“Infinity Nikki” is currently the most interesting free-to-play open-world RPG game that I have played. While it has all the features that other popular games in its genre have – such as Genshin Impact, it manages to make a niche for itself with its focus on fashion and customization and has a relatable female main character with an endearing personality.
Since it’s mainly a fashion game, the customization of Nikki is endless. Her wardrobe is my favorite feature of the entire game. You are given seven slots to make different outfits, and you’re able to mix and match pieces to your heart’s content. I really like how there are other skin colors for Nikki, to make her look more like yourself. It reminds me a lot of Barbie and how there are multiple versions of her for anyone to resonate with.
In general, Nikki is a very easy character to relate to. For example, when asked what wish first comes to her mind, she responds that she wishes for all girls to never get cramps again. It’s a thought I’ve had many times before and overall a really amusing moment as her sidekick Momo expected her to say something more serious.
The game treats its female protagonist characters with a lot of respect. In most games with similar gameplay to Nikki, the female characters often just feel like fan service and their clothing doesn’t say much about the character. However, this isn’t the case with Nikki. As a fashion game, there is the advantage of there being a precedent for her to wear clothes of all styles. But besides that the clothes in the game are things actual young women might wear.
In the main storyline of the game, the whole reason why Nikki was sent to Miraland is to revive all of the “Miracle outfits” as they will help her to save the world. As you continue the story, you unlock the inspiration to craft Miracle outfits. Not only are these outfits incredibly beautiful and of the highest rarity, but they are also completely free. It is definitely tedious to craft them as you must obtain lots of materials, some more difficult to get than others. However, I really enjoy the concept of them because they serve a lot of purpose for the storyline and the process of crafting them allows me to explore many different features of the game.
One of the main gameplay features is Nikki’s ability outfits- outfits that allow her to use special abilities. Initially, basic ability outfits are obtained through Nikki’s Heart of Infinity as you progress through the main story. However, you can get other kinds of outfits through the Resonance feature, which you need in order to collect the in-game currency of diamonds.
Also, there are many different types of ability outfits. Some are more practical such as the bug catching and fishing outfits. These types of collecting features are common in a myriad of games, most notably “Animal Crossing.” What makes it more fun with Nikki is that even while doing tedious tasks there is variety in what she wears.
There are also ability outfits that offer less practicality, but more fun. Such as the “Midnight Vigil” outfit, which allows Floofs (cute little dogs) to follow Nikki in a single file line. It may not be an important feature, but it’s fun and cute. These outfits are mostly gained from the Resonance feature.
As you play the game, you earn diamonds after completing quests and events. These diamonds can then be used to buy “Revelation” and “Resonite” crystals. These crystals are used to “Resonate” – obtain different outfit sets for Nikki on the limited and permanent banners. The banners have many higher rarity outfits, both ability and non-ability, making them enticing for players.
My only complaint is that it’s a gacha system. Gacha systems are sort of like those gumball machines at the grocery store. You put your money in, and you get a random gumball. Same thing here and it can be extremely frustrating when you do not get the piece you want. Many players get restless when they do not get what they want, especially when they’re trying to complete an outfit that is only available for a limited amount of time. It entices players to spend their real life money if they really want an outfit immediately.
However, I do like that there are other less-costly ways to obtain clothes as well. By exploring the world of “Miraland,” players can find chests with clothing designs to be crafted. There are also stores run by NPC’s where you can buy clothing pieces using the easily obtainable currency of “Blings.” With some of these stores being hidden around the world, it’s gives players more of a reason to go explore the beautiful in-game world.
While it has only been six months since the game’s release, it has already been lots of fun with a lot of potential in its future updates as well. The game updates every month, with a new event for players to earn diamonds and new outfits and features to try out and obtain.
