Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact - A Beautiful Anime World

A Zelda-Inspired Action RPG Set in a Beautiful Open World

Welcome to Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact is a free-to-play RPG set in a beautiful open world. Animation and development studio, miHoYo, released the fantasy game on September 28, 2020. As a cross-platform anime-style gacha game, Genshin Impact is available for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Android, and iOS.

Welcome to the World of Teyvat

The player takes over the role of one of two twins. Whichever twin you choose is dropped into the beautiful open world of Teyvat and there you will begin your epic quest to find your sibling.

The game begins with the siblings' vacation cut short by a strange omniscient being. In the game, you'll find yourself on a long journey, being inducted into an order of nights to prove your innocence in a courtroom, arguing that you didn't murder a local demigod.

The story plays out exactly how you would expect it to. It is the typical story of a normal person who struggles through trials and tribulations to eventually become a hero of a strange land, facing hoards of enemies and ultimately being victorious in their quest.

Even though very few elements of Genshin Impact can be called original, it takes inspiration from other great games and improves those characteristics.

Concept Rating: 3.5/5

Beautiful Graphics and Animations Galore

Genshin Impact may have its roots in the mobile market; however, this doesn't mean it lacks in graphical power. Sure, the game has the typical anime style, but the animations and general look of the world of Teyvat are stunning.

There are lots of abilities and attacks to learn, and each one of them comes with beautiful animations and graphical effects. The enemies are equally stunning. You'll fight average-sized, normal enemies, but you will also occasionally come across giant enemies, such as dragons.

The voice-over work is hit or miss. The main characters are voice-acted pretty well; however, much of the other voice work in the game is awful. The main character's voice lines during battle will prove to be very repetitive and annoying. Despite all this, the music in Genshin Impact is pretty good.

Graphics & Audio Rating: 4/5

Combat and Other Gameplay

The general gameplay consists of fighting hoards of enemies and traversing the beautiful open world of Teyvat. The combat mechanics are okay. You will be constantly learning new attacks and abilities and upgrading your weapons along the way. This ensures the combat experience always feels fresh and new.

The gameplay becomes unique when you start to travel around the open world. A big emphasis is placed on flying and climbing to navigate the world. If you've played Zelda: Breath of the Wild, you will feel right at home in Genshin Impact.

There are also a variety of secrets to find in the game. Without giving too much away, there is a certain island off the coast of a certain beach area that you can fly to and explore.

Gameplay Rating: 4/5

Play or Pass?

Genshin Impact is one of the best gacha games for PC and beyond. With cross-platform play, you can explore Teyvat at home or on the go. There's plenty to see and do in the game, and the story, although cliche and predictable, will leave you with a sense of accomplishment. You can even replay the story, picking the other sibling, even though minimal changes to the story and gameplay occur depending on which sibling you pick.

Replayability: 4/5

TL;DR

With a stunning open world and a dynamic RPG combat system, Genshin Impact is much more than a standard gacha game.