Genshin Impact

Full Review

Genshin Impact Review

Genshin Impact, launched by miHoYo in 2020, quickly became a global sensation. While some early comparisons to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild dominated pre-launch discussions, it didn’t take long for the game to carve out its own identity. Built on miHoYo’s previous experience with mobile games like Honkai Impact 3rd, Genshin Impact blends open-world exploration with a gacha system, a format familiar to fans of mobile RPGs like Fire Emblem Heroes. The game leans into its free-to-play model ed by microtransactions, offering a massive amount of content right from the start, and it's regularly expanded through major updates. While Genshin Impact was designed from the ground up as a mobile game, it does have a PC client which looks and runs great.

Over the years, miHoYo has introduced several large expansions, like the regions of Inazuma and Sumeru, which add new cities, quests, and characters. This constant drip-feed of new content is one of Genshin’s biggest strengths. However, despite its content and polish, it isn’t without controversy—particularly due to the reliance on gacha mechanics, which, while not new, are always a point of debate in free-to-play games.

The World of Teyvat: Cities, Regions, and Expansions

Genshin Impact's world, Teyvat, is one of the game’s standout features. It’s divided into seven major regions, each governed by an Archon that represents an elemental force. Players begin their journey in Mondstadt, a city heavily influenced by medieval European architecture and culture. As players progress, they unlock Liyue, inspired by ancient Chinese traditions, and eventually reach newer areas like Inazuma (with its feudal Japan influences) and Sumeru (based on Middle Eastern and South Asian aesthetics). Each region is packed with unique quests, environmental puzzles, and hidden collectibles that incentivize exploration. These areas aren’t just window dressing—each feels alive, thanks to detailed world-building and story integration.

With every major update, miHoYo has expanded the map, adding entirely new biomes to explore and quests to complete. For example, Inazuma introduced a more vertical design, with islands, thunderstorms, and puzzles tied to electro mechanics. The Sumeru expansion, on the other hand, brought lush rainforests and desert areas, along with new enemies and deeper storylines tied to ancient wisdom and politics. These expansions are on par with the level of post-launch seen in games like Final Fantasy XIV, continuously refreshing the game world and giving players new content to experience.

Core Gameplay: Combat, Exploration, and Elemental Reactions

At its heart, Genshin Impact is an action-RPG with a combat system that revolves around elemental reactions. Each character is tied to one of the game’s seven elements—Pyro, Hydro, Electro, Anemo, Cryo, Geo, or Dendro—and mixing these elements in battle results in unique combos. If you’ve played action oriented RPGs like Nier: Automata or Final Fantasy XVI, you’ll appreciate the satisfaction of stringing together powerful attacks, though Genshin’s elemental system is much more dynamic. For instance, triggering the “Overloaded” reaction by combining Pyro and Electro results in explosive area damage, while Hydro and Cryo create freezing effects that immobilize enemies. The core gameplay mechanics both look flashy and feel satisfying to execute, which is impressive for a mobile game.

The game encourages experimentation, with every character having their own set of abilities and elemental affinities. Combat is fast-paced, with players switching between up to four characters mid-battle to create synergistic combos. This gameplay loop is reminiscent of the swapping mechanics in Final Fantasy XV, where seamless character transitions allow for versatile strategies. What sets Genshin apart, however, is how deeply the elemental system is baked into every aspect of gameplay. Even puzzle-solving and exploration often require specific elemental abilities, such as using Pyro to light torches or Cryo to freeze water to access hidden areas.

That said, the combat, while initially fresh and engaging, can become repetitive as players climb the Adventure Rank ladder. Later in the game, high-level content often boils down to managing cooldowns and relying on tried-and-true elemental reactions. While miHoYo frequently introduces new enemy types and boss fights, the core gameplay loop remains largely unchanged. Outside of late game bosses, much of the core gameplay isn't particularly challenging, but there's still plenty of content for more hardcore players to enjoy later on.

Gacha System: The Blessing and Curse of Progression

The gacha system in Genshin Impact is similar to those seen in other free-to-play games like Azur Lane, and while not unique, it’s an integral part of the game’s progression. Through the Wish system, players can spend in-game or currency to unlock new characters and weapons. Characters are divided into 4-star and 5-star tiers, with 5-star characters being the rarest and often the most powerful.

While the gacha system has been widely debated for its potential to create a pay-to-win environment, it is important to note that Genshin Impact is generally quite generous with its free-to-play model. Players can earn currency through daily quests, events, and in-game achievements, though this doesn’t entirely negate the random nature of pulls. For some, this adds an addictive layer of excitement, as every pull offers the chance to unlock a powerful character. However, for others, it can be a point of frustration, especially when rare characters are locked behind low probability rates.

The gacha system’s integration into the core gameplay can also slow down progression. Ascending characters and enhancing weapons require specific materials that are often time-gated. While this keeps players logging in daily, it can feel restrictive to those who prefer a more fast-paced, grind-heavy progression system, similar to what’s found in games like Warframe.

Still, what makes the Gacha mechanics in Genshin Impact perfectly fine is that no particular character is required to clear any of the game's content. Entirely free to play s should have no issues finishing the main story line and even beating the game's most challenging bosses. This makes the more unique characters fun to try unlocking, but they're not necessary to enjoy the game.

Multiplayer: Cooperative Fun Without the MMO Tag

Although Genshin Impact isn't an MMO in the traditional sense, it does feature cooperative multiplayer elements. Players can team up with up to three others to explore the world, tackle domains (dungeons), or defeat world bosses. However, unlike full-fledged MMOs like Guild Wars 2, Genshin’s multiplayer features are somewhat limited. You cannot complete main story quests or tackle many of the game’s intricate puzzles in multiplayer mode, which can be a disappointment for those expecting more persistent, shared-world experiences.

