First Look at Infinity Nikki! The Coziest Open-World Adventure?!

[@JoshGamingGarden]

Are you excited for Infinity Nikki? Pre-register here: bit.ly/JoshsGamingGarden

[@okayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy]

I played a ton of Love Nikki some years ago but didn't stick with Shining Nikki (their first 3D game) as long. I'll give whatever insight I can that might help people: -The Nikki games have DEEP LORE (the history of the wold, mythology, political drama...) but while the previous games have been one long convoluted timeline, this one is starting fresh in a sort of alternate/parallel universe for the sake of new fans. -if the game wasn't super clear about it, the whimstar outfits that unlock skills are seperate than the clothing pieces you collect just to be cute. The pet cleaning one was specifically designed to be a cute alternative to hunting so you can still get furs for crafting~ -Nikki is very comfortable doing drag. In Love Nikki it was very easy for me to make a masc-leaning Nikki, especially when the eye "makeup" completely changed her eye shape and size since that game worked more like playing with a paper doll. I don't think you can go that far in the 3D games, but theres a whole fashion category called "handsome" so you'll at least be able to still wear more masculine clothes and short hairstyles. -also as you can see they are do include different alternative skintones for Nikki you can choose in the dressup menu for the sake of players with different skintones. In Love Nikki I ended up with a few different skintones, whenever they added more they became free for all players. They also added more hairstyles for different hair textures over time, which would also be made free for everyone. You could tell with the early ones especially that the artists weren't super used to drawing different hair textures (for context the game is Chinese), but there was an effort. I don't know what or how much was ever added to Shining Nikki, but I can tell already that the darker skintones here look nicer than the ones in SN when it first launched, so I'm tentatively hopeful that they've kept listening to community feedback? Still, in my experience I can't say that they've ever been amazing with their inclusivity. -The Nikki games unfortunately do have a history of making event clothing very expensive to get unless you save your gacha currency for a long time and only try for event clothing once in a while. None of this clothing has ever been necessary or even given any gameplay benefits, but it sure is pretty and sucks when you can't get something you want. In Love Nikki eventually most of these eventually come back as things you can craft for free; interestingly, for a lot of players there was a sense of knowing a lot of those extravagant outfits were specifically for the whales who will drop a ton of money for it, to help fund the game so the free to play players can also get very nice (but not as extravagant) things reasonably, and then eventually get the super extravagent stuff to craft. Whether or not this was a GOOD mindset is up for debate, but when I got really into the LN online community that was a sentiment I started to see in some groups. Personally, by the time I got into the game it's been around for a couple of years and there were already so many clothing items, old event outfits, and non-whale-tier event outfits that I rarely felt the sting of not being able to get expensive stuff I wanted. But again, this is just my experience in that specific game, I'm absolutely not saying their monetization practices are good I just want to share how normalized it was in the community i found and the mindset that I had in the past that made things less frustrating (and you are MORE than welcome to disagree with). Also things could've gotten even worse in Shining Nikki, I wouldn't know. -If anyone is curious, Nikki is 19 and studying fashion in college. This doesn't really matter (unless you wanna ship her with someone) but it's neat trivia. -More trivia: in the previous games there was an in-universe reason for fashion to be so important culturally and why people chose to do fashion battles instead of alternative means of fighting. This is also why it was so shocking in Love Nikki when one major character murdered another in an unskippable cutscene ~✨ (I don't know if they're going to keep this though since idek if they're even keeping fashion battles in this game.) -The lead director they got for this game was one of the devs for Breath of the Wild, so if there are parts that seem very reminiscent of that game, it's probably by design.

[@ShiningBulbasaur]

I played Nikki alot in the past. It always had lots of beautiful designs. Yet I did not like monetization. Events expected you to spend alot money :(

[@Savvy_Tsalagi]

Agreed. I got sucked into it but then had to stop because I was spending too much on the micro transactions.

