REVIEW: Genshin Impact – There, and Back Again
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Truth be told, games from big AAA franchises like The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, and Final Fantasy VII Remake were expected to enjoy their success in the gaming world, but some of 2020’s biggest stories have come from titles that emerged seemingly out of nowhere, such as Fall Guys, Among Us, […]
Truth be told, games from big AAA franchises like The Last of Us Part II, Ghost of Tsushima, and Final Fantasy VII Remake were expected to enjoy their success in the gaming world, but some of 2020’s biggest stories have come from titles that emerged seemingly out of nowhere, such as Fall Guys, Among Us, and even the recently released roguelike game Hades.
However, a new challenger made a huge impact (pun intended) during its debut and achieved 17M downloads in a span of four days. It’s not luck alone that brought the title its early success. By twisting the open-world adventure formula introduced in Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild into a new and unique recipe, Genshin Impact has taken the entire world by storm.
Hello Teyvat, We’ve Met Again
As explained in our previous rundown, the game opens with a climactic duel between an evil demigoddess and a pair of siblings named Aether and Lumine.
Having bested her opponents in combat, the demigoddess casts the twins separately to parts unknown, and as one of the siblings, your mission is to search for your brother/sister while uncovering the mystery behind the dangers that threaten the peace in Teyvat.
The plot is unique and enjoyable, and the characters each have their quirks, personalities, and individual charms. However, the way the game compels you to do other things aside from the main quests seemingly hinder Genshin’s narrative momentum. While this isn’t detrimental to the overall experience, it might serve as an immersion breaker for some players.
Players will spend their early hours in the game climbing, swimming, fighting, and gliding around the regions of Monstadt and Liyue as they accomplish a variety of missions and quests. Fortunately, there is an abundance of stuff to do in the game. Aside from the main quests, players may perform character story quests and world quests to grind exp. Moreover, event quests are triggered by reaching certain areas in the map, and completing these mini-missions will provide you generous rewards to boot.
Additionally, dungeons and boss raid areas are also scattered across Monstadt and Liyue. While you can complete a dungeon on your own, boss raids are relatively difficult and may require adventurers to play co-op with their friends.
With so much to do in any given location, it’s easy for a short play session to snowball into several hours gone in a flash, and we’re not complaining.
Mastering the Elements
What deviates Genshin from BOTW is the game’s party system. As you progress through the game, you will be able to recruit allies with varying elemental abilities and characteristics. Some of these characters are accessible in the initial acts of the game, while others can only be added through gacha.
Each character leverages power from one of the seven known elements in Teyvat: Anemo (Wind), Geo (Earth), Hydro (Water), Electro (Electricity), Cryo (Ice), Pyro (Fire), and Dendro (Plants). The same can be said for the enemies you encounter in the map, and it encourages the player to experiment with different combos and teamups to deter any challenges posed by your adversaries.
The elemental combo is definitely the most satisfying aspect of Genshin Impact, simply because it enables players to employ a variety of approaches in battle. Pyro attacks inflict burning status to your enemies, causing them to suffer damage while said status is active. Cryo skills will allow the player to freeze any target, leaving them open for a flurry of attacks. Electro attacks, on the other hand, will easily stagger Hydro-type creatures and wet characters.
Mastering these combos will surely give you an immediate advantage in the game.
Adventure Time
Truth be told, an adventure is only as good as the world you explore. Thankfully, the world of Teyvat is an expansive one filled with varying terrains, beautiful landscapes, diverse cities, and massive dungeons.
Each region in Genshin Impact is inspired by real-world locations. For example, Monstadt’s hills, broad terrains, and mountains are based on Germany, while Liyue’s oriental aesthetic and steep cliffs are taken from China. The seven regions in Teyvat are ruled by elemental deities, and players may even have the chance to fight alongside some of these gods.
Moreover, the game rewards you for your pursuit of adventure. Relics and Statues of the Goddess are strewn all over the map. Unlocking them will enable the player to expand the map and unlock new areas. Some relics will also help the character heal ailments, or acquire new elements.
Cooking is also an essential part of the game. Unlocking various recipes will allow the player to heal characters, boost stamina, or augment battle stats. Available ingredients vary from vegetables, fruits, meat, and even raw plants. Cooking is quite easy to learn, and you won’t have a hard time flexing your chef instincts in the game.
There, and Back Again
In conclusion, Genshin Impact has so much to offer for a free-to-play game, with its abundance of quests, missions, and things to accomplish. With five more regions left in MiHoyo’s bucket, there’s no telling how long we’re bound to traverse the world of Teyvat, and we cannot wait to see more.