This game is the biggest example of a honeymoon phase wearing off because once it does, you realize that it fucking sucks and it has little to no remarkable things that other games in its genre have done better in terms of open worlds, gameplay, and especially Storytelling.

And now I have to live with the fact that it shows up among my most played games in PSN, this is god's punishment to me.

But the music is still phenomenal so thats why I'm giving it a star and a half.

This is a review entry for base Genshin Impact, so Mondstadt and the core gameplay. Backloggd has entries for most of the updates, so I will review specific story expansions and other updates in those.

Genshin Impact is a game that is next to impossible to discuss with nuance on the Internet. A vast majority of the discussion is between terminal gacha addicts in denial and people who often haven't played it at all doing the "ok Genshin Impact fan xD" bit, with little in-between. Some of this stuff is blatantly disingenuous, which you can see with some reviews here, or whenever there is a mention of the game in a videogame community. One major example of this would be the "Genshin is pedo" half-joke, even though Genshin does something that I think frankly the overwhelming majority of other gacha, anime, manga anime-styled JRPGs and visual novels don't have the decency to do, and that's not sexualise young-looking characters. I won't pretend that Mihoyo/Hoyoverse mind if they get money from someone like that, especially considering the amount of Klee ads, but the game itself is extremely non-sexualised with adult characters, let alone younger ones. Something like F/GO or Blue Archive is far more indulgent in such things. There was no point in Genshin's story that has made me uncomfortable with something like that in my three years of playing it on and off. The fanbase is another matter, of course, there is no use pretending that there aren't some weird people there, like in most anime-adjacent media fanbases.

With that out of the way, this review will attempt to capture my thoughts on the base game, as a video game.

Genshin's visuals and music are amazing. It feels like I am on an adventure every step of the way. It looks better than most singleplayer anime-styled games, even in its mobile version. The characters and environments look consistently great. Combining various skills and ults leads to some very cool fights. The cutscenes are top-notch, too. The music and visual aesthetic vary from region to region, which is something I appreciate. Mondstadt, Dragonspine aside, is the most boring region, and also first in the story, but it has its own atmosphere. The world building is really good in this game, by the way, you get to know a lot about every region and how its people live, and they all feel distinctly different, rather than a generic European high fantasy inspired setting that you see in a lot of anime-related and JRPG media. There are some really good boss themes, too. Mondstadt's storyline wasn't anything special, but it was fun for what it was. The story definitely picks up in following regions (in the early portions of the story the Traveller still has Paimon speak and think for them instead of being an actual character), which I'll get to in future reviews.

The core gameplay is fun. Combining attacks to make elemental reactions with various characters (put a bit of fire into a tornado, now it's a flame tornado, or stand on top of water and shoot a tornado, it's now a water tornado), as well as character specifics, like grouping enemies with Anemo characters, are cool. The problem becomes that the enemies get damage sponges sometimes, but it doesn't bother me for the most part.

Some of the gameplay systems are frustrating. I hate the "this character is somewhere else in another quest, do it first before continuing the one you actually want!" mechanic. Getting artifacts is very luck-based, so if you care about getting the most out of your characters, you'll end up grinding for hours. Personally, I never cared about artifacts much, so I do like 30-60 minutes per character and just use the best things I have (though my life being easy ever since the early portions of the game may be partially attributed to rolling Diluc early on). I also don't really care about the FOMO or the gacha grind aspects since I have too much media that I want to get to outside of Genshin and mostly have all the characters I'd want. So if you're like me and don't care about the Abyss or whatever and mostly focus on the story/gameplay/exploration aspect, this is a very fun game. The co-op aspect makes exploration even more fun, giving your friend(s) a lift with Venti or something is really nice.

There is a reason why I keep coming back to this, despite my RPG videogame burnout, and that it's just comfortable; it just works. After my initial gacha addict phase years ago and my subsequent break, I've been coming back mostly for the story and to have a few game sessions with friends. The convenience of it is something that is unparalleled. I have my saves sync across multiple platforms, it has a far more frequent content release schedule than any other game I've played (including MMOs; looks like the exploitative gacha system was good for something), and it's just enjoyable in almost every aspect now that I play it casually and don't feel FOMO urges for it. The detail and love and care put into this game is undeniable. It helps that it feels like an actual videogame instead of what other live service games have, which in my opinion are less enjoyable combat mechanics.

