Why NIKKE Players Felt Let Down by the Evangelion Crossover Event

Shift Up's Goddess of Victory: NIKKE collaboration with Neon Genesis Evangelion fell short of expectations, according to a recent interview with the game's producer. The August 2024 event, featuring Rei, Asuka, Mari, and Misato, failed to resonate with players despite attempts to stay true to the original character designs.

Where Did It Go Wrong?

The initial designs, created collaboratively by Shift Up and the NIKKE team, were deemed too suggestive by Evangelion's creators, leading to significant alterations. While the revised designs satisfied the licensors, they lacked the appeal necessary to excite the player base. The resulting "toned-down" aesthetics proved unpopular.

Player Feedback:

The issue wasn't solely the character outfits. Players perceived a lack of compelling reasons to invest in limited-time characters or costumes, particularly given the minimal visual differences between some skins and the base models. Asuka's gacha skin, the most expensive option, was cited as being almost indistinguishable from her standard appearance.

The NIKKE community values the game's distinctive style of bold anime character designs and engaging storytelling. However, recent collaborations, including the Evangelion event, have been criticized for diluting this core identity and failing to deliver a worthwhile experience. The Evangelion event, in particular, was considered drawn-out and uninspired.

Shift Up acknowledges the negative feedback and plans to incorporate it into future collaborations, aiming for a significant improvement in the quality and appeal of future events. Both Neon Genesis Evangelion and Goddess of Victory: NIKKE are available on the Google Play Store. Hopefully, Shift Up will deliver more engaging crossovers and content in the coming months.

For more gaming news, check out our coverage of the Wuthering Waves Version 1.4 update for Android.