Genshin Impact

Genshin Impact is an open-world, action role-playing game that allows the player to control one of four interchangeable characters in a party.^[4] Switching between characters can be done quickly during combat, allowing the player to use several different combinations of skills and attacks.^[5] Characters may have their abilities enhanced in various ways, mainly through directly leveling them up and improving the artifacts and weapons that a character can equip.^[6] In addition to exploration, the player can attempt various challenges for rewards. Scattered across Teyvat are bosses and challenges that reward highly valuable resources, but claiming them uses up a currency called Original Resin, which slowly regenerates over time.^[7] Completing these challenges grants the player progress towards increasing their Adventure Rank, which in turn unlocks new quests, challenges, and raises the World Level.^[8] The World Level is a measure of how strong the enemies within the world are and the rarity of rewards that defeating them gives.^[9]

The player can control their character and perform actions such as running, climbing, swimming, and gliding, all limited by stamina.^[10][5] Some characters possess abilities that can alter the environment, such as freezing water to create an ice path that can aid the player in traversing terrain.^[5] Many teleportation points exist throughout the world that players can warp to as a form of fast travel; among these are landmarks known as Statues of The Seven that can heal and revive characters, and provide benefits such as increasing player stamina.^[11] Items such as food and ore may be procured from the open world, while enemies and treasure chests drop other types of resources that may be used in enhancing a character's strength. Players can obtain food from hunting animals, gathering fruit and vegetables, or purchasing them from in-game shops. Furthermore, there are special battle instances called "Domains" that reward materials which increase character and weapon strength.^[12] Meals cooked from ingredients gathered in the overworld may also provide desirable effects, such as regenerating characters' health or boosting various stats.^[13] Players can also procure ore that can be refined and then used to create weapons or enhance their strength.^[14][15]

A multiplayer mode is available in the form of co-op. Up to four players can play together in the overworld and join Domains.^[16] Player matching can either be done by requesting to connect with another player, or through an automatic search.^[16][17] The game features cross-platform play, so players on any platform can play with each other.^[18]

By completing certain quests or by participating in select limited-time events, the player can unlock additional playable characters.^[19] Most characters, however, are obtained through the character banners of the game's gacha system, called "Wishes".^[20][21] Several premium in-game currencies, obtainable through in-app purchases or as gameplay rewards, are required to pull on the game's banners.^[22] A pity system guarantees that the player will receive rare items after a set number of pulls.^[23]

Elemental combat

Playable characters have control over one of seven natural elements: Anemo (air), Geo (earth), Pyro (fire), Hydro (water), Cryo (ice), Electro (electricity), and Dendro (plants).^[24] When these elements react with one another, they produce various effects. For instance, if a Hydro attack hits a target, the enemy will be inflicted with the "Wet" status effect, and if they are hit with a subsequent Cryo attack, these two status effects combine to freeze the opponent, temporarily preventing them from performing any actions.^[24]

Each character also has two unique combat abilities: an "Elemental Skill" and an "Elemental Burst". Elemental Skills are attacks with a set cooldown that can be used at any time, while Elemental Bursts are ultimate attacks with an energy cost.^[25] These require the player to amass sufficient elemental energy in order to use them.^[26][24] Manipulating the game's elements through the Skills and Bursts of a given party's four characters to produce various reactions is a core feature of its gameplay.^[27] Certain elemental abilities are also required to solve puzzles within the overworld.^[5]

Genius Invokation TCG

A tabletop-based collectible card game called Genius Invokation TCG was released in the game's Version 3.3 update in December 2022 as an additional optional gamemode.^[28][29] The game uses turn-based battles. Equipped with a deck of three characters and 30 supporting cards, players win by knocking down all the opponent's competing character cards. Each round requires a dice roll that forces the player to use their cards within the limitations of their roll.^[30] Similar to the main game, elemental reactions are included as a mechanic of the gamemode.^[31] Players are able to challenge NPCs, playable characters, and other real players in co-op mode.^[32] In-game rewards are granted for participating in Genius Invokation TCG.

