[AnimeGamer]

Games have come a long way since the days of Famicom and Sega Saturn. Nowadays, games need to have multiplayer features and microtransactions to be profitable. This has caused the industry to become stagnant and lower the overall quality of products. Many Genres have been affected by this, but none more than the reasonably new Gacha games. They are primarily based on an anime or have an original story made to be a cash grab. Quality games are rare, and even if you find one, it either has sub-par combat or a highly aggressive monetization scheme. That's why it was so refreshing when in 2020, Genshin Impact was released, and it didn't just break the mold. It reinvented it.



In just two years, the game has generated 114.5 million U.S. dollars. This is not due to a highly aggressive monetization scheme or just some viral marketing stunt; Genshim Impact is a genuine game. It has an expansive world full of mysteries and an evolving plot underpinned by a grand narrative. The world is beautifully rendered, and the art direction is also superb. Combat is the most fun, combining high mobility and elemental reactions. The following article will go into many details about the game.

    1. An Old Tale Told Anew?

Gacha games have not always been known for their riveting plot or any stand-out character that isn't from a licensed franchise. That is precisely why Genshin Impact feels like a breath of fresh air. Its story doesn't start as the greatest at face value, but it takes some time to realize that the game has already set a solid foundation for what is to come in the beginning. You're just a traveler who has lost his memories and has no idea where your sibling is. You fished out a strange creature called Paimon and began your journey to figure out what exactly happened and where your sister was.



Your first stop is at Mondstadt. Well, it is supposed to be a relatively peaceful settlement, but you find it under attack from a raging beast called Dvalin. You helped to stop it, but that caused the cities and knights to take an interest in you. This leads to a tale of betrayal and history forgotten which ends up with you helping the supposed divine being of the region to calm down Dvalin and make sure peace is returned. It is a great first act, but it doesn't hold a candle to what is to come in Liyue Harbor, Inazuma Islands, and now, in the most recent content update Sumeru.



The main quest is also just a prelude to the actual quest, which concerns the past and the fallen nation of Khaenri'ah. You slowly uncover the true history of the past and meet people who will prove to either be your greatest allies or turn out to be the snakes that wait for the most opportune time. In all this, you also find the truth about your sibling but will you be able to accept the reality or strike out to forge your path?

    2. Wait I can go anywhere I see?

The game is identified as an open-world game which, nowadays, every game is, but Genshin Impact truly puts the word open to the limit. It has a sprawling world that lives and breathes. When you start, the map is blacked out, and you must reach the Archon statues to reveal most of it. What truly sets the exploration to the next level is the ease and versatility of movement. Not only can you climb any climbable surface you can also glide from different levels of elevation, which help you traverse long distances.



No game would be so highly rated with just an empty open world, well, any game not called Elder Scrolls Dagger Fall. Genshin Impact has filled its world with things to do and enough collectibles to ensure the child inside you is satisfied. These aspects complement each other brilliantly; you must fully utilize all the tools you are given to explore the landscape. The myriad of chests and materials to collect also help push you a bit more to explore to ensure you find everything. The in-game map discovery percentage feature also enables you to explore fully and see all of the loot.



The exploration is also rewarding as the land has many tales to tell due to the fantastic environmental storytelling. The land has scars of wars past and clashes between titans. Exploration hasn't felt this good since Breath of the Wild or this expansive since Skyrim.

    3. Elemental Reactions redefined?



Combat is easily described in one phrase "Addictive elemental reactions." It might seem absurd, but that is the most accurate way to describe it; you will start at first with the Traveller Anemo powers but will soon learn the joy it is to group enemies and light them up with Pyro abilities. One might say the system is of one note; that is, if you are in the early areas, as you continue to progress through the map and story, more enemies are encountered, and you see how the different elemental reactions play off each other both in combat and outside it. This system is bolstered by the wide variety of characters made available to you in the game through the wish mechanic. This helps keep the game from feeling repetitive, and with the new addition of the Sumeru region, the pool of enemies to encounter and defeat has dramatically expanded. That is not to say anything about the new Dendro element and the new possibilities for elemental reactions. At the center of all this is a finely tuned combat loop that rewards good planning and quick responses with massive damage numbers, and who doesn't like it when their waifus or husbandos deal millions of damage with one strike?



    4. Waifu or Husbando?

Now to finally cover what many of you wanted, you can have the most optimized, graphically advanced, and enjoyable Gacha game, but it will never succeed if it lacks characters. Not just generic characters but characters with personalities, a unique design, and a compelling backstory. In this regard, Genshin Impact has knocked it out of the park. Characters aren't only just memorable and have a significant presence in the story. Even after the main story quest in their region is done, they don't turn into normal NPCs. They have their history, their relations, and their objectives. They will occasionally appear in the main quest to help you. Many hangout events and side stories also help flesh out them and provide lore and world-building.



Characters are the only aspect of the game where the Gacha system is implemented and compared to other games. It is far more user-friendly. Not only can you earn Primogems, which are the currency used for wishing ( the name of the Gacha system), but there is also a pity system in place so that you are guaranteed a banner of five stars on every second pull of five stars and a 4 star on every 10th pull.

Genshin Impact has affected the industry as people now see the advantages of a well-developed story and likable characters. Whether this change will be for the good of the majority is yet to be seen. But in the meantime, let's enjoy this Free to play Gem of the game.