Infinity Nikki amazed with its beauty from the very first trailer, but many questions remained about the gameplay until the last moment. This is understandable, because the series has always been about dressing up and was intended primarily for girls, but here the developers decided to aim for scale and a more mass audience. What happened in the end? I managed to play the full version some time before the release, so I am ready to share my impressions in this review.
For starters, yes, Infinity Nikki does look great. The characters have a vibrant cartoon style and the environments are pleasing to the eye. At the same time, the locations themselves are quite diverse, although they are made in the same style, so they don’t get boring and don’t look like something that doesn’t fit into the overall atmosphere. Particular attention is paid to the costumes, which are worked out in the smallest detail.
The game takes place in the magical world of Miraland, seamlessly divided into four regions. Players will go on a journey with Niki and her faithful companion Momo, meeting various characters, solving puzzles and finding secrets. The plot itself cannot be called exciting – a simple and, to some extent, children’s story without unexpected events. The story does not make you bored, but also does not keep you in suspense during the passage. The downside for many will also be that from time to time you need to reach a certain stylist level to continue the story.
The gameplay in Infinity Nikki is much better. A key feature of the series, changing outfits, has been preserved and is an important part of the gameplay. There are many types of costumes in the game that are needed to perform certain actions. Some of them change automatically (for example, when hovering or attacking), while others are selected through the radial menu and activated by right-clicking. These include suits for fishing, catching insects, removing hair from animals, and so on. The mechanics are convenient and intuitive.
You can also customize the heroine’s standard appearance, which is not tied to actions. You are allowed to choose either a pre-prepared clothing set or customize it yourself by selecting elements for different parts of the body. In total, you can save four options and quickly switch between them using the “X” key. Clothes also have characteristics, but not the ones we are used to seeing in role-playing games. Instead of “damage”, “defense” and “intelligence”, options such as “coolness”, “elegance” and so on are available here.
Perhaps the best thing about Infinity Nikki is the open world and dungeons. The game’s development was led by former Nintendo employee Kentaro Tominaga, one of the key developers of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild, and this is very noticeable. The game is simply filled with activities and includes many challenges, puzzles and mini-games. Most dungeons are located directly in the world and do not have loading screens, although there are full-fledged instances. There are many challenges with maximum platforming involved, which are not boring to complete. Moreover, it is important to understand that the game itself is very casual and does not pose any challenge. However, even despite this, the authors managed to create an exciting gameplay.
Of course, sooner or later you will study all the available content, after which the standard routine for game services will begin. All that remains is to wait for new updates or continue to engage in daily activities that are completed fairly quickly. For example, local energy here can be spent literally in seconds by exchanging for certain resources. There is no need to speedrun the game, trying to get to the endgame faster (although I had to do this for the sake of the review), since the main interest is maintained by the path to it. In Infinity Nikki you just chill, slowly enjoying the process of exploring the world.
The study is designed in such a way that it does not irritate you in any way. When a skill star or a challenge associated with it appears nearby, the icon in the upper left corner begins to glow, and our partner Momo informs you about it so you don’t miss it. There are no overly complicated riddles that you need to puzzle over for a long time, or super-difficult tests where you need to strictly fit into the timing. Everything is done so that you just relax, and the game does a great job with this.
As you might have already guessed from this text and the gameplay videos published by the developers, Infinity Nikki is definitely not a game about battles. Although there is some semblance of a combat system here. You don’t kill enemies, but “cleanse” them with one hit using LMB. There are no attack or defense parameters here, and health is presented in the form of hearts, which decrease when receiving damage or falling into an abyss/water. The boss fight is also present, but it is designed more to use mechanics than to infuse the maximum amount of damage. The downside is that there is only one boss – the stone golem, but it has several different variations that have their own attacks. Perhaps new ones will be added in the future.
Since Infinity Nikki is a free-to-play game, it contains microtransactions. Clothes, as you might guess, are obtained through the gacha system. It’s a little confusing here, but I’ll try to explain it clearly. Each set consists of 9 items, including elements for different parts of the body. For every 10 spins, you are guaranteed to receive a four-star item, and for every 20, you are guaranteed to receive a five-star item. In this case, repeats do not fall out until the entire set is completed. So, in the worst case, you need to make up to 90 spins to get a full four-star set, or up to 180 spins to get a full five-star set.
If you are a “whale” who likes to invest huge sums of money in free games, then the developers have left this opportunity for you too. Once you’ve collected a complete set, you can use the gacha further to unlock additional clothing variations that have different colors and effects. In addition to the standard look, the five-star outfit has three more versions. However, it is important to note that they do not provide any bonuses or increases in characteristics – the changes are purely cosmetic.
Getting a five-star outfit through the gacha system isn’t as big of a deal as unlocking a character. In other similar projects, you will unlock a full-fledged playable hero, who has his own unique skills, and who needs to be upgraded separately. Here you essentially only get “externals”. Although this sounds like a disadvantage, I like this approach much better. In my reviews of HoYoverse games, I’ve always said that I’m not a fan of the mechanics of unlocking characters (and weapons for them) through the gacha system. It limits the ability to create better builds and prevents the team from reaching its full potential without injecting a huge amount of money. Thanks to the Infinity Nikki approach, you feel much less stressed about missing out on something.
You can also directly purchase various costumes using real money from the in-game store, which are available during events for a limited time. In addition, a battle pass is available, but its relevance is rather questionable. Basically, it allows you to get some types of resources, and in the paid version they give more of them. Suitable for those who want to quickly level up, but, as already mentioned, this is not particularly necessary. It was worth adding at least a couple of suits to make the purchase more attractive.
Infinity Nikki is a great example of a game designed for relaxation and leisurely exploration of the world. It pleases with its visual style, attention to detail and convenient mechanics, although it does not offer a deep plot or serious challenge. The project leaves a positive impression, especially thanks to the chill gameplay and friendly approach to players. Recommended for those who are looking for a vibrant adventure without unnecessary stress.
