Visual Novels are not for everyone.
Although some titles break the mold and lean toward graphic adventure games with actual gameplay, many of them are in fact what the name implies—a novel with visuals. If someone isn't interested in reading, then there's usually no reason to recommend these games to them. But then sometimes a rare title comes along that changes everything, with a story so masterfully crafted that it is not only one of the greatest visual novels of all time, but also a story everyone deserves to experience at least once. Steins;Gate, Fate/stay night, and Clannad are examples of visual novels that have stood the test of time and captured the hearts of many. While the anime aesthetics still might not resonate with everyone, there is no denying just how great their stories are. They truly are the best of the best. But sadly, Never 7 isn't one of them.
Originally released in 2000 for the PlayStation, Never 7: The End of Infinity was one of the earliest visual novels to be written by Kotaro Uchikoshi and directed by Takumi Nakazawa. If these names sound familiar, it is because they both eventually teamed up many years later as key members of Too Kyo Games. While at Too Kyo Games, the two worked on titles such as The Hundred Line: Last Defense Academy, but even before then, they made quite a name for themselves. Uchikoshi would become most well known for the Zero Escape series—consisting of 9 Hours, 9 Persons, 9 Doors, Virtue's Last Reward, and Zero Time Dilemma—and Nakazawa would become known for working on titles such as Myself; Yourself and Root Double: Before Crime * After Days. While each of these titles became famous within visual novel circles, their humble beginnings with Never 7 were a little rough, to say the least.
As the first entry in the Infinity series, Never 7 serves as an introduction to the themes that would play a central role moving forward. While it contains sci-fi elements and branching paths, which are staples for both Uchikoshi and Nakazawa's later works, the game takes things slower and focuses more on slice-of-life aspects instead. Even so, many fans in the US have been interested in the title simply due to the creators involved, and on March 6th, 2025, they finally got their chance.
Released by Spike Chunsoft, Never 7: The End of Infinity is a modern port of the Japanese classic featuring an official English translation. This version of the game is based on the PSP release but removes the non-canon, fan-written Append Stories. Unfortunately, using this version also means the same zoomed-in CGs are used throughout the game, which often cuts off the top and bottom of the images. Putting that aside, the true question is: is Never 7 even worth reading? Honestly, that depends on what you are looking for. To be blunt, there is no denying that this is not only the weakest entry in the Infinity series, but also a game that cannot compare to the titles Uchikoshi and Nakazawa would go on to create. Everyone has to start somewhere, and it is important that players cast aside their expectations with this one so they don't let themselves down.
Welcome to Seminar Camp
Never 7 puts us in the shoes of a young man named Makoto Ishihara, who is forced to attend a week-long seminar camp on a remote island due to his failing grades in college. Joining him are Yuka Kawashima, the group's leader; Okuhiko Iida, the rich heir of the Iida Financial Group; and the mysterious Haruka Higuchi, who keeps to herself. Although Makoto met the group the day before they arrived on the island, he begins his stay at the camp by awaking from what can only be described as a nightmare. In this nightmare, he can only make out a hand holding a bell, but he can tell what he had just seen was ultimately someone's demise. While he attempts to pass off his dream as nothing more than just that, a distressed Yuka barges into his room with a confused look on her face. Though it isn't clear what has her so worked up, Makoto brushes off the whole incident, viewing her strange reaction and his dream as a coincidence. Afterward, he meets up with the other attendees, and they all start their day of activities.
But then things change.
After a chance encounter with a pizza delivery girl named Kurumi, who delivers to the wrong house, the group eventually gets introduced to her older sister, Izumi. Due to Kurumi's prior mix-up, they are also introduced to the angry Saki Asakura, who happens to be an old classmate of Yuka's. Although these three girls have nothing to do with the seminar, they quickly join in on the fun and spend the rest of the week with the group. Though nothing seems out of the ordinary initially, it doesn't take long for Makoto to start seeing visions of the future, which he simply cannot explain. Although it first starts with smaller incidents, such as seeing Haruka fall, the predictions become more vivid as larger events begin to befall the group. To make matters worse, the bell from his dream begins appearing across the island, constantly falling into the possession of the girls. This scares him more than anything, but what can he possibly do about it? With the others not believing his claims of "seeing the future" and his nightmare constantly looming over him, it all falls on him to get to the bottom of the mystery and possibly save someone's life.
But this is only the beginning.
A Slow Start, Payoff Later:
Never 7: The End of Infinity has an extremely slow start, and it is one that must be experienced repeatedly. "Infinite loops" are a key part of the story, and it is not surprising when players find themselves back at the beginning of the narrative. This occurs early during the first playthrough and becomes essential to understanding the overall mystery.