[@bluebiblee]

same ;;

[@Ry-mt3hp]

@@Savvy_Tsalagi Me too, it sucks because I liked it SO much but I'm so prone to overspending. I can't even touch that other 3D one they made, it looks great but I know it's going to drain my wallet. It's been sitting on my phone unopened since it launched. Nice name by the way - ᏣᎳᎩᏍ ᎯᏬᏂᏍᎩ?

[@trustnoone5821]

lets hope it wont be the same

[@Jhoannegee]

Same

[@enamellightYT]

I did play the first game, Nikki UP2U: A Dressing Story, on my phone back in the day when they didn't implement any in-game micro-transaction, and the only thing to unlock new outfit pieces was to complete missions or watch a short ad daily. 😊

[@nuggets563]

whimcycle is probably pronounced the same way as whimsical (with "cycle" pronounced like how it is in "bicycle") since this game is definitely a good example of what that means: "playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way." They saw the opportunity for a pun and went with it!

[@amaririii_ch]

I played one of the Nikki games before and I loved how the storyline went from cozy but goofy like "you're in a world where a lot of stuff is dictated by fashion battle!" to "wait... the Prime minister staged a coup? Hang on this character's dead???"

[@SilverNox]

I was so shocked when they killed off a character lol If I remember correctly, it was my favorite character too

[@salemlandmine]

And in another Nikki game (Shining Nikki) there's literally memes about this one moment Nikki actually uses a fucking GUN on another character iirc 😭

[@aster.cotton]

I remember seeing one of the Nikki games a long time ago. It's a super adorable series, although I haven't played them myself. I feel like they could make a really cute MMO from this concept - the different outfits for the classes kinda remind me of Final Fantasy 14. I would definitely play an Infinity Niko game if they made one 👀

[@MadameCirce]

Regarding the wish for a Niko: In the Nikki games, there have always been masculine clothing/hair/makeup options so you can dress as a boy if you'd like. The masculine tops are even flat chest and everything.

[@Sunnyheart_5]

Aww omg! Nikki is way too pretty in 3D!! You look great in 3D too Josh!😱🥰 Love Nikki is such a fun app! And Josh you always snap with your casual outfits. 👏😆

[@Sunnyheart_5]

Looks like a great start to such a cute game!🎉

[@trixbibi]

Josh, I'm SO HYPED for this game, it is so beautiful and I'm in love with momo already!! Thanks for this video

[@tenebraequeene]

This is my first a Nikki game and I'm having a blast! It's so cute and cozy!💖💖💖

[@hallwaysofallways]

loved your cycle, bicycle, whimscycle musings, made me laugh. Playing the closed beta test now on my phone, wish I had got access to the pc test, your game looks so good!

[@FireNFeathers]

This looks so fun! Thanks for covering it Josh. I wish there were more dress up games like this

[@Tehmora]

"Just get to the point sir" caught me off guard. XD

[@xLadyDushi]

Since they announced this game I am obsessed with it. I neeeeeeeeeed need neeeeed this game ❤

[@ladykupo]

Your shirt matches the game's color palette perfectly!

[@chelseabighetty4722]

This looks incredible! The graphics and how it just flows! I love collecting and foraging in games, so this is right up my alley. Combined with all the quests and beautiful cut scenes. The whimsical! Eeek! Lol Thanks for this awesome video! Love your channel so much! 😊 I won’t be able to play it though as I only have a Switch and Xbox ….

[@Turbo_Waitress]

I’m so excited to check this out!

[@Celery_Seeds]

It's like an open world Atelier plus Style Savvy!

[@ech0ashes]

Another atelier fan! ☺️

[@MiguiMonkey]

the pink energy is strong! 💗💞💓💕

[@JoshGamingGarden]

I just had to match with Nikki!

[@MiguiMonkey]

@@JoshGamingGarden You're always fashionable! You matched her so well!

[@aster.cotton]

Perfect timing, I literally just got home from work

[@karolinaadamus5149]

I played both Nikki mobile games for couple of years. So excited to play infinity.

