Gaming Diary: Infinity Nikki 2.1 [Life as a Poem]

This 2.1 update [Life as a Poem] was well known before its release to be a filler patch, sandwitched between the grand launch of the 2.0 and the upcoming Chinese’s New Year celebration coinciding with the 2.2. As such, expectations were low. Especially if we compare it to the similar 1.2 update which had at that time a underwhelming event and the not so loved 5 stars outfit Wings of Wishes.

I felt the same way going in, as I wasn’t really that excited about the new 5 stars outfit either. Green outfits are already a turn off for me, but fairycore outfits makes me even more uninterested. BUT I still pulled on this damn banner because of the fricking bard outfit… and some other banners too…

The limited banners

So yes, I did pull for Verdant Verse. The glow up perfectly matches with the Enduring Bond set which I also want. And the pieces goes so well with the prince outfit from Playful Season. I’m a sucker for more masculine fits, and they feel like the outliers among the styles that we usually get, so I figured I had to get it! I didn’t complete the set, but I’m only missing the hair and the pants which looks too funny to work with any other outfit in my opinion.

This patch also made me aware of howI was doomed with all the reruns that I want to get and the makeup that I want to snatch. During this first year, I was too conservative with my pulls to the point where my first (uncompleted) 5 stars was Crimson Feather during the 1.5. I thought that I had to like all the pieces to pull, plus the 4 stars it came with and the makeup. Needless to say I felt so miserable with my small collection of clothes despite having played since the start of the game. Now I have the opposite problem where I feel like I have too much clothes (and still at the same time nothing to wear, just like in real life…).

So I ended pulling for Whispers of Bliss, Bubbling Affections and the contact lenses of Wings of Wishes. The ridicule amount of days that these banners lasted didn’t really help me to decide if it was worth it to get the evolutions for the 4 stars like I initially wanted to. I was eyeing the Marilyn Monroe one because of its black fur boa, but it turned out to be more greyish than black. I only have one evolution of a 4 star which is Mistbound Whispers and this felt worth it for the alternative socks and the black and red combination. It’s one of the set where I regularly use the pieces, so I’m really proud of making the investment at that time lol. But most of the time, I think that getting the base outfit is more than enough. Especially since I’m mostly too lazy to make custom dyes. I also feel like the level of customization that they offer is a bit underwhelming for the price, since every outfits you dye starts to look the same (because of the limited palettes).

So Infold has successfully unlocked a new type of FOMO for me, because now I’m worried that if I miss a rerun or don’t pull for an evolution it will never go back! This game isn’t the best antidote for my anxiety, but at least I got to make cute outfits and hang out with a big, chunky, talking cat.

The new event

I wasn’t really transported by this new story. It was too short, introduced a new character we barely get to know (but that’s not the first time). Aaaand I didn’t fully grasped what was going on. Why was Nikki teleporting and falling asleep on her own? It felt a bit ominous. And this bard girl seems a little suspicious too. The quest ends on a cheesy “We’ll met again soon”, and I doubt that will happen…

I also didn’t really vibe with the moral of the story. If I understood correctly, death is important because if it didn’t exist how could we know how much our bonds with others mattered? It didn’t feel like a whimsical conclusion at all for me. Maybe something was lost in translation, or it could be a foreshadowing of something…

Then comes the nonsense: as we send our wishes for the deceased Behemoth, we take in its adopted son to help him return to the wild. And to achieve that, we build… an entire training station?!

Infold was probably aiming to do a Tamagotchi type of gameplay where we take care of our cute little pet. But the actual gameplay loop made it look more like a training camp to become a “alpha man”, made for Behemoth instead. This poor creature was basically our prisonner for 16 months! Truth be told, mine didn’t sleep or bathe a lot during his “training program”. Because I had objectives to meet and diamonds to collect, I basically forced him to play the silly “games” each months. It felt like I was abusing him when I had him play the one where he bumps his head agaisnt a giant rock. I’m not entirely sure how, but he did gain some “Force” points thanks to it…

By the time I got to complete his training, I was already burned out by this fricking minigame. Than I discovered that there are actually 30 endings to unlock and that I had to take care of dozens of other creatures. Well, count me out!

Another way to look at it: Nikki is practically pumping out Behemoths to repopulate the Wishing Woods. They are predators, and having so many in one area can’t be good. It doesn’t make sense for the developers to carefully craft a new zone like Itzaland and warn us how dangerous Behemoths are, only to let us triple their population via a minigame. I hope the Shroomlings aren’t endangered by Nikki’s new side hustle!

My favorite outfit(s)

I had never used this backpack before, but I was inspired by a fellow stylist who used it in an hourglass post with this exact dress. I absolutely adore this outfit for exploring Itzaland. It has a steampunk vibe that makes me yearn for an official set in the future.

The next patch

Linglang isn’t my favorite aesthetic, but I’m still excited for the next patch. We’ll get to see Tanyoyo again and explore a new zone that looks more urban than anything we’ve seen so far. I’m longing for a sci-fi suit, and I think a photoshoot in this setting with a futuristic outfit would look amazing!