Genshin Impact 2022 review: Impossible to keep up with, but fun anyway

Logging in Genshin ImpactI quickly return to my favorite fallback activity, picking flowers. To do that, I choose my anime-esque character with his black-and-teal-colored hair, and we fast-travel to the sheer, jutting peaks of the mystical region of Jueyun Karst. As I slide down the slopes, the music of a stringed instruments accompany me. From the top of a nearby cliff, I choose a Qingxin (white flower).

The moment appears calm and peaceful on screen. My mind raced as I picked the flowers. My total Qingxin collection will reach 45 flowers by the end of that day. This allows me to level up my character. It is then that I need to switch gears and start collecting new materials, which will allow me to use specific attacks. You can find out more at This point, I should check in and see if I’ll have enough money to actually use the materials. But then I notice a friend is online, so I should see if they can run the weekly boss that I’m not quite strong enough to beat yet. A beautiful moment can become a nightmare when it is filled with anxiety. Genshin Impact’s never-ending to-do list.

Genshin ImpactIt is not a simulation of flower picking. It’s an open-world free-to-play game created by the Shanghai-based studio Hoyoverse (previously known as Mihoyo). Hoyoverse was first to release Genshin Impact two years ago, and while the core of the game remains the same — you explore, pursue quests, and collect materials to improve characters — it has received several additions of varying sizes. The game now offers almost every type of gameplay, including four large regions that you can explore and an entire world dedicated to decorating. There are also dozens of story quests to complete, as well as a constant stream of minigames. In terms of both its size and storage requirements, the game is huge. huge game.

Photo: Hoyoverse via Polygon

Hoyoverse’s dedication to the game has transformed it into a global success, and a touchstone in a new generation of players. The game was the highest-grossing mobile gacha on the planet, with $3 billion in mobile revenue as of May 2022. The game was also named the “Best Mobile Gacha Game” in 2022. most talked-about gameIn the first half 2022, Twitter was a major social media platform. Developers announced in September that Genshin You could even get an anime spinoff. Demon Slayer studio Ufotable. To commemorate the second anniversary of Ufotable’s birth, I decided to review it again.

Genshin ImpactIt takes place in Teyvat, a sprawling fantasy realm. Each region has its own unique characteristics. You will encounter magical knights, dragons, elemental gods and goddesses as well as magic knights. The Traveler (the protagonist) and Paimon (the floating fairy mascot) are in search of the Traveler’s lost twin. They travel far and wide to help each other navigate their internal conflicts. These stories are about political turmoil, ancient dangers and evil plots by foreign adversaries.

These stories never grabbed me in the last two years. However, Genshin leans hard on its myriad characters, and it’s here where the narrative has reeled me in. You can easily find reasons to love every one of its playable explorers. Whether it’s the elegant sashes and pink hair of Yae Miko, or Arataki Itto’s rambunctious personality, the game features gorgeous aesthetic designs and lovable antics across the entire cast.

Hoyoverse Image

All that is left to say, however, is “While.” Genshin does have a mainline quest, it’s on the periphery of the central narrative that it shines. It’s possible to focus your efforts on the exploration. It is possible to dedicate time and effort towards building strong characters. There are two options. You could spend the entire time creating and decorating your own region. No matter what you do, it’s all set in one of the most scenically stunning games I’ve ever played. Each region shines with its unique charm, from the golden pools of Liyue, the Sumeru’s towering trees, to the electric, crackling lands of Inazuma. What’s more, it all unfolds to one of the best video game scores that I have ever heard.

Genshin Impact is a hobby

You have so much room to explore and many repetitive tasks you need to accomplish. There are also so many characters that can be collected and improved. Genshin ImpactCan be more like a hobby than a game. While its platforming and combat are quite simple, it has many systems and chores. Every aspect of the game, from unlocking characters and leveling them up to saving enough money to buy more currency is done in a rhythm that demands ongoing investment.

You will notice a kind of snowball effect as you accumulate more experience. Your day-to-day tasks are easier. A boss fight that once took 15 minutes can now be completed at a much higher level in under a minute — and it will grant more rewards. However, the initial stages can seem like an endless list of unfinished tasks leading to five additional ones. So, for example, after I had completed leveling up Pyro character Xiangling and her weapons and attacks, I needed to consider building three additional characters in order to create a balanced team.

Playing GenshinYou can switch between up to four characters. I can swing my sword and poke at enemies, yes — but for the most part, the bulk of damage is going to come from special attacks called Elemental Skills and Elemental Bursts. When I was able to put together a team that worked well and alchemize their elemental characteristics, combat became more fun. My bursts are fast and can charge quickly. This allows me to release a continuous chain of Elemental Skills as well as Bursts, while switching between characters.

