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After playing an unhealthy amount of gacha games (no regrets, though), I must admit that all of them evoke a not-so-good feeling in me: FOMO. See, whenever a new gacha arrives, you’re already planning your pulls. You see a new gorgeous character and start thinking of how you’ll obtain them. You can either grind your way to obtain currency, whip out that credit card, or just pray to the RNG Gods to let you win that 50/50 chance. However, Infinity Nikki didn’t give me that FOMO other gacha games do, which is quite refreshing.
Same Elements, Different Feeling
I will not say Infinity Nikki is entirely different from other gacha games — it is not. It has the same currencies but a different coat of paint. It feels like it was heavily inspired by Genshin Impact, which isn’t bad. However, it’s what it does with the things that it offers that makes it feel slightly different.
In any other gacha game, I tend to stress over a new character coming. I see how they might change the meta, affect my party composition, and even start farming materials beforehand. Add how a banner stays active only for a while, and you must hurry even more to prepare everything for that new potential party member. And even then, you have to deal with the luck-based pulls and maybe even kiss your character goodbye because you get a different 5-star, SSR, S-Rank, or whatever the game you’re playing calls the rare characters.
On the other hand, Infinity Nikki brings outfits that change things a little bit or at least bring a placebo where FOMO doesn’t kick in. While playing the game, I noticed a limited-time outfit I wanted. However, I didn’t stress much about it. The game already has plenty of fantastic F2P clothing, so pulling for the premium one and missing it didn’t worry me much. Yes, these outfits are game-changers, but missing them is nothing compared to what losing a character pull does to a gacha player.
Infinity Nikki Might Feel Overwhelming But Never Becomes a Chore
Another thing I noticed while playing Infinity Nikki was how many activities it had that eclipse other gacha games. Mini-games, clothes to collect, bugs to catch, chests to find, dragons to help, etc. In any other game of this genre, I would see these things as a chore. Since I have that FOMO of a character coming soon, I would scour the land for every single thing that would provide even the smallest amount of currency for my pulls. But Infinity Nikki didn’t make me feel that. After many years as a gacha player, I felt like I could explore a virtual world without feeling rushed.
Now, I won’t say everyone feels like this. Many enjoy exploring a new map, talking to NPCs, and just taking in the sights. Yet, we all have that “must-get-currency” mentality ingrained in us one way or another. Fortunately, that feeling hasn’t kicked in yet in Infinity Nikki, and I find it hard to see if it is happening, at least in my case. The design of this dress-up gacha seems tailored (no pun intended) toward a very niche group of casual players. I might be getting ahead of myself, though. If there’s an event where certain clothing pieces become crucial, some of us might go rabid for them. But so far, it seems like Infinity Nikki is all about respecting our time, and I love it.
Furthermore, and I might be jumping the gun here, it doesn’t seem like outfits are extremely necessary for gameplay purposes. Yes, some have better stats, and some will even help more in certain events, but so far, it looks like even the free stuff can carry you. In that regard, it’s nice that an outfit hasn’t become meta (and I hope it doesn’t happen). However, things may change as the game progresses.
Is It Just a Honeymoon Phase?
Like every other shiny thing in the gacha market, I can’t help but wonder if I’m looking at Infinity Nikki with rose-tinted glasses. At the moment, the game feels generous and looks like its only focus is giving us gorgeous clothes to dress Nikki up. There isn’t a power creep feeling yet, and I thank the gacha Gods that a meta hasn’t been established. Assuming that’s a thing at all in a dress-up gacha. Still, things may change in future updates, but I’m hopeful it won’t.
In the meantime, it’s nice to have a refreshing gacha experience. Yes, the banners are there, the limited-time events are in your face, and the currency coming from all directions won’t disappear. However, it doesn’t feel as stressful as in other titles. Here, you can take your time to explore this beautiful world and just find the perfect jacket for your Nikki. And even if you don’t, you won’t be left behind, or so it seems. Time will tell how the world treats our Stylist, but at the moment, it seems like a welcome change in the gacha landscape.
