Infinity Nikki first look: Delightful, dreamy and decadent

Infinity Nikki sees our favorite glamorous girl open her world and wardrobe to new players. Even if you haven’t played Love Nikki or Shining Nikki, there is a lot to love with this new open-world cozy adventure.

A fantastical world of fashion and friendship

Even the most cynical gamers would easily fall in love with fashion icon Nikki and her barbecue-obsessed BFF Momo. Infinity Nikki sees the pair pulled into a wardrobe by a regal red dress where she meets a mysterious goddess who grants Nikki magical powers with the Heart of Infinity. She sends her off to Miraland to find the legendary Miracle Outfits and defeat a great evil. Think: The Wizard of Oz meets The Chronicles of Narnia.

As Infinity Nikki will be released on both PC and console, you can choose to play with either a keyboard and mouse or a controller. To see how the two compare, I started playing using the keyboard and mouse and then, after a few hours, moved to a controller. I was surprised at how intuitive the controls were for both options. There is quite a bit to keep track of, from Daily Wishes and Quests to Wardrobe and Sketches, but the UI is labeled clearly, and you eventually get used to where it all is. I still get confused between a Mira Level, a Mira Journey, and the Courses, though.

From the outset, Infinity Nikki will be an absolute feast for the eyes. The high-quality graphics show fine detailing and sumptuous textures in every outfit and throughout the environment. Colors are bright without being garish, with a soft light bringing a real fairytale glow to the game. If something is meant to sparkle or shine in Miraland, it does so with the magic of a classic Disney movie. Many of Nikki’s outfits are hyper-feminine, with ribbons, ruffles, bows, and petticoats, all crafted beautifully to sway and ripple as Nikki moves.

Exploration feels limitless in the expansive world of Infinity Nikki. You can easily spend hours just wandering each area, collecting plants and grooming animals for their fur and feathers, and thanks to Nikki’s magical bottomless bag, you don’t have to worry about inventory space. This was a key aspect for me as I played. It gave a real boost to the freedom and fun you should get from a cozy game. You can run and float through the land, picking up every new resource you find, knowing your bag has that useful Mary Poppins quality. As a cozy game, it also has all the features you would expect, such as meeting NPCs, discovering side quests, uncovering collectibles and chests, and, love it or hate it, fishing. Thankfully, in Infinite Nikki, fishing is pleasant and satisfying, with very little skill required.

One of the most important collectibles is the Whimstar. Nikki can boost her stats in the Heart of Infinity skill tree with these pink crochet stars. The Whimstar is a great example of why Infinity Nikki is such an engaging game. Finding and unlocking each Whimstar is a mini-game in itself, as they are hidden in tricky-to-access places, transformed into magical creatures to tame, split apart and scattered across an area, and so much more.

Mini-games and side quests are cute and challenging without being stressful, while main missions carry you along for a magical adventure where every NPC speaks like a poetic storybook character. A lot of fun can be had in the dungeon-like platformer quests, where you meet some fantastical bosses as you solve puzzles and uncover collectibles.

Despite having played for hours, I know I have barely scratched the surface of this game. As more locations in Miraland open up to me, I have a feeling there will be more magic and wonder to discover!