Genshin Impact is an open-world action RPG whose beauty is only rivaled by its gameplay. I’ve been playing the beta for a couple of weeks now, and this game has a lot to offer and is more impressive than I expected.
The story and gameplay start out pretty simple, but then expand and offer a lot of options in a surprisingly short time. Just within a few hours of gameplay I had unlocked four characters, multiple weapons, and upgraded a number of things. It was really nice to see a seamless and strong sense of power as I upgraded my characters. The different abilities and different types of combat with magic or physical attacks allow each character to feel extremely different, showing off their strengths and combinations. Like I said, this is within the first few hours of the beta; I am excited to see what +40 hours would look like in the real game.
Genshin Impact also offers a massive world that is totally explorable with different enemies that can be engaged at various levels. I found several small challenges and locations that could give me loot and progress. It was also cool to find some higher-level areas and know that I could come back later to explore them. It’s my type of ideal open-world game, I can explore as much as I want or I can just do the story mission without having to stop everything and do one or the other too much.
As I mentioned above, the game is really pretty. It gives off some Breath of the Wild vibes, but the characters, mythos, and story create a very different world and give tons of original content for the character to enjoy. I’m hoping that players’ choices will have a bit more impact, but I only know what is shown in the beta and things are still pretty good.
From the Gamescom trailer on August 28, the game will be free-to-play for PlayStation users starting September 28. It is also supposed to be released for iOS, Android, and PC that day too, but I couldn’t find a clear answer if it will also be free-to-play for those platforms. It’s supposedly coming on the Nintendo Switch also, but again, it is unclear if and when it will be coming out for the Switch. I would guess that it will be free to pay for all platforms, but we will wait until official confirmation.
If you like any of the following: anime storylines, over the top magic, action combat, deep RPG elements, or an open world, then this game will definitely be a good thing to try out. Especially with it being free-to-play, why not check it out this September?