Where it Shines:
Anime Cute Characters - 9/10
Being in the World - 10/10
Music - 9/10

The Good:
Look, I know most people HATE Genshin. Most people HATE gacha games. I personally did not expect to like it as much as I did.
I found, for the most part, the gacha stuff to not be obnoxious. It's far from being a Mobile Legends type game where you play notification clicker clearer for ten minutes every time you log in with fifteen different types of currency and tickets and stardust or whatever else nonsense.
They also seem to take the money they make and honestly add quality content. There's always new characters, new worlds, new music, new voice lines, and they don't just copy paste stuff. They seem to really care about spending the money they earn well, and it shows for the most part.
I also really just enjoy spending time in the world. Every time you wander around or climb some hill or tower, you are rewarded with stunning views, awesome landmarks to enjoy, and just really some great vibes. It's a video game world I'd love to live in.

The Bad:
Obviously any F2P game is going to have a lot of bad stuff. I'm not going to rehash what others say about it, and I can easily see people hating the game for those reasons alone. But the things that are outside of F2P that could use some work are:
- stop with all the jargon. Jargon does not equal story. I don't need to know how Fatui of the Adepti went to Stormterror to gather the Prometheus Artifact from the General of blah blah blah. Like my eyes gloss over every line of dialogue at times, it's overwhelming
- Paimon 😫
- repetitive enemies in the world
- overwhelming amount of things for new players

Summary:
If Genshin wasn't free to play, cost like 20-40 bucks, and had DLC for each expansion or something and got rid of the MTX gacha system, I think it would honestly be an AMAZING game. One so good that people would support it forever. But the F2P aspect does drag it down overall, although not nearly as much as I expected it too. It was a huge surprise to me that I loved playing this game, and I only bothered because a friend with good taste recommended it. I'm glad I played it, I will play it more for sure, but I can't say for how long.
If what I wrote sort of resonates with you, give it a try - it may surprise you. But if you avoid it simply for the F2P vibes, that's totally valid.

****note on my ratings:
half ⭐: hot trash garbage
⭐: below average, needs work
⭐⭐: average
⭐⭐⭐: pretty good
⭐⭐⭐⭐: excellent
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: all time favourite
half star ratings between those mean it's slightly better or worse than stated in this list.
*

Bury the book
Infinte rng takes over my mind
Setupping
Fallen short on energy, summon the strength of booking
Chorus
I AM THE 4COST THATS APPROACHING
RESETTING, UNTIL I GET PENTAHIT
I AM RECLAIMER OF MUSKREEF
BORN IN ABYSS,
I HAVE BEEN BOOKED
MY XIANGLING IS A DEMON OF DEATH
Restarted I am Critcarded
A Bennet’s Burst In dark divide
Catalyst memory
Polar Star chasing time

Inherit the reset, Surrounded by swirl
Can’t Book Away
Keep resetting the chamber, Keep reading the line, between the pages
Funnel away
Through vacant floors, i won't surrender
The truth funnelled in eyes of GODBA
Disappear into Billbilli
Lost Resets left behind.
Kazuha's pulling enemies
Riptide, I've come to take what's mine
Chorus
I AM THE 4COST THATS APPROACHING
RESETTING, UNTIL I GET PENTAHIT
I AM RECLAIMER OF MUSKREEF
BORN IN ABYSS,
I HAVE BEEN BOOKED
MY XIANGLING IS A DEMON OF DEATH
Restarted I am Critcarded
A Bennet’s Burst In dark divide
Catalyst memory
Polar Star chasing time

For a mobile game (all the ports are the same game in better frames), it’s good— and replayable since you never really run out of missions.

After that?

It’s just a game exploiting lonely otaku culture. You got a paycheck? Burnt on a character or weapon that isn’t GUARANTEED. Got mommy/daddy’s credit card? Ruin their credit. The characters are not charming or unique in anyway, and the voice acting (English mainly) sucks. It’s really just Breath of The Wild without much creativity.

