Winter break was a welcome distraction from the stresses of school, especially with midterms looming over many students, including me. As I really did not want to do anything school-related, I decided to look into what the App Store had to offer for games. As I browsed, one caught my eye. The game was “Genshin Impact,” and after seeing how the Apple game editors raved about it, I decided to download it. This was probably the smartest thing I did the entire winter break. I ended up getting addicted to “Genshin Impact,” and even though an addiction is not great when you attend a school like ‘Iolani, I think that the game’s elements made the sacrifice worth it. 

A gameplay aspect that I really like in “Genshin Impact” is how free you are to do basically … anything in-game. You can talk to Non-Playable Characters and find out interesting tidbits about Teyvat, or you can explore the world and discover randomly placed treasures. If that is not your style, you can always complete the quests that follow the story’s plot line, or even fight extremely difficult bosses for fun. I like how the game expands what the players can do, because when I get absolutely destroyed by a boss for the 73,953rd time, I can calm down by finding weaker enemies to take my anger out on. The variety that “Genshin Impact” boasts is its greatest strength. Since you do not have to focus solely on the story and the adventures the plot sets up, it takes off a lot of pressure in hurrying to complete the game.

Another aspect that I adore in “Genshin Impact” is its aesthetics. I do not play a lot of games, and the ones I do play often do not have or need graphics. However, “Genshin Impact” goes above and beyond, offering absolutely stunning landscapes to adventure in. The world of “Genshin Impact” also offers different biomes, from freezingly cold hills to steep yet tranquil cliffs. The background is not the only thing that looks great; the character designs also look fantastic. All of the characters look distinct and charming in their own way, and are generally aesthetically pleasing. All in all, “Genshin Impact” is a beautiful game with well-designed characters, drawing its players further into the world.

The last strength I want to mention is the worldbuilding. The worldbuilding in “Genshin Impact” is stellar. Teyvat is established to be ruled by seven gods, all of whom rule over different domains. These domains are the different “nations” in the game: Mondstadt, Inazuma, Liyue, Snezhnaya, Natlan, Sumeru, and Fontaine. So far, the development team has only released Mondstadt and Liyue. However, even though only two of the seven have been released, players get to truly experience these two nations and how the people there live. Information such as the gods the two nations worship, what foods they offer, and even the clothing the people wear all makes the experience feel more authentic. Interestingly enough, all of the nations in-game are based on real countries. For instance, Mondstadt, Liyue, and Snezhnaya are based on Germany, China, and Russia respectively. Even though these nations take inspiration from real countries, the world still feels new and magical, drawing the player away from the mundane real world.

Despite the game’s strengths, “Genshin Impact” is far from perfect. The game can get extremely laggy, especially if a player is playing the game on their phone. While this lag can probably be attributed to the game’s large file size, it makes it no less frustrating. The lag is the worst when you realize the difficult boss you were close to defeating has suddenly regained all of its lost HP because the game had to reconnect. However, players who play “Genshin Impact” on their computers, Nintendo Switches, or PlayStations may have an easier go at playing given that these systems are better equipped to handle such large files. Unfortunately, because I am a mobile gamer, I do not get to experience such efficiency. I hope that the developers are somehow able to address these issues to make the experiences of those who play on their phones much easier.

The story of “Genshin Impact” is rather interesting. The game opens with two twins who travel to different worlds together. However, they are attacked by a rogue god, and are forced into the world of Teyvat. Unfortunately for the twins, they have been separated. It is up to the player to choose a twin and guide them through the land to find the other. 

Interestingly enough, the story is far from being complete. The developing team behind “Genshin Impact” predicted that the game would take several years to complete as the team is choosing to release new content every six weeks. This gives players a lot more time to explore the world and truly appreciate it, which is especially beneficial for those who have just started. Of course, for the players who have already experienced all released content, it may not be as fun. However, even though these players may have to wait for more content, they can still enjoy the game given that there are daily quests and monsters to defeat. 

All in all, I think that “Genshin Impact” is a solid game. It offers players the chance to explore a completely new world that draws from the real world, and gives them many opportunities to diversify their gameplay experience. I think a game that is comparable to “Genshim Impact” is “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.” Both are open world games that have a lot to offer, and I think that those who enjoy beautiful graphics, freedom to explore a vast new world, and patience will truly appreciate this game. As a result of its strengths, “Genshin Impact” is an experience that is both fresh and exciting, and I highly recommend it to those who are interested.