I’ve been eyeing Nivalis Nights for years now. You see, I’m a huge fan of both the cyberpunk aesthetic and the business management subgenre. To combine those two into a single, cohesive experience, well, that has the potential to win me over from the jump. Does Nivalis Nights win me over, though? Well, yes and no. There’s plenty to love here, to be sure, but I have gripes — numerous gripes about core gameplay design decisions. Either way, we’ll dive into it all. Here’s The Guide Hall’s Nivalis Nights review in full, having spent countless hours exploring the world and running businesses into the ground!
Editor’s Note: The Guide Hall received a review copy of the game from the developer/publisher/PR for this review. Their generosity does not impact our overall opinion or thoughts on the game!
What Nivalis Nights Does Right
There’s a lot to love in Nivalis Nights. From the cyberpunk aesthetic and unique texture to the colorful characters you meet along the way. Sure, they talk too much, but those you interact with tend to be memorable at a glance. You’ll easily spot your favorites pushing through a crowd.
Some of those characters have exceptional voice acting. For example, Ava. She’s highly memorable and, for an AI constantly in your ear, not overly annoying to listen to at times. The same cannot be said for everyone, but there’s character in their flaws — by flaws, I mean annoying voices, like the Miso Baron.
But more importantly, the business management mechanics keep me coming back to my ramen bar night after night. It’s not enough that I can alter prices, add to my menu, or hire employees to keep the shop running smoothly when I’m away. I thoroughly enjoy working behind the scenes, too. I help cook ramen, serve beer, deal with customer complaints, and sweep up after a long day. I’ve fully immersed myself in this corporate-driven hellscape.
Oh, and what a hellscape. Nivalis Nights is gorgeous, from its graphical style to its world design. I feel like I’m traversing, working, and living in a genuine cyberpunk city. From the neon-lit streets that glow in the rain to the markets bustling with people hawking wares. It’s an absolute vibe that I’m here for in spades.
The city itself, besides being gorgeous, is sprawling. You can take a cab, train, or boat to traverse the many districts. At first, it feels overwhelming. It genuinely is at times. But then, you’ll unlock the ability to fast travel to the districts, making travel easier and less cumbersome.
What’s Wrong With Nivalis Nights?
Having spent plenty of hours playing Nivalis Nights since release, I have some issues with the game that my wife has heard far too many times. Now, it’s your turn:
- Why is there a curfew?! Introducing an arbitrary blockage to prevent players from fully exploring the game’s nightlife potential, which doesn’t make a whole lot of sense in a cyberpunk city, simply detracts from the gameplay. It’s cyberpunk! I should be able to run a ramen noodle shop 24 hours a day.
- The serial killer storyline! On the topic of the curfew, brought about thanks to a serial killer plaguing the city, why is this even a story element? It doesn’t add anything to the core experience. You’re already dealing with running multiple businesses, buying and furnishing apartments, meeting people, completing side quests, dealing with the corps, traversing the sprawling city, growing crops, operating a fishing boat, etc. You have so much on your plate that introducing a serial killer and a curfew takes away from the core experience.
- Why does everyone talk so much? I know some people love background stories and lore, and I’m generally one of them, but in Nivalis Nights, everyone talks a lot. I’m trying to restock my businesses; I get a phone call. I need to satisfy a quest objective; the individual offers their life story. Talk, talk, talk.
- My employees downright suck at their jobs! Speaking of businesses, I have numerous employees; some of them are quite high-level in their respective roles, yet if I’m not actively micromanaging the entire shop, it’s in a death spiral. I return after one of the many, many side quests to find a slew of red-faced customers still waiting for their orders, while my team of employees lollygag. If I’m not taking orders, cooking, and delivering plates, it’s barely getting done. I can lose hundreds or thousands of Lims daily due to restocking, but my employees aren’t making that money back fast enough.
- Rapid-fire gripes! I can’t set my business hours. Why can’t we have more control over our business operations? Why does food spoil so quickly? I have seen so many loading screens going between the many, many districts in the game. Every side quest feels like a fetch quest. Speaking of, my quest log is overloaded with so much to do that it feels chaotic and stressful. Days fly by too quickly; how do we keep up?
Yeah, that’s quite a few gripes about the game. From the outside looking in, I know it looks like I dislike the game wholly. I don’t. I’m really, genuinely enjoying my time with Nivalis Nights. I intend to continue playing it for many more hours, especially after the developers push a few updates and expand the game in the future. But that doesn’t mean it’s perfect.
Is Nivalis Nights Worth Playing?
Do I recommend you purchase and play Nivalis Nights? Yes and no.
Do you enjoy business simulation games? How about cyberpunk aesthetics? A basic life-sim approach to a mystery/thriller story about a serial killer plaguing a city run by corporations?
If yes, then you’ll probably enjoy Nivalis Nights. It’s not a terrible game, by any means, and definitely offers plenty of fun moments and mechanics for those who enjoy running businesses and living a frantic life in a cyberpunk cityscape.
If you’re sensitive to chaotic gameplay, dislike an arbitrary timer pressing down on you, don’t want to deal with bugs or glitches, or hate reading, then you’ll probably dislike Nivalis Nights.
Overall, I personally hope we wind up with a free mode, allowing us to truly work and live in Nivalis Nights without worrying about serial killers or arbitrary curfews and deadlines. Just let me live here!