Today I came across a post that I felt compelled to share, because I really do understand and feel where the OP is coming from. I hope that Stylists around the world know that if you're feeling the same way, you are not alone.
Translated from a Xiaohongshu post by a Nikki games veteran:
(my note: As this is translated by me, there may be some error here and there. I have changed some wording to provide better context instead of providing a literal translation.)
How should I even start? I have been playing Nikki series games since the 2010s, although I am not a very active player, I have always paid attention to each series.
I am heavily invested in the story from Love Nikki, I can even name every nation's speciality, locations, important characters, and even the current storyline. It is also from Love Nikki, I fell in love with Nikki because she represent a gentle yet determined girl.
I was filled with excitement and anticipation when Infinity Nikki was announced as the open-world version of Miraland, because I want to see and experience the world of Miraland and its beauty.
However, the story development since launch till now has been filled with disappointment. I couldn't feel the connection with the world, and even more-so I couldn't feel immerse, this is exacerbated and reinforced by constant flip-flopping by the developer.
Especially since the beginning, Pear-Pal which shares the same pronunciation as 'No Stress' [context: Pear-Pal in mandarin is '美鸭梨—mei ya li' and 'No Stress' is '没压力—mei ya li'], which is a tablet that the Stylist Guild have handed out. Every Stylists have this personal tablet, which is something that Stylist can feel associated with. However, the developer have since changed the design, in 1.5 update it has become clear that Pear-Pal is merely just a User Interface (U.I.) to them and with this changes it have lost it meaning and association to 'No Stress'.
The pages within Pear-Pal which was supposed to be design and made by the Stylist Guild in collaboration with Kilo the Cadenceborn, a blue dragon, to be filled with knowledge of outfits and cultures accumulated over the many years of Miraland history has now been reduced to season names instead. Now, do you really think that the Stylist Guild and Kilo will do that? The answer is no, so this lore has now disappeared.
Within the current storyline, a Snow Mermaid appeared in the Sea of Stars and Serenity Island, what is the reason behind all these? Did the developer ever considered this before? Why did Nikki became the Snow Mermaid during the destruction of the Sea of Stars?
I do not mind that this new generation of Nikki game have a new story setting, but now I don't even get it any more. Whether if it is related to earlier Nikki games' lore, and whether if it is Infinity Nikki base logic or character-building, none of it gives me a sense of belonging to the world and all I feel is just emptiness.
