I have played plenty of open-world games over the years. I’ve run over pedestrians in the Grand Theft Auto series and slayed minions of the Templars in Assassin’s Creed. I’ve done the never-ending grind of free-to-play offerings with gacha mechanics, such as Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves. In these titles, I was always actively on the move, going from point A to point B and tackling every objective imaginable. Now, there’s Infinity Nikki, which is a different (and much gentler) beast entirely.
Marketed as the “coziest open-world game,” the upcoming title brings the popular Nikki mobile series to consoles in style. After playing the Infinity Nikki demo at a special media session during the Tokyo Game Show, and speaking to Infold Games global public relations manager Zexu Shi, I can see the appeal. The world activities themselves are relaxing, and the grind isn’t nearly as incessant as games like it. Even the treatment of animals is humane. All of those choices confirm that the marketing pitch isn’t an exaggeration; Infinity Nikki really is a cozy change of pace that the open-world genre needs.
Exploring in style
My one-hour-long play session began with the titular Nikki and her pet cat, Momo, trapped inside an instanced dungeon. There, I had to make my way across train cars by jumping off ledges and gliding to reach the next platform. What surprised me initially was how Nikki’s clothing instantly changed whenever I glided, from something that looked like a white bridal gown to that of a shimmering blue summer dress.
Zexu asked me to open the menu to check Nikki’s dresses. He then asked me to distinguish between those with icons and those without. The former are considered part of the core mechanics, such as fishing, catching bugs, taming animals, planting crops, and, of course, gliding. By default, Nikki’s attire would change depending on the mechanic that I was undertaking at the time, a context-sensitive feature for all intents and purposes. The latter, meanwhile, aren’t related to a particular mechanic, so they primarily function as cosmetic options.
Infinity Nikki is already the fifth game in Papergames and Infold Games’ Nikki series. Choosing various dresses for the main character has been a core fixture for the franchise, and Infinity Nikki is no different. The different clothes that are worn are subsequently judged in mini-contests against rivals. Attributes can also be improved by using upgrade materials, helping you win contests more easily.
I’m told that sketches, which appear in a separate menu, are akin to a checklist of materials that players can collect from various activities, events, and free-roam exploration. Acquiring all the necessary resources unlocks a new attire. However, Zexu was unable to share more information about the implementation of gacha mechanics.
Comparing Infinity Nikki to Infold Games’ previous releases, it’s safe to say that this is its most ambitious title yet. The open-world environments are awe-inspiring. There are majestic vistas overlooking lush fields, towering cliffs with foreboding dangers, small towns that dot the countryside, and portals that lead to dungeons. My surroundings were beautifully rendered in bright and vivid colors, giving the game a whimsical feel.
Even better, a photo mode feature allowed me to choose from different poses and expressions to capture memorable moments. Zexu added that the team really wanted to make a game that was relaxing and not that intense. Specifically, he cited how other games might have you slaughtering wild animals to get their meat and fur, but Infinity Nikki has you petting and taming them instead. There’s even a horse mount featured in one trailer, though I can’t say if that’s a reward from the animal taming feature.
While the world is dazzling, I’m not quite sold on combat yet. In the demo, Nikki primarily had a magical projectile that she could shoot monsters with, eliminating them in just a couple of hits. I also fought a boss that looked like a cross between a large blob and an octopus. The creature spawned platforms that I could jump on, before I leaped and smashed down on its head. Its projectiles were agonizingly slow and easy to avoid.
The battles I tried felt unchallenging to a fault. I had doubts if it was going to keep me engaged, especially since I tend to gravitate toward faster action titles. However, the more I continued playing to acquire sketch materials and unlock clothes with bonuses, the more I became comfortable with the core gameplay loop. I no longer felt pressured to go from one goal to the next, to maximize daily energy before logging off, as was the case in other free-to-play gacha titles. Instead, I adopted a more laid-back approach, enjoying the scenery and reveling in new discoveries.
As of the time of this writing, Infinity Nikki has approached a milestone of over 20 million global pre-registrations. Its Reunion Playtest (i.e. closed beta test) is scheduled to run from October 8 to 22. It’s safe to say that it has the potential to be a huge hit for the casual gaming crowd, as well as open-world action-RPG veterans who want a more laid-back experience.
