Review for Genshin impact. Game for PC, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 28/09/2020 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 31/12/2020
Genshin Impact is an incredible game, not because it is a masterpiece, but because it goes against (almost) every negative preconception that the free-to-play model has accustomed us to for over ten years now. Mihoyo's new game is doubly amazing because despite being a mobile game, it feels natural to play on PlayStation 4 and PC too. And finally, Genshin Impact is also amazing because it takes the gameplay formula of Breath of the Wild and transforms it into a hybrid between Zelda and an MMO, without completely sacrificing the charm of the two worlds. In short, what presented itself as an interesting clone of the latest Zeldian adventure, but aimed at phones, actually turned out to be a much more singular and unique product that serves as a perfect base to be expanded in the future to create something really special.
The core of the Genshin Impact experience consists in exploring the mysterious world of Tervyat, taking control of one of the two protagonists twins. From the first minutes you immediately notice the Breath of the Wild-like foundations that make up the game: you can climb anywhere, there are ingredients to be collected everywhere and the map is built to encourage creative exploration, always looking for different paths. In this first impact, the limits of Genshin Impact compared to Zelda are also immediately visible, the level design is less inspired and the chemical system is not implemented in exploration but only in combat (with the exception of ice, which can be used to create passages on the water). After a few minutes of introduction we are then introduced to the mechanics that differentiate Mihoyo's free-to-play from the Nintendo game.
We will begin to meet some characters, who will join our party. Each of these has different movesets, different abilities and above all different elemental spells. In Genshin Impact we will not have multiple weapons available, but instead we will have to rotate between the characters to build elemental combos with which to defeat enemies. At first it may seem uncomfortable, but it will take little to grasp the immediate quality of this combat system that turns each encounter into a small puzzle, in which you will have to alternate characters and skills according to the type of enemy. However, we are not limited to a simple system of Pokèmon-style strengths and weaknesses, the elements (both of the controllable characters and the passive ones of the enemies) are chained together and exploiting these chains is the key to overcome the most arduous clashes of Genshin Impact .
Unfortunately this system is inevitably linked to one of the two most controversial points of Mihoyo's work. If apparently the quality of the game makes it difficult to believe that it is truly Free-To-Play, once the “Wish” function and the “Battle Passes” are unlocked, you understand exactly where in the future they could push a lot to earn. Essentially Genshin Impact is a Gacha game, a game in which you use a currency that can be purchased through microtransactions or obtained much more slowly in game to unlock new characters. These will be "caught" randomly from a pull that contains dozens of characters and hundreds of weapons. The percentages to get the characters with higher rarity are very low, we speak of 0,6%. Fortunately, it does not seem necessary to have the top tier characters to continue in the story, but we strongly advise against the game to anyone with gambling problems or who wants to be forcedly completist and unlock all playable characters. Although the game balance is truly excellent, it is inevitable to underline how the Wish system makes the title difficult to use for anyone who has a strong annoyance in front of such appetizing microtransactions.
However we can tell you that, at the conclusion of the plot content available so far, we did not feel penalized by not having drawn any characters of maximum rarity, and we emphasize how the experience of Honkai Impact 3rd and this beginning of Genshin give us hope for the future. After all, Mihoyo, despite the tiny percentage in the Gacha, is well known enough to give good characters, thus being quite Free-to-Play friendly. Currently the two characters available as a gift (in addition to the 4 that will be provided as basic) are excellent and cover the two most sensitive roles in a team, being a solid dps and an exceptional healer.
So let's talk about the MMO influences of Genshin Impact. While the exploration and gameplay feel is very reminiscent of Breath of the Wild, the mission system reminded us a lot of a much improved version of that seen in games like Tera or the latest Assassin's Creed. The main plot is structured in missions, but at the end of a series of them you will encounter a wall: it will not be possible to continue before having reached a certain "adventurer level". This level increases by doing literally anything, however the most effective ways to level it are by exploring completely dark areas, unlocking teleporters and dungeons, or taking part in side missions. The latter surprised us. This is not the usual useless "busywork" typical of MMOs or particularly offensive in modern Ubisoft games. Very often they deal with small adventures, with several unique dialogues and videos, which enrich the lore of Tervyat and present some of the characters then obtainable through the Wish.
If the overall system remains remarkably solid in our opinion, despite MMO influences in a single player game are rarely a plus, the second point where Genshin Impact seriously lacks is the co-op component. As we have specified, the game is mainly aimed at the single player, however it is also possible to play in cooperative; however, the activities are extremely limited. You can enter a friend's world, but you will not gain experience and you will not be able to interact with anything other than an enemy to be defeated. It is not even possible to tackle the dungeons together, instead replaced by some kind of challenge that however last a short time and are not satisfactory. Ironically, the most exciting challenge system, the Abyss, is not playable in co-op. The multiplayer section is therefore extremely poor for now, so much so that it seems practically useless. We hope that Mihoyo has plans to include some interesting content in this sense, something similar to raids or dungeons that can be tackled in co-op.
We therefore conclude with a focus on the technical and narrative side. Technically, Genshin Impact varies a lot from platform to platform, it is very pleasing to the eye on every possible device that can support it, however the PS4 version is plagued by drops in framerate and some graphical glitches. Nothing too impactful, but anyway from time to time you notice drops in performance. As for the music, they too take a lot of inspiration from Breath of the Wild, without being able to surprise but decently accompanying. The narrative is, for now, quite anonymous. This type of game is able to improve exponentially over time, as happened for Fate / Grand Order or Final Fantasy Brave Exvius, but so far we have not found ourselves following the plot with pleasure, but without surprises.
Essentially, Genshin Impact is an incredible game because it offers a fresh and better experience with free-to-play than others that charge full price. Obviously there is a but, consisting of the Gacha mechanic that could get out of control in the future. For now the experience is extremely solid even without taking advantage of microtransactions, and we have many hopes for the future of this adventure. If it weren't for an insipid plot and a cooperative mode that is now useless, Genshin Impact would settle among the excellences of 2020, unfortunately it is not so; however it remains one of the best foundations for a long-term game that have ever been created.
► Genshin Impact is an RPG-type game developed and published by MiHoYo for PC, Android, iOS, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch, the video game was released on 28/09/2020 The version for Nintendo Switch came out on 31/12/2020