That said, the multiplayer content that does exist can be a lot of fun. Taking down massive bosses like Stormterror or Azhdaha with friends adds a cooperative layer to combat, allowing for more complex strategies as each player brings their unique characters and elemental abilities into the mix. Still, Genshin Impact's core experience remains single-player focused, and the multiplayer content often feels like an added bonus rather than a fully integrated part of the game.

Progression Systems: Slow but Steady

One of the areas where Genshin Impact draws both praise and criticism is its progression system. While unlocking and leveling characters is satisfying, the game's reliance on daily commissions, resin (a resource required for farming high-level rewards), and weekly boss fights can make long-term progression feel slow. Resin, in particular, is capped at a daily limit, which significantly restricts how much high-level farming you can do in one session.

This system is similar to those found in mobile RPGs, where time-gated mechanics are used to encourage daily play sessions. For players who enjoy slowly chipping away at challenges over time, this isn’t necessarily a downside. However, for those accustomed to the grind-heavy, no-restrictions style of progression seen in traditional PC games, Genshin’s limits can feel constraining. Those familiar with mobile games shouldn't be surprised by these mechanics, but given that Genshin Impact has introduced a huge new audience to mobile gacha games, many players may find this style of progression restrictive.

Music, Sound, and Atmosphere: A Masterclass in Presentation

If there’s one thing Genshin Impact does undeniably well, it’s creating an immersive atmosphere. The game’s soundtrack, composed by Yu-Peng Chen, is a highlight. The music dynamically shifts based on the region you’re in, with Mondstadt’s light, wind-driven melodies giving way to the traditional Chinese instruments of Liyue. The scores for Inazuma and Sumeru also evoke a sense of place, drawing on the respective cultures that inspire those regions.

Voice acting is available in multiple languages, including English, Japanese, Chinese, and Korean, giving players plenty of options for how they want to experience the game. The sound design, from the clashing of swords to the soft rustle of leaves, adds another layer to the world, further pulling players into Teyvat’s immersive environments.

Final Verdict - Great

Genshin Impact is a triumph of free-to-play game design, offering an open world that rivals paid titles in of scope and quality. With regular updates, captivating world-building, and engaging combat mechanics, the game offers something for nearly every type of RPG fan. The progression systems, while slow, ensure that players are consistently rewarded for their time, and the addition of new regions like Inazuma and Sumeru keeps the experience feeling fresh.

That being said, Genshin’s reliance on gacha mechanics and time-gated content may deter some players, particularly those who prefer more immediate access to powerful characters or content. Or at least access to characters without RNG elements (Gacha). The limited multiplayer functionality also means it’s not a true MMO, so players looking for an online RPG experience will need to adjust their expectations.

In conclusion, Genshin Impact delivers a top notch experience for RPG enthusiasts who don’t mind the grind and appreciate the artistry of world-building. Its cons—time-gating and gacha—are outweighed by its consistent updates, vibrant world, and addictive combat.

Screenshots

Genshin Impact Screenshots

Videos

Genshin Impact Videos

Links

Genshin Impact Links

Genshin Impact Official Site
Genshin Impact Google Play
Genshin Impact App Store
Genshin Impact Wiki
Genshin Impact Subreddit
Genshin Impact Facebook
Genshin Impact Twitter

System Requirements

Genshin Impact System Requirements

PC Minimum Requirements:

Operating System: Windows 7 SP1 64-bit
U: Intel i5 or equivalent
Video Card: Nvidia GTX 1030
RAM: 8 GB
Hard Disk: 30 GB

PC Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: Windows 10 64-bit
U: Intel i7 or equivalent
Video Card: Nvidia GTX 1060 or equivalent
RAM: 16 GB
Hard Disk: 30 GB

Android Minimum Requirements:

OS: Android 7.0 or above
U: ARM v8a 64-bit device
RAM: 3 GB
Storage: 8 GB

Android Recommended Requirements:

Operating System: Android 8.1 and above
U: Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 / Kirin 810 and above
RAM: 4 GB or more
Storage: 8 GB

iOS Requirements:

Operating System: iOS 9.0 and above
Storage: 8 GB
ed Devices: iPhone 8 Plus and newer

Music

Genshin Impact Music & Soundtrack

Coming soon!

Additional Info

Genshin Impact Additional Information

Developer: miHoYo
Publisher: miHoYo
Engine: Unity

Composer: Yu-Peng Chen

Announcement Date: June 2019

Closed Beta 1: June 21, 2019
Closed Beta Final: July 02, 2020

Release Date: September 28, 2020

Platforms: Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Android, iOS

Development History / Background:

Genshin Impact is a free-to-play open world RPG developed and published by the Chinese gaming company miHoYo. Development on the game began in January 2017, shortly after the release of the studio's previous title Honkai Impact 3rd. Genshin Impact was announced to the public in June 2019 and the first beta occurred that month. The developers drew inspiration from a variety of titles including The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and the Grand Theft Auto series. Genshin Impact is one the most expensive Chinese developed video games to date, with a development and marketing budget of around $100 million USD.

Genshin Impact remains one of the most popular mobile games in the Western world and easily the most popular 'Gacha game'.

Since its launch in September 2020, Genshin Impact has earned over $3.7 billion in revenue worldwide on mobile devices alone. 33% of that figure came from China, which means the vast majority of Genshin Impact's success is due to its popularity outside of its home market.