Story? You lose your sister/brother (player determined) and you have to find them. Does any of the missions you do relate to that? Nah. Do a bunch of main missions that feel like side quests to get to know an irrelevant pair of characters that have nothing to do with that storyline.

People will swear and die on the hill that this is an amazing game. It’s mediocre.

If that’s your opinion, then it isn’t respectable. Jump off that hill.

(Seriously don’t jump off a hill just seek help. You have a gambling addiction)

Over 3 years ago, I saw a new game being played on Twitch. It was advertised as "Open-World Gacha," and once I learned it was Free-to-Play, I took the bait. Having been a big fan of gacha games in the past, and immediately thinking, "This looks just like Breath of the Wild!" I figured I'd give it a try and leave if I got bored. 3+ years later, and it's become one of my favorite games.

Let's touch on the negatives right away: it's a gacha game. That means if you want the newest, fanciest characters, you have to roll the dice. Like most gacha, these are acquired through various currencies that can be acquired through in-game events, exploration, achievements, or swiping your credit card. I do not recommend the latter, and frankly, you never need to. There's plenty of ways to get the resources you need for newer characters, and freebies are given out all the time.

Genshin hosts a rotating set of two banners that continuously make "Event" characters available, whether those are re-runs or new, and a single "Standard" banner that houses classic characters that are easier to acquire (not not guaranteed). There is a reasonable Pity system so you're never waiting too long to get the character you want, but if you don't spend money, you're never getting everyone. That's the simple gacha facts.

Now for the positives: Genshin's open world is, in a word, beautiful. From the fields of Mondstadt to the rainforests of Sumeru, all the way to the underwater chasms of Fontaine, every area of Genshin is lovingly crafted and filled to the brim with puzzles, quests, and rewards.

The VA work in Genshin is great. It's a little slow at first, but over the past 3 years the characters, and their performances, have greatly improved, as has the story and gameplay. New players may be overwhelmed at the options in front of them, but Genshin does a good job at not filling your UI with unnecessary junk. You can play at your own pace without feeling like you're missing out if you don't speedrun 36 months of content.

Powercreep is, surprisingly, non-existent, a fresh feeling for a very popular gacha. You can use 3-year-old freebie units and clear the hardest content in the game, or you can use the latest characters and clear it 20 seconds faster. Or, you can swipe your credit card and clear it before the enemies even spawn in. It's up to you.

Genshin does a good job of focusing on non-combat events and gameplay options while still allowing you to showcase your shiny new characters. There is an entire town-building section, a fully fleshed-out TCG (complete with the occasional in-game event) and a host of fun multiplayer events, games, and opportunities akin to games like Fall Guys or Prop Hunt.

Multiplayer is fantastic. It's easy to pop in and out of other players' worlds on the fly, having your friends join you for Weekly Boss Battles, Domain runs for character equipment or materials, or the latest event, if it supports multiplayer action. keep in mind, you'll need to play the game a bit to play with your friends (Adventure Rank 16, easily achievable after a play session or two).

There is no direct PVP beyond the TCG, so no feeling forced to increase your DPS by 0.1% to avoid missing out on rewards. "Abyss," the end-game combat challenge, resets every two weeks and provides rewards based on how far you progress, so even if you can't finish it, you'll still gain currencies to acquire new characters and weapons.

Genshin "versions" update every 6 weeks, and each one brings new characters, story, and events. Despite the quick updates, the game continues to deliver consistently high-quality content and VA work, with vast explorable areas being added to the game all the time. Treasure-hunting is plentiful and fun, with some treasure being hidden behind combat challenges and others behind puzzles or quests of varying length, from minutes to hours.

Overall, Genshin is a quality game that is only hindered by its desire to make disgusting amounts of money off its gacha system. And it does, indeed, make disgusting amounts of money. But it takes itself seriously and re-invests those profits into good graphics, gameplay, and content, with plenty of freebies for newbies and veterans alike.

If you're a fan of gacha games, this is arguably the best. Try it, and you'll be hooked. If you're new to the genre, this is a great place to start. Just keep your credit card in your wallet!