‘Infinity Nikki’ Is a Gorgeous Gacha With a Ton of Heart and Soul (Hands-on Impressions)

2024 has been the year of expanding my gaming horizons and trying plenty of new things. Even over the past week, I spent my time between several titles I knew I would love, like Warhammer 40K: Space Marine 2. Others would be games I had no idea I would end up enjoying, such as Infinity Nikki. As a free-to-play Gacha game, I went in with bated breath. However, I’m now genuinely excited to dive in further and see what else it offers.

Unreal Engine 5 Helps ‘Infinity Nikki’ Shine Bright Like a Diamond

Infinity Nikki is quite a stunning game, featuring beautiful environments that shine bright thanks to Unreal Engine 5. Even on my mid-spec PC, I could run Infinity Nikki at a solid 60 frames per second, helping everything feel buttery smooth. As I explored the massive townscapes and interacted with many NPC characters and adorable creatures, I was in awe throughout every moment.

It’s easy to see why the world of Infinity Nikki immediately felt better than most F2P Gachas. Kentaro Tominaga, director of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, is the game’s project director, and his influence was immediately noticed. The world is noticeably gorgeous in every facet of its design, making exploration feel rewarding and more streamlined than many other games. While titles like Genshin Impact may have built upon the Breath of the Wild formula, who knows it better than one of the designers themselves?

Every area I explored contained interactive objects, things to find, and sights to see. Riding on a hot air balloon to examine the city below was immensely satisfying. Seeing adorable animals I could interact with pushed the Cozy Meter to dangerous new levels. Oh, no… Am I falling in love with this silly game?

To be fair, cozy F2P games aren’t a dime a dozen like their combat-filled rivals are. Infinity Nikki was more about the joy of exploration, taking some time to go fishing after crafting an outfit that allowed me to do so, and just soaking in the beautiful vistas before me. And I loved every moment of it.

I Wasn’t Expecting the Story to Unfold How It Did

I’m not as well-versed in the lore of the Nikki franchise as most. Hell, I’m likely not even the target audience for a game like this, but its charming visuals hooked me. What won me over even more, however, was the overarching story unfolding before my eyes.

To be completely honest, I thought the story would be rather… cookie-cutter when I first saw Infinity Nikki. I figured it was going to be something along the lines of “Go find the magical dress and become the princess you were always meant to be.” Or some Disney-fied version of that. I wasn’t expecting it to be about finding the cause of a terrifying magical coma people are falling into, plunging the sanity of their loved ones into dire levels of terror.

“Shocked” is the simplest way I can describe my reaction to what was happening. I didn’t have high hopes for the story. While some general Gacha mechanics, such as needing to unlock specific ranks that required daily tasks, held back my enjoyment of watching the story progress, I was immediately drawn in and ready to move the plot forward.

That was not what I expected when I first launched the game and got blasted with a pop theme song belted out by Jessie J. Even if the visuals and crisp gameplay hadn’t sold me already, I think the story is worth checking out in itself.

‘Infinity Nikki’ Has a Passion for Fashion, and That Could Be Dangerous

While I’ve put a fair amount of time into other F2P Gacha games, I’ve never felt compelled to spend a dime on them. Infinity Nikki falls into that same category, especially since it’s rather generous with its available options to earn new clothing.

However, it’s not me I need to worry about. It’s my joint bank account I share with my wife who was watching me play Infinity Nikki. After jumping into the store and seeing the available options for clothing I could pull for, her eyes exploded to the size of dinner plates. The variety of designs available, even in this pre-release version, is admittedly adorable. But, some can only be purchased with premium currency. They’re purposefully designed to be eye-catching.

For those who are impatient and don’t want to grind and earn the diamonds needed to unlock clothing via pulls, it does offer a real-world money store. 10 Pulls will seemingly cost around $15, putting it in the same category as other games in the genre. Or, I could play and grind to earn the freemium credits needed to unlock these pulls.

To my surprise, I could purchase many cosmetics using the in-game Bling currency. Rather than relying on Gacha mechanics, I could just walk into shops and purchase items. These would come in handy later, as I would need to craft the best outfits to face off against higher-ranking members of the fashion world. And not needing to spend a dime to do it? Sign me right up.

Making Outfits in ‘Infinity Nikki’ Was Admittedly Very Fun

At its core, Infinity Nikki is a fun open-world adventure. But the real heart lies in the Outfits I was able to create. From an outfit allowing me to float gently to the ground, to a set enabling me to go fishing. It was time to get creative.

I could mix and match different pieces from my wardrobe to create the most adorable outfit. Admittedly, I had my wife’s help to make Nikki look as great as she could. That’s sometimes out of my wheelhouse. But even then, it was a great way for us to spend some time together. The full release has a co-op mode that will let us explore, too.

To make these outfits, though, I needed Whimstars. You can find them in towns, in the open areas of the world, and just about anywhere. And to fit the Cozy vibe, I could count on my feline friend to spot them from a mile away. After collecting them, I could jump into the Heart of Infinity, earn the outfit, and then find the materials necessary to create it.

It’s a simple process, especially since materials aren’t impossible to find — at least in the early game. I can only imagine specific items will become more difficult to find. But, for now, the time between getting a blueprint and making the outfit is minimal. It keeps the “action” of Infinity Nikki moving at a pleasant pace. It feels like the perfect speed for a game such as this.

Fishing, Bug Catching, and Light Combat Make ‘Infinity Nikki’ Accessible for Everyone

I think Infinity Nikki will have the most success in its generally addictive and gratifying gameplay loop. It’s a game easily accessible for anyone to jump into, regardless of their gaming skills. The alluring world is also incredibly satisfying to explore and experience, as well.

Infinity Nikki has an easygoing aura. Jumping in, exploring, making outfits, and just plain existing. It’s a great step forward for Cozy games with enough variety to keep things interesting. Plus, simplifying the F2P grind into its most simple and accessible version is a great way to draw people in.

Infinity Nikki genuinely surprised me. Some minor technical issues during this Early Access period were frustrating. However, several updates were pushed out to ensure that things ran smoothly. The vibes are immaculate and the light combat scenarios are easy to understand and blast through.

Not every game needs to be pulse-pounding and filled with action. Infinity Nikki reminded me to stop and smell the roses every once in a while, too. And while I was at it, maybe I could use the roses to craft a super-cute outfit. I’m hopelessly sucked into this one and am already eager to get back into it once it officially launches.

Verdict: Strongly Recommended (AND IT’S FREE!)

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Infinity Nikki will be available on December 5, 2024, on PC, PlayStation 5, Android, and iOS. A code was provided by the publisher for the sake of impressions. Played on PC.