Review – Infinity Nikki

Content

The content in Infinity Nikki is overall very tame. There is no harsh language or drug/alcohol use. Nikki’s clothing is generally quite modest, and you can choose to dress her however you like with the clothing you have unlocked. Even outfits that feature bare shoulders, torso, and thighs feel very respectful and non-sensual. Regarding spiritual content, Infinity Nikki’s story is focused around a goddess who grants wishes and the people of Miraland who revere her. 

The biggest content to keep in mind is that Infinity Nikki has gacha elements, meaning that players can spend in-game crystals to summon new clothes and outfits. There are a variety of ways to earn the crystals by playing the game, but the quickest way is to spend real-world money at the in-game store. While these items are purely for aesthetics and do not affect the gameplay, players prone to addictive tendencies and gambling should be mindful playing Infinity Nikki for this reason. 

Review

One of my first experiences with Infinity Nikki was at PAX West 2024. There was a large booth with beautiful banners, fun music, and stations to play the game. I had heard of it, but had no idea what type of game it was. Dress-up? RPG? But it’s also an open world?? What does that mean? I eventually learned that this is the fifth game in the Nikki series; a popular series of dress-up games. My curiosity peaked, which led me to try the game and write this review. 

It did not take me long to realize that everything in Infinity Nikki is designed to serve its main goals: to continue Nikki’s legacy by allowing players to dress Nikki in cute outfits, to tell a story that the player can engage with at their own pace, and to create a relaxing, “cozy” open-world experience. Let’s talk about the dress-up mechanics first. At any time, you can change your outfit with the clothes that you have collected throughout your journey (via missions, boutiques, and crafting) or via the gacha system (which allows you to spend crystals to summon various clothes, like how you summon characters in games like Genshin Impact or Fire Emblem: Heroes). You can even have up to four outfits saved which you hot-swap to at any point. Each clothing is labeled with a style; Elegant, Sweet, Sexy, Fresh, or Cool. This can help you find better pairings for outfits and even can assist in some missions (like competing against rivals who think they can dress cooler than you!). Additionally, there are Ability Outfits in this game that each grant Nikki a special ability. Some of these abilities include a floating jump, fishing, and animal grooming. I’ve never been much of a dress-up gal, but I was addicted to making outfits in this game! Every time I got a new accessory, I immediately went to the Wardrobe menu to see how it looked and what outfits I could make with it. It also helps that it’s nearly impossible to make a bad outfit in this game. Everything works so well together, and Nikki is the perfect model that looks amazing in whatever outfit you have her in. 

Aside from all of the dress-up mechanics, there is an actual story for Nikki in this game. After receiving the Heart of Infinity from a mysterious woman, she sets off to collect all of the Miracle Outfits and save Miraland along the way. Nikki becomes a Stylist – someone who not only knows how to put outfits together, but is dedicated to helping her community. As the story progresses, you will meet fun characters and obtain new outfits and abilities. But the game never forces you into the story. I found that I could explore and do plenty of side quests in between main story missions. This felt like a good balance to accommodate both players like me who look for concrete goals to accomplish, as well as the players who would rather spend their time creating new outfits or going fishing. I was also pleasantly surprised with how mature the story was as I slowly uncovered the secrets in Miraland. I do not often experience stories with actual threats and stakes in “cozy” games like this, but I would love to see more of it! 

The final goal of this game is to provide the player with a relaxing open world experience, in which it absolutely delivers. The environments in this game are gorgeous, and the set pieces are simply delightful. The world is inviting and designed for players to want to explore every nook and cranny. I would very much like to live in the adorable town of Florawish! I also appreciated how lively the world felt. Most of my open world experience is from games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the Horizon: Zero Dawn. In those games, the world is dangerous and largely devoid of people. Even with dark and dangerous things happening in Miraland, there is still a great amount of beauty to marvel at and plenty of environments to engage with. And for the digital photographers out there, you’ll be happy to hear that there’s a camera feature in this game! 

While the game brilliantly accomplishes its main goals, there were times in which the game felt cluttered and disengaging. I mentioned above that there’s danger in Miraland, and part of that comes in the form of corrupted monsters called Esselings that must be purified. These creatures can be wiped out with just a click. Of course combat isn’t one of the goals of the game, and if anything it is impressive to say that a dress-up game has combat mechanics at all, but I was left feeling bored whenever Esselings showed up. Besides that, I was often overwhelmed every time I opened the Pear-Pal; the in-game device that you use whenever you pause the game and look at the menu. There’s just so much to interact with! There’s the Wardrobe for making outfits, Sketches for crafting clothing, Resonance for summoning, Store for purchasing with real money, Courses for goals and achievements, Eureka for upgrading eureka accessories, Evolution for evolving clothes, Compendium, Mira Level, Daily Wishes, Mira Journey, and more. I was often lost navigating these menus to find what I wanted, and so many of them provide different currency for completing different tasks. I could not keep track of all of the collectibles! This is when the game really felt like an MMO, and I am sure that those more experienced with MMO games than I would be less put off by these features. These may be more personal gripes, but the combat and menuing really held me back from fully engaging with the game. 

Fellow Geeks Under Grace writer Courtney Floyd also played Infinity Nikki, and I wanted to let her share her experience for this review: 

• “I have always had a hard time finding games that appeal to my feminine side without being patronizing or engulfed in fan service. Even the sparkly Atelier games (my favorite franchise) feed the male gaze with their jiggle physics and swimsuit DLCs. Feminine games are a little easier to come by since the rise of the cozy subgenre after 2020. However, sometimes I want to feel like an empowered woman playing a game with more traditional gameplay than the cozy fare. Into this hole steps Infinity Nikki. Infinity Nikki’s open world mechanics and mature narrative remind me of the mainstream franchises my husband plays, like Breath of the Wild or Final Fantasy. But Nikki has a distinctly feminine feel. Not only do you play as a female character, but the major gameplay is crafting and wearing outfits. These outfits are only as revealing as you want them to be, and there are no jiggle physics, as Nikki is a(n assumed) teenager. My eleven year old daughter loves playing with me. Though it is rated T for Teen, I am not nervous about her seeing inappropriate content that may show up in other similarly rated games. My girl will spend hours dressing Nikki up for fake dates with NPCs, changing her outfits, and flying around the world. No other game keeps her attention, and no other activity has allowed us to bond as strongly as crossing our fingers for the perfect gacha. (She always laughs when she gets an outfit on her account that I don’t have on mine.) In short, Infinity Nikki is the game I wish I had growing up, and I’m super excited to share the experience with my daughter. It has allowed me to grow as a gamer and a mom, and I would recommend it to anyone, especially those girls like me.” – Courtney Floyd

Overall, Infinity Nikki is an excellent game that beautifully melds the dress-up, RPG, and open world genres together. Infinity Nikki lives up to its name, offering what feels like limitless ways to play. From dress-up, gacha summoning, quests, and more, this game can appeal to a uniquely wide range of audiences. It may be too easy for some, but with tempered expectations I believe anyone can find their niche in this game.