Spreading the Genshin love

I’ve mentioned in the previous post that I’m currently really into Genshin Impact, an open world RPG created by miHoYo. I’ve seen their ads several times before finally giving in after my friend recommended it to me. Now I’m just a fangirl who plays this game daily.

What is it?

Your starting character (basically the MC) is a traveler that is exploring universes together with a twin sibling. They were exploring Teyvat (the continent the story revolves around) but when they decided to leave, an unknown god appeared before them and took the other sibling away while also sealing the MC’s powers. The MC awakens 500 years later and decides to go on a journey to find the lost sibling by visiting the 7 different nations (based on real world countries!), each ruled by different gods.

What’s nice about it

The graphics, voice actors, music, story, the world, almost everything seems to be on another level with this game. Since it’s open world, you can do a lot of things from fighting monsters, foraging for plants, cooking, swimming, and flying (or technically, gliding). My favorite mechanic has got to be flying. The scenery that just lays out before you is absolutely stunning and breathtaking. Yes, and the BGM just enhances this experience. Sometimes I would leave my game open for an hour just to enjoy the music.

The main story is definitely very intriguing. But I was also really surprised at how even the random NPCs strolling around could have a detailed backstory (some that would even be really tragic and sad). The characters that the MC meets during his/her journey also has their own intricate past and personality, which adds a really nice element to the world-building.

This game has a lot of voice dialogues and it’s currently available in 4 different languages: English, Chinese, Japanese, and Korean. I personally use the Japanese version because of preference and I was genuinely excited when I saw several voice actor names that I’m familiar with (it’s a proof I’ve watched too many animes).

The game’s availability on multiple platforms is also very appealing. It’s currently playable on PS4, PS5, Android and iOS phones, and PC (Windows). I started out using my iPad and now play on my PC. Since the account ties in with your social media, you can pick up your progress from any device you have (with PlayStation as an exception, that one’s locked to the system). An upcoming Switch version has been announced for next year but the exact dates are still unclear. Oh, did I mention it’s free to play?

What’s meh

You can play the game using the 4 starting characters (a YouTuber I discovered is doing it, but I must say that requires a lot of dedication), but if you want new characters to play with, welcome to gacha hell (RNG is horrible in this game). Pulling takes a lot of time and effort (and money) since you have to either farm for primogems (their in-game currency for pulling gacha) or purchase them with real money. In other words, if you’re weak to gacha, be prepared to see your bank account balance drop.

This game also runs on a resin gate (basically a stamina system). You are allowed to have at maximum 160 resins and it replenishes 1 every 8 minutes. You basically use this to farm equipments, materials, and many other stuff. Your most basic domain (aka dungeons) uses 20, bosses uses 40, and special weekly bosses consume 60. Basically, you need resins for almost everything but the refresh rate is so low. (Story events usually don’t consume unless stated).

If you decide to start playing

Get a friend! You can use the multiplayer function after reaching a certain rank so you can clear bosses and domains easier. Keep in mind that currently, the friend system is locked by region so you can’t play with people outside of your own region. (I’m playing on the Asia server, btw).

Take your time and enjoy! Stay away from the social media because spoilers to the story are everywhere and they might just make you feel you’re not playing the game well enough. This game can be played on your own pace so there is no need to worry about falling behind other people’s progress.

Welcome to Teyvat!