Samantha Jackson -- March 3rd
Recently (as in December 2024), an open-world dress-up game by the name of Infinity Nikki came out. When I saw ads for it, I ignored them for a while, but ultimately caved and began playing--which I am so happy I did. This game is genuinely so good and I recommend it to anyone who has an interest in dress-up games.
Infinity Nikki may sound familiar, and that is most likely because it is not the first Dress-Up Nikki game to exist. In fact, Infinity Nikki is the fifth Nikki game to come out. The first game was just a simple flash game, but the new one is a whole open-world experience!
This game has so many aspects that I enjoy. The most obvious has to be the dress-up system itself. There are so many different outfits and accessories scattered throughout the world and quests, and whether the piece is a 5 star or 3, they all are so beautiful. There are styling challenges all over the map, with most of them being optional, so players who prefer to just enjoy the scenery don’t feel obligated to work hard.
Of all player-types, this game caters most-heavily to the aesthetic-driven players. Exploration is a peaceful experience when every area is designed with photo-opportunities in mind, plus the camera features multiple different settings, lightings, poses, and filters to make the most aesthetically pleasing photos possible. I personally adore finding new areas to take photos, especially creating outfits that fit beautifully within the location.
Unfortunately, I cannot fully trust this game. Infinity Nikki is a gacha game, which is a type of game that does not have a good track record. Even if a gacha game starts out fine, it usually ends up being entirely pay-to-win. While I want to have faith in Infinity Nikki, only time will tell if it continues to be a good game.