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GENSHIN IMPACT is near-perfect JRPG comfort food, even if it’s a little shady
If you told me that one of my favorite games in 2020 would be a free-toplay RPG with ‘gacha’ microtransactions, I’d never have believed you. Yet here I am, approaching what is close to my 60th hour in Genshin Impact. It’s a brilliant game—so long as you aren’t overly offended by some sketchy in-game purchases.
It’s easy to forgive that stuff, though, because Genshin Impact is genuinely a joy to play. It ditches the modern trend of big open worlds littered with icons, and instead takes a more intuitive approach, forcing you to use your faculties to find hidden treasures, collectibles and loot that’ll power up your party of four characters. I’m constantly skeptical of the environment around me— suspiciously unlit torches might be a little puzzle in disguise, or a peculiar arrangement of rocks might actually be a subtle sign that there’s a hidden treasure chest nearby.
LOST AND FOUND
It’s a simple idea elegantly executed, making the world of Teyvat a pleasure to explore as you detour from one puzzle to the next, kicking over stones and stopping to fight monsters along the way. It’s the kind of game that has mastered a short and sweet reward loop that makes hours melt away, which is the perfect remedy after a year that’s forced most of us to spend our free time indoors. If you love exploring vibrant worlds, this is the game for you.
Since it launched, I’ve been obsessed with exploring every inch of Teyvat, which currently comprises
SINCE IT LAUNCHED, I’VE BEEN OBSESSED WITH EXPLORING EVERY INCH OF TEYVAT
two massive regions with more on the way. While packs of monsters dot the landscape, the real fun is in discovering all the little mysteries. I might find elemental totems that require a certain kind of magic to activate, revealing a hidden chest, or I’ll find little spirits called Seelies that’ll lead me on a wild goose chase to some treasure. From a distance, I can often spot floating oculi that can be offered to special statues to increase my stamina—letting me climb or swim for a bit longer.
It’s a world I can’t stop spending time in, partly because it’s so densely layered with fun surprises but also because it’s just so beautiful. The region of Liyue is one of my favorite areas I’ve seen in a game in years because it’s styled like ancient China, complete with rice farms, mountains and a bustling trading port.
I just wish the microtransactions weren’t so pointless. While the game throws free characters at you that can be swapped into your party, most are earned from lootboxes with ridiculous drop rates. The currency needed to buy them can be earned just by playing, so I haven’t needed to spend any money on them directly, but it’s frustrating how impossible it feels to earn a specific hero that I’m gunning for. Still, Genshin Impact is an astounding free-to-play game that feels uncommonly generous. I’ve played it for dozens of hours and don’t plan on stopping—even though I resent its lootboxes.