Growing up I always loved playing with dolls and creating outfits for them by mashing together tops and skirts and crafting accessories out of household items. Now imagine a game that takes this concept and brings it to life with an open world RPG revolving around style, fashion and having a kind heart with a big sense of adventure. Sounds good? Don’t get too excited just yet, as fashion isn’t free, and this Gucci getaway could come at a cost if you’re not careful of the Gatcha price tag… This … is Infinity Nikki.
Infinity Nikki cranks up the cozy, you play as Nikki, I know, who could have seen that coming? Having just graduated and looking for a dress for the ball when a magical, and drop dead gorgeous dress, thrusts her into a world of adventure with her cat Momo. The game takes place in Miraland, where stylists are king.. Or err queen, and wishes really can come true.
Unfortunately, not everything in Miraland is sundresses and floofs. An epidemic of coma cases is souring the mood, but never fear Nikki is here to help. And how will she do this? With a sense of style, and a passion for fashion! You see, powers are tied to outfits you can craft and unlock. Each one adding another ability to Nikki’s repertoire. Core ability outfits are obtained through unlocking them via the Heart of Infinity which functions as one of your levelling systems, giving you the ability to unlock passive upgrades and the recipes for certain outfits. With recipe in hand it’s crafting time. Infinity Nikki doesn’t do anything crazy with its crafting, keeping it simple in this style of game is what’s going to keep it successful. After all, you’re here to save the world and look good doing it, you wouldn’t want to break a nail. The crafting system requires a mixture of bling (money), threads (quest reward) and gathered resources. Blueprint in hand, and materials gathered. With the press of a button it’s out with the old, and in with the new.
Now it’s time for us to travel through the Wardrobe into the Narnia of clothes and accessories available to have Nikki looking like the top stylist she is. There is a smorgasbord of garments, get ready, big breath now -> Hair, Dresses, Outerwear, Tops, Bottoms, Socks, and Shoes. Don’t forget the Accessories -> Bows, Clips, Headwear, Earrings, Necklaces, Bracelets, Chokers, Gloves, Pendants, Backpacks, Bags, Rings,, Handhelds. But wait, there’s more… Hair styles, Hair accessories, Bows, Clips Then there is Makeup, eyebrows, eye lashes, contact lenses, lips. And Skin tone can be changed to make your Nikki yours. You can even add sparkle to your outfits with Eurekas. That’s a lot of options, and it all comes together to mean that Nikki can look exactly how you want her to. There’s also four slots to save your favourite looks for quick switching which doesn’t feel like enough when you’re given so many options.
What good is having a stacked wardrobe if you don’t get to show it off though. Miraland has you covered as it’s full of Styling competitions where you get to strut your stuff. Styling competitions will challenge you to put together an outfit of a certain theme. With each piece of your outfit having a tag and a score for Elegant, Fresh, Sweet, Sexy, and Cool. Miraland is full of factions across the regions whom you can challenge and prove your styling prowess in a battle of attire. If you are struggling to prove your point you can also choose to Glow Up your outfit, basically levelling it up, as is expected in this kind of game.
Miraland itself has different regions each with different aesthetics that open up more as the main story progresses. You’ve got to work for that open world. Starting off in Florawish; open and green, home to both Humans and Faewish Sprites. Contrasted with Stoneville bringing verticality and a rough rocky aesthetic. Home to Piecey; wish infused clothes with lots of personality. It’s not breaking any barriers with the biomes on show, but that doesn’t stop the cozy charm from bubbling over. The main story will take you through these areas meeting locals, and solving their problems with your stylist ways. Infinity Nikki is a light hearted game cozy with a capital C, if you’re expecting epic grand fantasy adventures, it’s elsewhere, and that’s the charm of the game. It’s an escape, the real world melts away and you can immerse into a world where good deeds and great outfits solve everything. The world isn’t huge, and you’re given a bike and teleports so you don’t snap a heel. It feels big enough and I wouldn’t be surprised to see it expand over time. The amount of life in some of these areas can be a bit disappointing, empty areas, and encountering NPCs who are just set dressing break from creating the friendly vibe you’d expect, giving an aura of not so much Disney, as Dis-mal at times.
