Genshin Impact comparisons are getting boring, aren’t they? Oh look, here’s a free-to-play open-world game that you can play on your phone, better break out the old waifu jokes and gacha complaints. Well, you might only have to indulge my own Genshin comparisons this one final time, because after spending over 40 hours in the batty, fashion-obsessed world of Miraland, I think Infinity Nikki might just replace Genshin as the new standard that future open-world gacha games are compared to. The main reason I suspect we’ll all be changing the target of our eye-rolling is because, while developer Infold Games has clearly nabbed a fair few ideas from Genshin Impact’s (now signature) open-world design, it’s the first of these post-Genshin-style games to hit the sweet spot between emulation and innovation. Quite the achievement for a series with roots in the mobile dress-up genre.
Infinity Nikki reviewDeveloper: Infold GamesPublisher: Infold GamesPlatform: Played on PCAvailability: Out on 5th December on PC (Epic Games Store), PS5, iOS and Android
Infinity Nikki is actually the fifth installment in the Nikki series, with previous games only available on mobile. Don’t worry about missing out on too much context, though, as this latest entry seems to be a brand-new take on the fairytale-esque world of Miraland, along with alternate versions of pink-haired protagonist Nikki, and her adorable BBQ-loving cat, Momo. With Infinity Nikki, the series’ focus on dress-up menus and visual novel-like storytelling has shifted to an open-world for Nikki to jump, float, and cycle her way across. There’s still a huge focus on fashion, with thousands of outfit pieces available at launch, gacha Banners to pull on for slightly fancier outfits, and bonkers worldbuilding where style is worshipped in tandem with ancient gods. Only now, your main reason for dressing up Nikki is to simply look cute while exploring.
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Initially, my first few hours in Miraland weren’t particularly remarkable. There are the usual chests that reward in-game currency; resources such as flowers, bugs, and fish to collect for outfit crafting; puzzles and minigames; side quests; and hundreds of Korok Seed-like collectibles called Whimstars to discover and challenge. However, as I made my way through the six mini-regions available at launch, I started to notice all the extra touches that have been added for seemingly no other reason than to make your journey as upbeat and memorable as possible. For example, there are hot air balloon rides that are perfect for soaking in the fairytale sights; bubble blowers to annoy NPCs with; magical hopscotch that changes Nikki’s clothes with every skip; and a ‘Whimcycle’ bike used to pedal across rolling hills and hop to impossible heights with.
These activities also double up as perfect picture-taking opportunities, and while using Photo Mode is another optional feature, boy is it the Photo Mode to rival all other Photo Modes. There are plenty of poses, lighting and filter unlockables to work towards, as well as entire features and reward systems available for collecting pictures of Nikki at notable Miraland landmarks. So, yes, Infinity Nikki may have the usual open-world hallmarks, but they’re so much more welcoming than usual here thanks to just how joyful everything feels while you’re doing it, even when you have no real goal in mind. Miraland is no checklist simulator – it’s a world that’s made for truly playing in.