While stumbling upon gaming world, you’ve certainly heard about the game Genshin Impact's name before, you may still find yourself asking what is Genshin Impact? 

Well, Genshin Impact is an open-world, action, massively multiplayer role-playing game by Chinese developer, Mihoyo. It was published by miHoYo in mainland China and worldwide by Cognosphere, d/b/a HoYoverse.

As it was released in 2020, it has surpassed $1 billion in player spending in less than six months following its official launch. It has even generated $874 million in just its first five months from the App Store and Google Play. 

In just a year, Genshin won the 2021 Apple Design Awards for both Visuals and Graphics. It scooped Google Play’s Best Game of 2020 . It even picked up an Ultimate Game of the Year nomination at the Golden Joystick Awards. Truly a game that needs no further fanfare. 

At first glance, Genshin Impact might look like just another anime open-world game, but there are a lot of interesting things going on that set it apart. Why did it become so popular? What’s the game like? How do all of its systems work? On which platforms is it available?

Now lets talk about them step by step. 

What kind of game is Genshin Impact?

Genshin Impact is an RPG – a role-playing game – where you take on the role of the Traveler as they venture across the vibrant world of Teyvat. 

You choose either the male or female option and then begin as that character. Canonically named Lumine and Aether, the two options are twins, and the one you don’t choose will feature in the story.

The Traveler’s mission is to find their lost sibling, which leads them to traverse the seven regions of Teyvat. Currently, there are five regions unlocked, with more to come in the future. Each region has a god (known as an Archon) presiding over it, embodying an ‘element’ and its own ideals. Here are the regions, gods, and elements that feature in Teyvat:

Hoyoverse’s gigantic title is a live-service game, which means that it’s always online, and you can’t play it without an active connection. It’s always updating, with things refreshing in the game, and more content unlocking. For this reason, we can’t sum up the entire story as it isn’t in the game yet!

Is Genshin Impact a gacha game?

Genshin Impact is known for its captivating open-world design, compelling storyline, and diverse characters. While it is a gacha game, it stands out for being relatively accommodating to players who choose not to spend money. The game can be played entirely for free, with ample opportunities for free-to-play players to collect enough in-game currency (primogems) to obtain a good range of characters.

However, the game's monetization primarily revolves around its gacha system, akin to random loot boxes or a slot machine. Players can use in-game currency or real money to purchase packs containing characters, loot, and gear, all with varying degrees of rarity. The randomness of these purchases creates a sense of unpredictability and excitement. While it's possible to acquire characters through regular gameplay, some sought-after items may lead players to spend considerable amounts of money to obtain them.

Gacha system(2) ©Hoyoverse

 

The introduction of character banners with increased drop rates for specific characters and periodic character re-rolls keeps the player community engaged and invested in the game. Despite the monetization tactics, Genshin Impact has managed to maintain a large player base by striking a balance between providing a rewarding experience for free-to-play users and offering enticing elements for those willing to make in-game purchases.

What platforms is Genshin Impact available on?

In its current form, Genshin Impact is available on PC, Android, iOS, PS4, and PS5, and it will get a dedicated Nintendo Switch version at some point in the future. Part of the reason for the game’s success is that it’s available on so many platforms — allowing its community to play with one another regardless of being on PS4, PS5, PC, or mobile. As popular as console gaming is, mobile games are still home to millions of players, and with Genshin Impact, you get the best of both worlds.

Genshin on cross-platforms  ©Hoyoverse

Is Genshin Impact multiplayer?

 

Yes, but kinda. It supports cooperative multiplayer online (again, with cross-platform play across PS4, PS5, PC, and mobile). In it, you can play with up to three friends in Genshin Impact, making a team of four. Together, you can explore the big world, complete quests, and fight tough monsters more easily.

But there are some rules when you play with friends. You can't do the main story missions, and only the host can open chests or collect things. So, there are some things you can't do together.

Genshin multiplayer mode (Co-op mode) ©VCGamers Marketplace

Is Genshin Impact free?

Although Genshin Impact has gacha system, players have been okay with it because you can play the whole game without spending any money. Unlike some other games that say they're free but really pressure you to pay, Genshin Impact lets you enjoy everything without feeling forced to open your wallet. Players appreciate that it's truly free-to-play, which isn't always the case with other games that claim to be.

What is the Time Expenditure on Genshin Impact?

Based on information from howlongtobeat, if you focus solely on completing the main quests in Genshin Impact, it would take approximately 58 and a half hours to finish the game. However, for players who enjoy exploring all aspects of the game and achieving 100% completion, the estimated time significantly increases to around 597 hours.

Total time Expenditure ©howlongtobeat

Genshin Impact has a lot of stuff to do. It's a massive game, and keeping up with the updates can be tough.

New things come out every six weeks, including permanent quests and events that only last for a while. The game's world is huge, which is cool if you like spending a lot of time in a game. But with so much to do and more than 50 characters to play with, it's easy to feel like you should spend money on the random item system. Since updates drop approximately every six weeks this is one game that you'll likely never truly beat.

Like any other games, Genshin has its flaws, but it also has a lot to offer. Hours of fun, stunning art design, and a steady flow of new content all for the low, low price of zero dollars. Provided you can resist the allure of the gacha, there’s no downside to giving Genshin Impact a try. 

If you have decided to play Genshin Impact, this article can help you a lot.

• 5 must known things before you start your journey on Genshin Impact