In 2020, where most companies decided to postpone their ventures, mobile game developer miHoYo decided to bring to the world their best one yet. Awarded by Google and Apple as 2020’s Best Game, “Genshin Impact” rivaled with game classics PlayStation 4’s “The Last of Us Part II,” Activision Blizzard’s “Call of Duty: Black Ops Cold War,” and CD Projekt Red’s “Cyberpunk 2077,” eventually earning the throne and winning the hearts of many.
In 2012, miHoYo was founded by three students from Shanghai Jiaotong University. As tech savvies, they launched their first game “Zombiegal Kawaii” in the same year and jump started the anime, comics, and games (ACG) industry in China. The company has four games and more products that fans love and support to date.
The company claims more than 10 million players signed up for Genshin Impact accounts prior to launch, and the game continues to be one of the most popular titles on streaming site Twitch. However, independent metrics system Sensor Tower reported that the game generated approximately $393 million within two months of its September 28 launch, and it now makes more than $6 million per day.
A whole new world
Genshin Impact starts with a pair of twins being separated because of a mysterious god. The player chooses which twin they want to play as, all while being accompanied by a sidekick named Paimon. Together, they embark on an adventure in a fantasy world, meeting characters that also serve as playable heroes. As the game progresses, they fight monsters and glide through the various kingdoms to find the missing twin.
The game is often described just like Nintendo’s “The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild'' with an anime aesthetic. While Breath of the Wild allows players to control one character, Genshin Impact allows them to gather a maximum of four heroes in every battle, as a part of an ever-expanding roster. As players travel around Teyvat, the fantasy world of Genshin Impact, they can find these heroes that belong to one of six elements that empower them and interact with their environment and enemies.
For example, if it is raining, an ice character like Kaeya can freeze enemies solid with his special abilities, while Lisa's lightning attacks to electrocute anyone nearby. The environment also reacts to this magic, therefore players could build an ice bridge or start a grass fire with Amber’s fire arrows.
Spotting the pitfalls
Despite having an almost perfect gaming experience, the game’s problems root from its bad monetization practices.
Just like the usual cases for free-to-play games, Genshin Impact is heavily monetized as it employs the stamina and the “gacha” system, encouraging players to spend real money. Genshin Impact’s stamina is in the form of Resin, which has a cap of 160 and gradually refills throughout the day, limiting the users’ playing time. To continue the game, players must purchase more Resin to help level up characters and farm high-level artifacts.
To collect Primogems to buy a loot box-type mechanic called “Fates,” players can complete quests and open in-game chests. However, they can also spend $3 (₱150) per pull to unlock characters with unique playstyles. Characters also have rarities wherein five-star characters have more powerful and impactful skills. However, players have only a 0.6% chance of getting rare characters through gacha, which is approximately one five-star character out of 167 attempts. Its predatory nature feeds players’ gambling addiction, causing them to use hundreds of dollars just to get the character they want.
This February, miHoYo will release Genshin Impact Version 1.3, where mobile players on iOS 14 or higher can use various controllers. The update includes new characters, material conversion, Zhongli buffs, Geo changes, and Resin system changes that will bring vast improvements in the game. However fun, Genshin Impact can only be played with internet connectivity.
In general, Genshin Impact delivers an immersive visual experience that players revel in while conquering challenging enemies and domains through a narrative plot.
Genshin Impact can be downloaded for free on Android and iOS devices.
