Infinity Nikki – my favorite new product of 2024. It's a cotton candy open world game that offers much more depth and variety than I expected to find. I love the great wardrobe, the modest puzzles, and the charming side quests. But the most amazing thing about Infinity Nikki There was something I had ignored in games for years: photo mode.
I didn't expect this to be the highlight Infinity Nikki experience. In fact, when this came up in a long tutorial sequence during my first session, my first reaction was, “Oh, okay, something I might forget.”
Over the past decade, photo mode has become a standard feature in single-player AAA games. For those unfamiliar, this feature pauses gameplay so you can imagine your main character as an action figure, making him blink with a goofy expression or hold up a peace sign. You can install a filter or make minor changes to the focus, aperture, and other details to create a stunning image.
Over the years I've seen people take photos of Nathan Drake, Ellie and Joel, Aloy and many others in heroic or hilarious poses. I appreciate these images when they appear on my social media. And as game graphics become increasingly photorealistic, it makes sense that studios want to give players the tools to capture beautiful moments as they happen. But every time I played a game with photo mode, I found that after I took the one photo required in the tutorial, I never opened the camera again.
My problem isn't that these games aren't great enough to warrant documenting. This is when I play something like The Last of Usit doesn't occur to me to stop for a moment because I'm so focused on other game mechanics and goals. Sure, there may be quieter moments where you can breathe, but running for your life in a post-apocalyptic wasteland is not the time to casually scroll through filters. And in other games, taking photos just doesn't seem like an activity for the character to do. Come on, Kratos will never take a selfie.
Like all his predecessors, Infinity Nikki it's a beautiful game. Miraland is made up of picturesque towns and enchanting landscapes, equally as beautiful for their stunning views and secluded spots. Everywhere you look there are tons of carefully crafted little interactions that serve no other purpose than to encourage you to create a cute image. You press a button to fly in a hot air balloon or blow bubbles at a cafe table. This is a step up from most implementations, where the most you can do is sit on a chair or bench.
But what completely hooked me when I became a photojournalist was the system where players are encouraged to photograph noteworthy locations around Miraland. When I first found it, it was a lush green grotto where I told Nikki to sit on a log by an underground lake. Of course, it was a beautiful place, but what pleased me most was that my outfit matched the setting perfectly. So that I don't just grab the photo and move on to a more important task. Take time to look great is the most important task.
There is no single point of view on style in the world. Infinity Nikki. A few special ensembles offer contextual in-game options, but most items are designed just to give you the look you want. Nikki may be an absurd anime character from a fantasy land in tulle and sequins. Or she could look just like someone you might see streaming a game on Twitch or TikTok, wearing an oversized hoodie. Or, if you prefer, she can pair the top hat with denim shorts and knit thigh-high boots. (And yes, I wanted to.)
This game knows that you're here, at least in part, to play dress up. He also knows that the most obvious thing to do when you're playing dress up is to immortalize your best looks with a photo shoot. That's why Infinity NikkiPhoto mode is not just nice, but also necessary. This is the main part of the game loop. When I'm putting together a new outfit, I want to find the right place to take a photo. When I come across an interesting spot, I think about what poses will best showcase it.
Most of the time, the cameras and photo modes do little to enhance my love for the game. It's the metaphorical cherry on the sundae. WITH Infinity NikkiTrue, the photo mode is ice cream. And it's delicious.