[@cutiexmandy]

I played a lot of Love Nikki and a bit of Shining Nikki (+ other infold projects) I really liked them but I’ve gotten to where I try to avoid getting into new games that have gacha systems - I have 5 on my phone + occasionally play Granblue Fantasy and I think I that’s enough😂

[@suicune2001]

This game looks soooo cute! I've never played a game like this before but it looks so chill and adorable.

[@imsunnybaby]

i really like the sound of the gameplay loop, the earning and collecting to unlock new ability with the 'outfit's reminds me of the nintendo princess peach:showtime! game on switch ha ha

[@danielle_z]

Omg it’s a whimsical whim-cycle, that’s so clever lol. I can’t wait to play this game! 🥰

[@pippaloves]

I’m so excited for this. To just BE in such a pretty world is going to be so cool. 😊

[@RoyalRadiantJade]

I played Nikki a lot in 2020. It was fun to dress up but never got past the beginning storyline. Getting new outfit was very gatcha based but it was still very fun… loved getting the animated outfits and now it’s 3D 😅. Gotta buy stuff for each category. This new game looks so good. I think I’ll love it already.

[@yohane894]

so excited for this game!!!!!! thanks for the video!!

[@tenshineee]

Omg I’m so excited for this game to come out 🩷 I love the Nikki series 😊

[@MaekaGaming]

Yeah I'm definitely curious to see how this game turns out.

[@sleuthytv1228]

I am looking forward to this

[@Milady_M]

I loved the Love Nikki phone game but, in order to have a chance at online competitions you had to get as many of the better event outfits as you could and there were a lot of events each month with each one requiring you to spend a lot of money to have even a chance to complete them. Then they had special package deals on sale at the same time. Now Love Nikki games make me nervous because I have to avoid them for the sake of my finances lol It looks nice though but, if it is even remotely similar to the phone game, I definitely can't afford to try it 😟

[@Rivkah94]

I want to play SO BADLY

[@andiaam9703]

I think I play two nikki's game, and it was so adorable and nice! all the designs are wonderful, but I remember my phone couldn't handle it lol

[@shansislandadventure45]

I used to love Love Niki. This looks cool

[@Redge.]

this looks so good

[@helen4787]

I havent played any Nikki gsmes before. It looks gorgeous but i know the previous games were highly monetised

[@Asunnixe]

I played the old Nikki and it was fun but cosmetic F2P games are extremely money bait (like Sky: Children of Light). I'm glad they're doing an open world but at the same time it seems like this is pretty much also a normal gacha game since there's going to be rolls and irl shop currency games. I'm still planning to play it though, I love the aesthetic so much but not sure if I'll normally play this. Most of my other gacha games I can spend $15 per patch (every six weeks) and since I play multiple, probably adds up to 30-50 every two months. Time lim and lim is such a fomo bait haha, I rarely even play Sky cotl now

[@ChromaSoul]

Beautiful game but as soon as I learned it was a mobile game, that was it. Mobile games are fine, but the mtx monetization isn't and you can always expect to find this business model in them. I was hoping this would be just a new single player game on Steam.

[@MFSG67]

What platform are you playing this in?

[@JoshGamingGarden]

I'm playing on PC!

[@nyhx_x]

It look so good! I love the outfits

[@msemma4316]

Whilst I don't think this is my type of game, the graphics certainly look gorgeous - reminds me of Atelier games

[@absotivelypawsilutely]

Ooo I'll have to check this out, very much my kind of thing, but I'm aware that there'll be micro-transactions so I'll be pretty strict with myself in that regard, that stuff can be a slippery slope. I think it seems like, at least for now, there's enough going on outside of the microtransactions that I'll pre-register.

[@TheMyriadTruths]

The UI is almost a carbon copy of Genshin Impact. Not saying that Hoyoverse invented the format but it popularized it

[@MadameCirce]

But it's funny, Infinity Nikki is from Breath of the Wild designer Kentaro Tominaga. And when Genshin came out people said it was copying a lot from BotW. So everything kinda comes around full circle in the gaming world.