During the first part of the game, the main focus is simply on learning more about the characters. Although some of them have truly interesting backstories and introduce unique ideas, many are never fully developed. They tend to be reserved as background characters with little impact on the overall plot. While they serve as devices to move the story forward, it becomes painfully obvious that their removal would not alter things significantly. Additionally, subsequent playthroughs feature slightly altered text that simply repeats information you already know. Although previously read dialogue can be skipped, these small changes are enough to disable the skip option, meaning everything must be re-read. The week always follows the same overall format as well, with only a handful of changes here and there, so players will find themselves constantly retreading the same ground. This is sadly where the game drags the most, and unless alternate save files are used smartly, this repetition must be endured roughly nine times.
Thankfully, things do change once Never 7 starts diving into the individual character routes, offering new dialogue and information. However, even a handful of these tend to be extremely slow-paced with little development. It is not until reaching the final "Cure" routes that the game takes a turn and finally dives into the real story. This is where the pace finally picks up, and we finally see the true motivations behind each character. It is unfortunately only a small portion of the experience, however, and after spending over a dozen hours with a mostly generic slice-of-life plot, it would not be surprising if most players have run out of steam. While other titles have employed similar structures, the main difference is that more content usually awaits past the turning point, whereas Never 7 simply comes to a conclusion.
A Spotty Translation and CG Issues:
Putting aside the story itself, there are technical issues with Never 7. The translation is a very literal interpretation of the original script. While it is understandable, little effort was put into ensuring the dialogue and sentences flow naturally. This is something the previously released fan translation did take into account, which improved the overall experience. Again, while it is still playable, it is simply a letdown to see the state of the official release compared to an old fan project; sometimes the dialogue is simply boring to read because of it. Mixed with how slow the game is to begin with, it isn't what one would consider a good combo.
Along with the translation, as previously mentioned, the game uses the zoomed-in CG style featured in the PSP release. While this too is fine for the most part, there are specific scenes that just look awkward due to the removal of the needed context. It doesn't ruin the overall experience, but it is a complaint many fans had back in the day, and it hasn't been fixed here.
A Visual Novel of its Time:
As hard as I might seem on Never 7, there is one thing all players should keep in mind. This is a console visual novel from 2000, and it predates many of the "all-time classics" we've come to know and love.
While titles such as YU-NO and even unique games like Sakura Wars came out years before it, there's still no denying that what Never 7 tried to do was impressive. As repetitive as it can be, there are 18 different endings to obtain, and the title brings up a handful of interesting questions. With most of the game being fully voice-acted as well, it is a pretty beefy package. By following a guide—which is highly recommended—it can be finished within 15 to 20 hours, but that also depends on your own personal reading speed. The heavy focus on social interactions and dating the characters is also very much a product of its time, and something visual novel readers of today might miss. It might even bring players back to their own time in college, or simply be a medium for them to experience something new. There are a lot of reasons people play visual novels, just as there are reasons for them reading a book or watching a TV show. It can serve as an escape, or it can simply be the exact type of story you are looking for. Whatever the case is, Never 7 is still an older title, and it shows.
But this is just the beginning:
With that being said, Never 7 is only the beginning. As previously stated, it introduces themes and ideas that would go on to serve as main plot points in the sequels, and that includes the outstanding Ever 17: The Out of Infinity—a game many fans will agree is a "must-play." Thankfully, Never 7 isn't required to play either it or Remember 11: The Age of Infinity, but it is here for those who want to get the complete picture.
Moving past the Infinity series, many of the same themes and ideas would be used in future games by both the writer and the director. Root Double, for example, features an extensive slice-of-life section which serves as the game's second act—this follows the explosive introduction which hooks players and already has them invested in the characters' lives. While it is similar in some ways to what we see in Never 7, it is clearly more developed and has a stronger impact on the players. It also includes the idea of Maxwell's Demon as a central plot point, which readers of Never 7 will learn all about. On the other hand, writer Kotaro Uchikoshi loves including callbacks to Schrödinger's Cat and writing stories involving time travel—though not always in the typical sense. His later works are also well known for their surprising plot twists, and while Never 7 doesn't quite reach those same heights, there are moments you won't see coming.
Again, Never 7 is the beginning in a lot of ways, and players who start here will have a very bright future to look forward to. The game truly is worth playing before anything else because it has simply been surpassed by all that follows. That doesn't necessarily make it a bad game, but it won't be for everyone.
Should you play it?
Never 7: The End of Infinity isn't a bad Visual Novel by any means, but it also isn't anything too special. With most of the game being taken up by generic slice-of-life moments, it isn't until the Cure routes come into play that the true plot reveals itself. While there are some interesting questions brought up along the way, the game is ultimately a product of its time that was surpassed by both the writer's and director's future works.
Those interested in it might want to give it a chance, but the vast majority should look into Ever 17, the Zero Escape series, Root Double, or the more recent The Hundred Line instead.
VERDICT: Maybe
Reviewed on PlayStation 4
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