The characters you do end up befriending on your journey will endear you with their mannerisms and story beats to make up for this. Giovanni is smooth, Bettina tells it like it is, Nonoy crashed into the game, literally, and is potential bestie material. I have a special place in my heart for Kilo the Cadenceborn, a poet who lost his inspiration, and while you travel the land you can gather sparks of inspiration to present him, and get given a poem in return. I found myself going out of my way to ensure wherever I went if I saw a spark I would get it, for Kilo – he deserves all the good things.
Gathering is a large part of being in Miraland, and everything you gather can be used to make clothes and accessories. Foraging, Fishing, Bug Catching and Animal Grooming are all relaxing pastimes, with disgustingly cute animations – See an animal? You can groom it. So go ahead pet the doggo, the cat, the bird, the GIANT PIGEON.
While you’re running around grabbing every sparkle you see you’ll run into Whimstars. Whimstars are used in the Heart of Infinity to unlock new outfits and enhance existing outfits. When you’re near a Whimstar, Momo will let you know and you can use his special Momo Vision to pinpoint and track them. Some stars are just there, ripe for the picking, and some require you to complete an obstacle course, or find a hidden star image in the surrounding environment. There are also Realm Challenges which can be entered to spend Vital energy to gain resources. Providing crafting materials and resources from a host of different activities.
When you aren’t crafting outfits, petting animals, or chasing those main and side quests you will likely be participating in one of the many, many… Many mini games Miraland has to offer. Many… The Crane game, Curio puzzles, Ball game, Hoppity Hopper, Gliding ring, Move & Groove, Flock Frenzy, and don’t forget those Styling Challenges, are only the tip of the iceberg. All games are satisfying but aren’t going to be throwing any significant challenge at you, except for Florapon Downpour, which somehow ended up being my bane. I’ll see falling flowers in my dreams for weeks.
There is combat here as well, but to be honest Miraland’s not the most perilous of places, remember, handbags not handaxes. Combat is performed with the Purification outfit, with most enemies needing a few hits at most. Even the bosses lack teeth. Most enemies will give you crafting materials to add towards your ever growing stash. If you do end up struggling on some of the challenges there are health potions but your health regenerates so fast passively anyway that you might not even care about losing a heart or two. You’re more at risk from falling in water than you are a rock to the face. No one wants to ruin their carefully crafted threads by getting wet.
Infinity Nikki shapes up to be a pretty cozy way to spend your time until you remember the giant teddy in the closet… That it’s a Gacha game. And look, Gacha games aren’t anything new, the systems in place in Infinity Nikki are pretty ordinary, a free currency giving you a taste of the systems, with the option to purchase currency to have even more attempts at getting the outfit pieces you want. It’s a tale as old as time, even down to the purchase amounts not lining up with the box prices. I’m not a fan of Gacha mechanics, I don’t mind purchasing items in game, I don’t mind outfits in the store depending on the prices. I just don’t like systems that can take advantage of people who can’t afford it, just as much as they can be used by people who can. This is one of those buyer beware situations. Missing an outfit piece? What’s a few boxes, how much could it hurt?
Systems like this are designed to tempt, tease, and coax you into those habits, or obfuscate the true price you’re spending with currencies and conversions. Not everyone who throws down $100 on a game is a whale, and systems like these take advantage of those with addictive personalities, and weak wills as easily as those with a bank account. It leaves a sour taste, as I was playing through I kept thinking, this game is great, and then remembering that it was nestled tightly around that Gacha core. I’m not delusional though, I know this game is going to make millions right out of the gate especially with 36 MILLION pre-registrations. I’m not against the idea of spending in a game, buy that dress, enjoy it. I’m just not a fan of systems that dangle that carrot in front of the wrong people.
If you’re aware of the Gacha, or have the strength of will to control your spending. Infinity Nikki is a light hearted fun cozy game which is a pleasure to spend your time in. The outfits are beautiful. Nikki is able to keep her personality and charm, even though her image is as changeable as the wind. There’s a lot to discover, and of course more will be added over time as is the nature of beast for service games. Infinity Nikki – has style, and substance just beware that it surrounds a chewy Gacha center.
