On September 28, the Chinese video game developer miHoYo released the online game Genshin Impact. It’s a free role-playing action game that features a fantasy open-world environment and a battle system using elemental magic. The game also allows players to use in-game currency to receive random items like characters or weapons. It was released for Microsoft Windows, Android, iOS, and PlayStation 4.
Based on what I have heard, the game draws some inspiration from the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, from the art style to the stamina driven movements of characters. I personally never had a chance to play Zelda so I would not know how much of it is similar but I can say that from the reception alone, the game is able to stand on its own and has made a good name for itself.
The Story and World
When you start the game, you will be able to choose between a male or female character. You arrive in the world Teyvat, where after a collision with a mysterious sorcerer, you lose your twin. From then on, you set out on a long journey to find them but ironically, the gameplay includes very little on the search for said twin.
The story quests are filled with anime like stories and clichés, and as you go further into the journey, you are able to make your own special experience.
One thing that I can say for sure is how addicting this game truly is. There is so much a player can do, from solving puzzles to opening chests and fighting different types of monsters. Before you know it, you’ve been playing for more than three hours and there would still be plenty left to explore.
The world of Genshin is beautiful and vast. When I first began playing, the first thing I wanted to do was explore and take a look at every corner and detail of the small yet massive version of Teyvat users are allowed to play in. With each region having its own unique soundtrack, they also have their own special feel to them. Not a single place is the same as another. It is so easy for a player to dive in and just get lost.
There are seven major nations and players are currently only allowed to visit two, which are Mondstadt and Liyue. Mondstadt has Central European influences while Liyue has Chinese. Each nation has an elemental archon which the people/NPCs worship and through the different quests, the “Traveller” which is the player will have to encounter them.
Characters and Ranks
The game currently has 24 playable characters (more to come), 20 of which a user has to wish for using the in-game currency or real money. In this wish section, one has the lowest chance of getting five star items and characters, which makes it sort of like a gamble and a handful of players have been known to spend thousands of dollars just to get one five star. Like I said, it’s addictive.
The player can interchange between four characters in a party allowing them to experiment with elemental combat combos also giving them a chance to use a mix of different skills and attacks. These characters can also have their strength, health and defence enhanced in various ways like equipping them with artifacts or leveling up the weapons.
The more challenges a player completes, the higher their adventure rank gets, this raises a player’s world level. The world level determines how strong the enemies of the world are. As you grow, so do your enemies.
There are also five varieties of weapons distinctive to each character: Claymore, sword, bow, polearms, and catalysts. Each weapon has a distinguishing charm and depending on the character, you get a different fighting style.
There is no perfect set of characters to use. Each player can have their favorite character that another player would find unusable. I have come across players who wish to have some of my characters while I felt the same towards them. There are even characters and weapon types that I can never see myself using, but other players have been able to make said figures give them their best plays. The game allows you to have your own unique and special adventure.
Genshin can also be played in co-op after reaching adventure rank 16, this allows users to play with friends or anyone within playable ranks. You will be able to go to someone’s world and they can come to yours and the limit is four players. With minor limitations, one is able to do as much as they want with their co-op teammates. There are times when I can not handle a challenge on my own on the first try, but I get it done easier and quicker in co-op. Although, an undeniable flaw is that the guest is unable to receive rewards for completed challenges. The co-op feature would have been completely enjoyable otherwise.
At a certain point the climb in ranks and levels becomes steeper. To increase the levels of characters, players use items and in game currency to increase character xp and these items become more difficult to come across the longer you play the game and even then the game is still enjoyable because the higher the hill, the lower the chances of you getting bored.
Within a month of its release, Genshin Impact is said to have had one of the largest mobile game launches in history with it grossing over $250 million. After a month of playing it myself, I can see why.
Overall, Genshin Impact is great and very compelling. The stunning visuals will always have you staring and the fact that the current version is just a small introduction to the full world has me anticipating silently. I wanted to give the game a look after seeing a bit of the beautiful world on social media and I did not expect myself to become so engrossed in it. I had not been able to delve deep into a game in years and the feeling made me nostalgic.
From the combat to the exploration and beautiful soundtracks, I can personally say that Genshin Impact is one of the best games to come out in a while.