[@meazalove7596]

This looks like a fun game and lots to explore. It's giving me Genshin Impact vibes. Obvioulsy there are a lot of differences when really comparing the two but just seeing this gameplay, I know i could spend hours playing. 🙌

[@kiuura]

omgg i used to love the nikki games

[@Shayofavonlea]

Hello? I heard Bug Catching? 👀

[@biadoras]

Aww, I thought this were a Switch game. I were looking forward to play on a larger screen. Oh well. X)

[@silvertail123]

It looks great! Unfortunately, I have a bad computer and phone. So, with how detailed the graphics are, there is a high chance that I cannot even play the game without overheating my devices or having glitches. A pity since it looks great!

[@ech0ashes]

This game is also coming to consoles if you have one.

[@ech0ashes]

Okay it looks like it's only coming to PS5 sadly. This would be such a cute game for the switch as well.

[@TheSlipperyNUwUdle]

I’ve been playing the Nikki games since around 2016. As nice as this looks, you should know it’s probably going to be VERY heavily monetized.

[@Yithiru]

I wonder if the story will be as dark and dramatic as in Love Nikki... I think the only thing that would make me play is the story, I already have a 3d dress up gacha game I play, Life Makeover. The other mechanics here are nice but nothing that makes it a must play for me.

[@Proserpira]

The Love Nikki game got me addicted to gambling so i can't say it's great, but the story was amazing and got extremely dark for a dress-up game. However, the UI of this game is like...copy-pasted from Genshin Impact. Most of the UI elements are in exactly the same places.

[@bluefox2844]

Nikki already got way to much of my money. Not a chance they are getting more

[@GCBami]

Not a huge fan of micro transactions, but still looking forward to play!

[@ley-ic]

if someone told me that this was a mod based on genshin impact I wouldn't doubt it I don't think they stole it or anything and genshin itself got inspiration from elsewhere but no one can tell me this wasn't highly inspired by looking at a competitor game and thinking oh this works very well we could use that. but I feel lots of people like me will immediately feel a familiarity when they start up this game and get lost in it this will print endless money, won't it 😂

[@ech0ashes]

This game was created by a dev who worked on Zelda: breathe of the wild. Genshin was compared to BOTW a lot when it was first released.

[@CrobatmanIamthenight]

Ok this is just genshin impact UI

[@sleuthytv1228]

First Nikki game was 2015, Genshin came out 2020

[@himechan1211]

I was thinking the same thing. The map too

[@Asunnixe]

@@sleuthytv1228 Genshin Impact is the first open world gacha game (that also made a huge impact) and now with lots of open world gacha games, they're all going to be compared to it just like how Stardew is the standard comparison to farming games

[@beeuseless]

This is a pretty basic layout for a RPG HUD you all are just too obsessed with genshin LMAO

[@ech0ashes]

​​@@Asunnixegenshin impact was compared to breathe of the wild a lot when it first released and was one of the inspirations for the game. Stardew valley was inspired by the old school harvest moon games. Infinity Nikki is actually being made by a dev who worked on BOTW. It's quite common for games to take inspiration from each other but still have their own thing that makes them unique.

[@mightylotan]

Can I play as a guy lol

[@ech0ashes]

As far as I know, you can make the character have a more masculine look but you can't really choose to play as a boy or girl.

[@slimeyandy895]

Straight up Genshin Impact

[@LaurenR-fg5gz]

Why do you have to keep talking the whole time? It completely ruined this video.

[@MushroomDev]

looks like genshin impact without the gameplay.

[@Luis-sq9gu]

it looks too much like Genshin impact and games on that line. I don't know how to feel about it

[@hufflepuffler2575]

everytime I see Infinity Nikki gameplay I shoot to the playstation store but nope it's just early access for content creators

[@ech0ashes]

It officially releases on December 5th