Infinity Nikki is my favorite new release for 2024. This is a cotton candy open-world game with a lot more depth and variety than I expected. I enjoy the great wardrobes, understated puzzles, and engaging side quests. But what surprised me most about Infinity Nikki was something I had ignored for years in games: photo mode.
I didn’t expect this to be the highlight of my Infinity Nikki experience. In fact, when this question came up during a long series of tutorials in my first session, my first reaction was, “Oh, great, I can forget about it.”
Anna Washenko / Infold Games
Photo mode has become a standard feature in single-player AAA games over the past decade. For those unfamiliar, this feature allows you to pause gameplay and have your protagonist pose like an action figure, making a silly facial expression or holding up a peace sign. You can. Apply filters and fine-tune focus, aperture, and other details to capture impressive images.
Over the years, I’ve seen people pose like Nathan Drake, Ellie and Joel, Aloy, and many others in heroic or hilarious poses. I really appreciate it when those images come across my social feeds. And as game graphics become increasingly photorealistic, it’s only natural that studios would want to give players the tools to capture beautiful moments. However, I found that every time I played a game that had a photo mode, I would never open the camera again after taking the one photo required by the tutorial.
Anna Washenko / Infold Games
My problem isn’t that these games aren’t gorgeous enough to be documented. The thing is, when you’re playing a game like The Last of Us, it’s hard to think of stopping for a moment because you’re so focused on other gameplay mechanics and goals. Sure, there may be some calm moments where you can catch your breath, but when you’re running for your life in a post-apocalyptic wasteland, there’s no time to casually browse filters. Also, in other games, taking pictures doesn’t seem like an activity that characters would do. There’s no way Kratos would take a selfie.
Like all of our previous games, Infinity Nikki is a beautiful game. Miraland is made up of picturesque towns and charming landscapes, and the vast vistas and hidden nooks are equally beautiful. Everywhere you look, there are many carefully constructed little interactions that serve no purpose other than to encourage you to project a cute image. Press a button to ride in a hot air balloon or blow bubbles at a cafe table. This is a step further than most implementations, which at best involve sitting on a chair or bench.
Anna Washenko / Infold Games
But what turned me into a total shutterbug is the system where players are encouraged to take photos of notable locations around Miraland. The first place we found was a lush cave, and I directed Nikki to sit on a log beside an underground lake. It was certainly a beautiful place, but what pleased me the most was that my outfit matched the environment perfectly. So I just took some photos and didn’t move on to more important tasks. Taking the time to look good is the most important job.
Infinity Nikki doesn’t have a single style perspective. Some special ensembles provide situational in-game functionality, but for the most part they’re there to help you display them exactly when you need them. Nikki can be an absurd cartoon character from Fantasyland dressed in tulle and sparkles. Or maybe you look exactly like someone wearing an oversized hoodie and streaming games on Twitch or TikTok. Or, if you prefer, you can combine a top hat with jean shorts and thigh-high knitted boots. (And yes, I wanted one.)
Anna Washenko / Infold Games
This game knows you’re there to play dress up, at least in part. We also know that the thing to do when dressing up is to ensure that your best fit remains forever in your photo shoot. That’s why Infinity Nikki’s photo mode feels not only fun, but essential. This is a core part of the game loop. When assembling a new costume, you want to find the perfect environment to take photos. When you come across an impressive place, think about which pose will best show off the place.
Most of the time, the camera or photo mode does little to increase my love for the game. They are the metaphorical cherry on top of the sundae. However, on Infinity Nikki, the photo mode is Ice Cream. And it’s delicious.