After the launch of Genius Invokation TCG received positive comments from many critics. many commentators compared the non standalone card games with Hearthstone, from World of Warcraft. and Gwent, from The Witcher 3. and believed that Genius Invokation TCG can expand game audience.^[33] Commentators also mentioned that Genius Invokation TCG can help improve the later experience of the game. Siliconera critic Stephanie Liu said that Genius Invokation TCG rekindled her excitement in the early days of the game.^[34] Gamersky editor Youming Xingkong said that the Genius Invokation TCG is an attempt to keep players fresh in Genshin Impact and solve the burnout that will occur in long-term operation games.^[35] The Youxiputao editor also pointed out that Genius Invokation TCG can "make up for the shortcomings of the game's long-term experience" and "strengthen the relationship between players".^[36]

Setting and characters

Genshin Impact takes place in the world of Teyvat, composed of seven major nations, each of which is ruled by a different god called an "Archon", tied to a different element and ideal, and governed by a specific faction.^[37] The mysterious floating island of Celestia hangs above Teyvat, allegedly home to gods, as well as mortals who have ascended to godhood through great, heroic feats.^[38] Underground lie the ruins of Khaenri'ah, a mysterious nation which was destroyed by Celestia 500 years before the main events of the game.^[39][40] Unlike the seven nations, Khaenri'ah was not ruled over by a god, and sought to create a civilization led solely by humans.^[41]

Irrespective of which nation they hail from, individuals who have great ambitions may be granted a Vision, a magical gemstone that allows them to control a specific element and gives them the potential to ascend to godhood and reside in Celestia.^[42][43] Others may achieve elemental manipulation through Delusions, artificial Visions made from the remains of powerful gods which allow their bearers to control elements by feeding off their vitality.^[44] Archons, on the other hand, possess a Gnosis, which is a device similar to a Vision that affirms their authority as an Archon and allows them to "resonate" with Celestia.^[45]

The protagonists are The Traveler and Paimon, The Traveler's guide and companion. The Traveler and their twin sibling travel across worlds in the universe before being separated in Teyvat, forcing The Traveler to go on a journey to find them.^[46] The player may choose to play as either Aether (the brother) or Lumine (the sister), though their account username is used throughout most of the game.

The primary antagonists in the game are the Abyss Order, a legion of monsters made up of corrupted Khaenri'ahns who seek to overthrow the rule of the Archons,^[47][48] and the Fatui, a military force and delegation of diplomats from Snezhnaya who pursue an aggressive foreign policy throughout Teyvat.^[49][50] The Traveler's lost twin is respected as the leader of the Abyss Order,^[51] while the Fatui are led by the Eleven Harbingers, the powerful lieutenants of the Tsaritsa who have been given special authority to carry out her will.^[52] The Harbingers are based on characters from the commedia dell'arte.^[53]

Plot

Aether and Lumine, a pair of twins who travel across different worlds, land in Teyvat. Witnessing the destruction of Khaenri'ah upon their arrival, the two attempt to flee, but they soon find their path blocked by a mysterious god who calls herself the "Sustainer of Heavenly Principles". She separates the twins, sealing the playable character away for five hundred years.^[54] When the sealed sibling, now called "The Traveler", wakes up, they meet a small fairy-like being named Paimon, who becomes their companion and travel guide. The two set off on a journey across Teyvat to gather information about their lost twin from each nation's ruling Archon.

The following table only gives a synopsis of each major act in the game's current narrative. Summaries of other story content, such as characters' personal quests or limited-time events, are excluded. The major acts of the story were foreshadowed in a trailer posted to the game's YouTube channel on the day of its release:

Genshin Impact began development as early as late January 2017, with an initial team of 120 people, which grew to 400 by the end of that year, and reached 700 by February 2021.^[55][56] miHoYo revealed the game in June 2019 at E3 2019.^[57][58] The game was developed using the Unity Engine.^[59] The game had a development and marketing budget of around $100 million, making it one of the most expensive video games to develop.^[60] Between the announcement and release closed beta tests were held, allowing invited players to explore and interact with the open world.^[61][62] The game includes voice-overs in four languages, and 15 different languages for text.^{[63][64][65][e]}

