Genshin Impact made its debut in late September last year, and I have logged into the game every day since then. After playing it for over a year, there were a few instances where Genshin Impact felt…well, boring. But once new updates are rolled out, they do revitalise the live service game.
Throughout the year, Mihoyo has refined many aspects of Genshin Impact. There are still some pain points here and there, but for what it’s worth, the thought of quitting the game never came to mind – even after so long, I still thoroughly, thoroughly enjoy my time in Genshin Impact.
The Story Just Keeps Getting Better
One of my absolute favourite aspects of Genshin Impact is its compelling narrative, and I’m happy to report that it has only gotten better over the year. New storylines aren’t just limited to the main Archon quest either; even certain limited time events have some engrossing stories too.
Really, Mihoyo’s storytelling chops are not to be underestimated here. Just because Genshin Impact is a free game doesn’t mean it is inferior in any way to a paid title. In fact, I’d even go as far as to say that Genshin Impact has a more compelling storyline than many AAA games in the market now – it’s that good.
Of course, the fascinating story of Genshin Impact can also be attributed to various new characters that are introduced in the game, which brings us to the next point..
New Playable Characters Are Fleshed Out Very Well
The typical pitfall of a gacha game is releasing new playable characters for the sake of raking in more revenue from their respective banners. While I wouldn’t say Genshin Impact is not guilty of this, it’s worth noting that every character that is introduced in the game is fleshed out very well with their own unique personalities and character development.
Take the new characters that were introduced in the Inazuma storyline itself. The Raiden Shogun is a far more complex character than meets the eye, and same goes for Sangonomiya Kokomi. Even if I don’t particularly like her gameplay, I was still tempted to get her as I’m fond of her personality and characterisation.
Unfortunately, I lost my 50/50 pity in her banner – I now have a C3 Jean, much to my chagrin.
Anyway, there are more characters that will be playable in the future too, such as Thoma. I absolutely cannot wait to see what other characters will be introduced in Genshin Impact – I’m personally hoping Yae Miko will be playable soon.
Complete Cross-Platform Progression Now
Previously, cross-platform progression for Genshin Impact was only limited to PC, iOS, and Android; PlayStation was not included. But this was changed once Version 2.0 went live on 21 July earlier this year, so PlayStation players can finally continue their progress on other platforms now and vice versa.
Of course, there are some limitations in place, but for the most part, you can seamlessly continue your progress on the PS5 or PS4 from other platforms. In fact, I used to prefer playing Genshin Impact on PC, but I find myself playing almost exclusively on the PS5 now, thanks to the blazing fast loading times and DualSense controller support.
However, it’s worth noting that even the PC version will get DualSense support in Version 2.2 of Genshin Impact, which is set to go live next week on 13 October.
Surely There Are Still Some Frustrating Elements?
Oh, definitely. Farming for artifacts is still a time-consuming process in Genshin Impact; I’m still grinding for the perfect artifact set for my Raiden Shogun. Aside from that, the 160 resin cap still limits what I can do in one sitting, unless I’m willing to spend actual money to get more resin.
Speaking of which, the gacha aspect of Genshin Impact can still get very expensive very quickly. I haven’t dropped a ton of money into the game yet – beyond the Battle Pass and monthly subscription for daily Primogems – but I was tempted to do so whenever I couldn’t get the character or weapon that I wanted from the event wishes.
Then again, this is an inherent danger of any gacha game. It’s important to have the discipline to only spend within your means, and you can definitely enjoy Genshin Impact without spending an obscene amount of money – even if you can’t get your favourite character all the time.
If you haven’t checked out Genshin Impact yet, I implore you to do so. Despite this being a free game, the storytelling, gameplay, and characterisation of its various characters are easily on par with the best AAA games.
Yes, there are some aspects of Genshin Impact that can be frustrating, but even after one whole year, these shortcomings are not enough to discourage me from logging into the game every day.