Why Infinity Nikki could be the next Breath of the Wild

The PlayStation State of Play has wrapped up, and while Monster Hunter Wilds, Silent Hill 2, and Where the Wind Meets stole the show, there was one game that should have Breath of the Wild fans excited: Infinity Nikki. 

Infinity Nikki is an open-world dress-up game from Chinese developers Papergames, the creators of the popular Miracle Nikki and Shining Nikki mobile game series. Unlike its predecessors, the upcoming PS5 game does more than just enable players to dress up its stylish protagonist. 

Instead, Infinity Nikki features sprawling environments that look like they have been plucked from Studio Ghibli’s drawing board, environmental puzzles, and Breath of the Wild-style shrines and bosses. 

Nintendo BOTW director Kentaro Tominaga is also working on the game as its executive producer, so Zelda fans could be in for a real treat. 

Meet Miraland, your new Hyrule 

Part of what made Breath of the Wild so enthralling to play was its magical setting, Hyrule. Whether it was clambering up the scorching hot craggy cliffs of Death Mountain to find Koroks or sailing off the coast of Lurelin Village in search of treasure, every environment beckoned players to explore. 

Papergames aims to recreate that magic with Infinity Nikki. According to the official details from the PlayStation Blog, Miraland is home to different nations, with each having unique cultures and history. The official gameplay trailer also shows lush green fields, dense forests, snowcapped mountains, sleepy European-style villages, and bustling castle towns. 

There’s even a small community that has made their home atop gigantic rocky outcrops that descend into the sky, not all too dissimilar to Breath of the Wild’s Rito Village. If the Zelda connection wasn’t clear enough, there are environmental puzzles players will need to solve with the use of different outfit abilities. 

Did we mention Nikki can also catch fish, catch bugs with a net, and collect wool from sheep? These overworld items can then be used to craft outfits — quite how in-depth this crafting system is remains to be seen — but it’s a feature many Zelda fans have wanted added to the series. 

Breath of the Wild inspired Dungeons & Shrines

Tying directly into the open-world aspect of Infinity Nikki is the game’s Zelda-style dungeons, which require players to utilize Nikki’s outfit abilities to complete. One example shown in the gameplay trailer had Nikki using her Shrinking Outfit to ride atop her magical cat companion, Momo. 

Unlike Nikki, Momo can fit through small entry points, giving players the ability to reach otherwise inaccessible areas. Dungeons also appear to have bosses, as one segment shows Nikki fighting a stone golem, blasting the monster in its glowing weak point with green energy blasts. The official PlayStation Blog even mentions that players will be able to “ride mine carts with the wind” and “run from ghosts in railcars.” 

If that wasn’t enough, IGN’s preview mentioned that Zelda-style Shrines are also present, and are accessed through entering pink doorways in the overworld. Unlike the game’s dungeons, these levels are much smaller in scale and instead require players to complete challenges for special rewards. 

Outfits with unique special abilities 

Infinity Nikki features a plethora of stylish outfits that would make Hateno’s very own Kochi Dye Shop proud. Just like Breath of the Wild, these outfits give Nikki access to different abilities and can be freely mixed and matched.

During the gameplay trailer, we see Nikki using the Gliding Outfit to summon a spectral flower to soar through the sky and navigate the stone forest. Another is the Purification Outfit, which releases magical orbs that cleanse animals who have been corrupted by demonic energy.

Meanwhile, the Floating Outfit makes Nikki lighter and is particularly useful during platforming sections that require a little more care. As we mentioned earlier, the game’s crafting system ties directly into the curation of new garments. So, those of you who like to hoover up items like an ever-hungry Octorok, your insatiable hunger for loot will be rewarded here. 

While there may be no Green Tunic to don or Master Sword to Swing, Breath of the Wild fans may want to keep an eye out when the Infinity Nikki PS5 beta releases later this year.