The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is held in high regard by the development team, and is cited as one of the main inspirations for Genshin Impact.^[66] Development was aimed at making the game different and fun from other MMORPGs in terms of its quest and combat systems as well as its random events and mode of exploration.^[67] The game was designed to be cross-platform as developing the game for PC and console allowed the developers to raise graphical fidelity for the game, such as rendering realistic shadows.^[66]

The overall artistic vision of the game was intended to combine an anime style with more key elements from real-world cultures,^[68] and each nation is based on a region of the world:

• Mondstadt is based on traditional high fantasy, with German influence. The name is German for "moon city".^[69]
• Liyue combines various eras of China's history into one region, and re-imagines Chinese culture through a fantasy perspective.^[70] The name is Chinese for "glazed moon" (璃月).
• Inazuma, a closed-off archipelago ruled by a shogun, is inspired by Edo Japan, and is named after the Japanese word for lightning (稲妻).^[71][72][73]
• Sumeru is a nation of rainforests and deserts that is based on the cultures of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia.^[74][75] The name is the Sanskrit term for Mount Meru (सुमेरु).
• Fontaine takes inspiration from steampunk and the trends of the Belle Époque, as well as other cultures like that of the Basques and Corsicans. It is also inspired by the geography of the Alps and by the Baroque and Art Deco styles.^[76] The name means "fountain" in French.
• Natlan is most likely named after the legendary homeland of the Aztecs, Aztlán, and seems inspired by the cultures of pre-Columbian Mesoamerica. It may also have additional influences from Spanish and West African cultures.
• Snezhnaya takes inspiration from both Soviet-era and Imperial Russia. The name is Russian for "snowy" (Снежная).
• Khaenri'ah is mainly based on Germanic and Nordic mythology, such as the Nibelungenlied. The name may be derived from an Arabic phrase meaning "betrayer of winds" (خائن رياح).

The game's primary mythological basis is Gnosticism, particularly the way it understands relationships between humans and their world, and how gods may influence this relationship.^[77] The name given to Teyvat's gods, "Archon", is inspired by the related deities from the Gnostic tradition. Although each Archon has a personal name for their "vessel", or human form, and is referred to with a specific title by the citizens of their nation, most gods in the game's story – even those who are not Archons – take the names of demons from the Ars Goetia, the first volume of The Lesser Key of Solomon.^[78]

Music

The music team headed by Yu-Peng Chen from HOYO-MiX composed the game's original score, which was performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, and the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra.^[79][80][81] The approach to creating the soundtrack is to immerse players within the game, and provide emotional and beautiful melodies.^[82] Based upon a foundation of Western music, the score also has regional and cultural influences added depending upon the region.^[83] For example, in Mondstadt, Chen used woodwind instruments to reflect Mondstadt's association with wind and freedom.^[82] In contrast, the battle themes use polyphony and other composing techniques, as well as mimicking orchestration elements from composers such as Beethoven.^[82] Several soundtrack albums featuring music about characters and regions of the game have been released periodically.^{[84][85][86][87][88]}

For his work on the soundtrack Chen was awarded the "Outstanding Artist—Newcomer/Breakthrough" at the 2020 Annual Game Music Awards.^[82] In an interview published in April 2021 Chen expressed interest in releasing the soundtracks on CD, as well as hosting concerts in the future.^[82] The first concert was held virtually on October 3, 2021, titled "Melodies of an Endless Journey" and featured multiple bands and an orchestra performing various soundtracks from the game.^{[89][90][91][92]} A second virtual concert was held on February 4, 2022, titled "Reflections of Spring" featuring the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra performing soundtracks from the Liyue region.^[93][94]

On September 12, 2023, Yu-Peng Chen announced on Bilibili that he was leaving miHoYo and the HOYO-MiX team, and no longer working on the soundtrack.^[95][96]

The worldwide release, September 28, 2020, was announced on August 17 for PC and mobile platforms, and on August 28, it was revealed that the PlayStation 4 version was released on the same date.^[97][98] The game was made available on PlayStation 5 through backwards compatibility on November 11.^[99][1] On April 28, 2021, the PlayStation 5 version of the game was released, featuring enhanced visuals, improved loading times, and DualSense controller support.^{[100][101][102]} A Nintendo Switch version is in development, though no release window has been announced.^[103][104]