Photo: Hoyoverse via Polygon

Elemental Bursts surround characters like Xiangling with searing flames. Others like Xingqiu unleash water-like needles which tack on damage following a regular attack. Animations are quickly added to my characters that show their shield buffs, stat boosters or healing effects. Visually it can be a bit crowded, but it’s relatively easy to stick to the right rotation of attacks, and it’s entrancing to see the damage numbers skyrocket.

Genshin’s character-building system is among my favorites in an RPG. It can be difficult to know where and when you should go. It is deep, complicated, and scratches an itch that I haven’t really felt relieved since I was a young child who trained to get a level 100 Pokémon for the first time. Building one character that’s strong enough to defeat a boss is satisfying. The thrill of building a team full of well-equipped fighters is exhilarating.

The ever-looming problem of live-service and other games is also a concern. Genshin Impact especially, is the fact that there’s always more content on the way. Even though I try to complete every item on my list, it is almost impossible to keep up with the latest updates and expansions. Keep up to Genshin ImpacWhile it may be enjoyable, it can also prove mentally draining.

While patches can vary in their size and content, most tend to have new events with time-restricted minigames or miscellaneous quests. At points, I do wish I could spend more time running around, exploring certain regions and meeting new NPCs — but I so frequently feel beholden to interact with new content, whether it’s because people are talking about it online or I want a certain item as a reward. Sometimes, I’ll focus more on the podcast playing in my ear than on the actual plot unfolding in Genshin. It’s a shame, because there are some genuinely good character quests in here — they’re just so closely associated with draining busywork that they end up feeling like a burden.

Handling the content churn

There are so many things to do and frequent, well-written updates. The question isn’t whether. GenshinThis is a great game. (It is.) Rather, the question has become “Can I even keep up with it?” With so much game, it’s no wonder that the fandom constantly brings up the language of burnout when it comes to Genshin. It feels like I’m plugged into a never-ending cycle of content goals.

Ich denke GenshinIt is more enjoyable when it allows me to move at my own speed. It’s my personal way of getting the best out of things. For example, if I have a new Archon quest to complete, I may allow myself to not do dailies for several days or ignore the entire battle pass for one patch. Maybe I’ll let myself watch TikToks during cutscenes. If I feel coerced to do something it is when it stops being fun.

On the surface it sounds easy: Just only play the game when it’s fun and rewarding. There are many things to be aware of. Genshin feels like it’s designed to exploit my human tendencies. You know that itch that won’t go away when you see a red circle on the corner of a phone app? Genshin feels just like that — day after day after day.

Engage fully with Genshin’s gacha mechanics means pursuing a currency called Primogems, a star-shaped crystal that buys another item called an Acquaint Fate, which can then be used to make “Wishes.” When you “Wish,” you gamble for a shot at getting a specific character or weapon, most of which are more powerful than free characters. For a set period of time, certain characters like Venti the bard will have their drop rates boosted. But then they’re wrenched away. The wishing system works just like a loot box; I’ve seen people develop what they have described as serious gambling addictions while playing Genshin.

If you want to gamble and you don’t have the money to, well, then you feel like you have to log on, every day, and do AllThe tasks and the beat AllThe events. And while the better characters aren’t necessary to play the game, they are Thank you, very nice — I can’t imagine a game in which I don’t get to play as Xiao. Some of them offer great utility to my roster, sure — but I’ve grown attached to others just through the sheer amount of time I’ve spent with them.

Photo: Hoyoverse via Polygon

It’s an open-world game, but it’s also a gacha game. What I do and how often I play is determined by the currency, daily or weekly requirements and luck of the draw. I can’t cram all my bosses or domains into one day of playing because of arbitrary caps the developers put in place. I can’t go pick all the flowers I want because some will only respawn every two days; like the inner machinations of its ever-looming systems, that serenity I found on the mountaintop is also dictated by the grind.

And so, while there are a lot of ways to play, the game isn’t truly open — I can’t always do what I want, when I want. I love the world, but I always feel like there’s a tension between loving the world and exploring it, but always feeling like there’s an invisible hand, which is not completely free of insidious intentions, guiding my habits.

It is so that I continue to chip away at the problem and keep fighting for it. I am willing to let myself grind but will still listen to podcasts in the worst moments. It will not make me feel guilty about collecting every Primogem. I will accept that my brain might feel an itch for a while, because I simply will not get to that “one world quest” for a week, and my log might be more clogged than I’d like it to be. Instead of worrying about the situation, I’ll close it and forget all about it for a couple days. I will then return to it on Saturday morning and see that the flowers have grown back.