and nature-aligned.
Incantation — Spell and ritual-aligned.
Chaos — Destructive and entropic.
Psyche — Mental and spiritual.
Lakshana — Physical form and material.
These six attributes form a ring: Cosmos, Anima, Incantation, Chaos, Psyche, Lakshana, then back to Cosmos. Adjacent pairs in this ring trigger duo synergies when used together.
When two characters with adjacent attributes attack the same enemy, they trigger a duo synergy reaction. There are six named duo synergies, one for each adjacent pair:
Blossom — Cosmos + Anima.
Hexed — Anima + Incantation.
Scorch — Incantation + Chaos.
Nova — Chaos + Psyche.
Stain — Psyche + Lakshana.
Remora — Lakshana + Cosmos.
Each synergy has a distinct visual effect and gameplay impact. Triggering them consistently is one of the main ways to maximize damage output.
Combining two adjacent duo synergies creates a trio reaction, a more powerful effect that requires three attributes to converge on the same target. Two trio reactions have been named:
Charge — Triggered by Blossom + Remora (Cosmos + Anima + Lakshana).
Discord — Triggered by Nova + Scorch (Chaos + Psyche + Incantation).
Trio reactions require building a team with three characters whose attributes line up correctly, then attacking in the right sequence to layer both duo synergies before the trio triggers. This is the high-skill ceiling of the combat system.
Parrying is central to the combat. Rather than a single parry button, the game has multiple parry types. The exact number varies by character, but the system includes at least:
Perfect Parry — Tight timing window. Negates damage completely and opens the enemy to a counter-attack. The most rewarding but hardest to execute.
Standard Parry — More forgiving timing. Reduces damage and creates a brief opening.
Dodge Parry — Triggered during a dodge. Combines evasion with a parry effect.
Different enemies telegraph attacks at different speeds, so the parry system requires reading enemy patterns rather than relying on a single timing.
The Cycle Rate meter fills as you land attacks and trigger synergy effects. A higher Cycle Rate increases damage output. The meter decays if you stop attacking, so the system rewards aggressive, continuous play.
Managing Cycle Rate means staying in the fight. Retreating to heal or repositioning too cautiously lets the meter drop. The tension between staying aggressive for damage bonuses and backing off to survive is where much of the moment-to-moment decision-making lives.
Enemies have a stagger bar beneath their health bar. Consistent hits fill the stagger bar. When it breaks, the enemy enters a vulnerable state where they take increased damage and cannot attack or dodge.
Heavy attacks and certain skills fill the stagger bar faster than light attacks. Some synergy effects also contribute. Breaking stagger on a boss opens a window for your highest-damage combos.
Characters not currently active still contribute. Off-field characters provide passive effects that buff the active character or debuff enemies. These passives vary by character and create another layer of team-building decisions.
A team is not just four DPS characters. One character might have a strong off-field heal. Another might apply an attribute debuff from the bench. Choosing the right off-field combination matters as much as choosing who fights on the front line.
Each character has four active skills plus an ultimate. Skills are tied to the character's Esper and attribute alignment. Building a character means choosing which skills to prioritize and how they interact with your team's synergy goals.
See individual character pages for skill breakdowns: Hotori, Sakiri, Nanally, Taygedo, and others.