Prior to its release the game had over 10 million registrations, with over half of that from outside China.^[105][106] According to some, the game was the biggest international release of any Chinese video game.^[60][107] In the lead up to release, the game won the Tokyo Game Show Media Awards 2020 public poll, ranking first among 14 other games.^[108]

Updates

Shortly after the game's launch, miHoYo announced a schedule for content updates over the following months.^[109] As a long-term project, much of the game remains to be finished. On release, only two of the seven major regions intended for the game were released, and miHoYo anticipates it will take several years for the game's story to be completed.^[110] In a presentation given in February 2021, miHoYo former president Cai Haoyu estimated that ongoing development for the game would cost $200 million per year.^[56]

Updates are implemented into the game every six weeks^[109] and add more characters, events and new areas of Teyvat;^{[111][1][112]} each update comes with character banners which last around three weeks until the next update.^[113] Character banners buff the chance of getting a character, but still with the chance of getting a standard character, also known as a 50/50; if a 50/50 is lost, during the next banner, the buffed character will be guaranteed.^[114] Major updates ("Versions"), adding new major regions, are implemented annually. As of version 4.4 (January 2024),^[115] four major versions with a total of 28 updates have been released.^[116] Each update includes compensation in the form of 60 primogems – the currency used for the game's gacha system – each hour the server is offline.^[117][118]

Pre-release

When the game was first unveiled at the ChinaJoy convention in 2019, it was immediately and initially met with criticisms claiming that the game had similarities to Breath of the Wild.^[128] Zelda fans at the convention showed explicit gestures towards the Sony booth, with one individual destroying their PlayStation 4 console in protest.^[129]

Post-release

Genshin Impact received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregator Metacritic.^[120][121] The open world of Teyvat drew praise; IGN's Travis Northup described Teyvat as "a world that is absolutely bursting at the seams with possibilities", and Hardcore Gamer's Jordan Helm described it as "one big environmental puzzle".^[27][124] Liyue in particular was picked out by Kotaku's Sisi Jiang for being "one of the most exciting regions that I've visited in a video game in years", before continuing on to discuss how the region "shows an idealized portrayal of Chinese social relations that exists in localized pockets".^[130] Game Informer characterized the game as an incredible experience, noting that "[t]he gameplay loop of collection, upgrading, and customization is captivating and compelling".^[123] The execution of gameplay impressed Pocket Gamer, and Destructoid's Chris Carter called the combat system "one of the most interesting things" about the game.^[5][127] NPR remarked that the game had an abundance of content despite being free to play.^[131] Gene Park of The Washington Post lauded the game as revolutionary for the genre, having players "imagine a mobile gaming world with titles with quality that matches the industry's top-tier experiences".^[132] Polygon also praised the game for differentiating itself from its peers, heralding its arrival as mobile games become more mainstream and appealing to "an audience outside the typical mobile gaming demographic" and "new players without the hardware to play more conventional and resource-hogging RPGs".^[133]

Conversely, Genshin Impact has been criticized for its endgame content, its gacha monetization system, and its self-limitations. Ari Nortis of Kotaku, for instance, wrote that although the game provides a solid experience it also has "some of the typical bullshit that comes along with a zero-dollar price tag" and that the gacha system can lead to a "cycle that belongs more in Reno, Nevada, than a magical fantasy land of gods and wizards".^[134] GameSpot echoed this criticism, noting that the game is "hampered a bit by the restrictions its free-to-play model imposes".^[10] PC Gamer said that playing the endgame becomes "a slog", and that the resin system "feels so unnecessary".^[135] Warning players about how predatory the monetization is, The Washington Post added that such a well-designed game from an aesthetic standpoint can lead some to gamble with the game's gacha system.^[21]

When the Genius Invokation TCG minigame launched, it received positive comments from critics. CBR compared the non standalone card games with Hearthstone from World of Warcraft and Gwent from The Witcher 3, and believed that it could expand the game's audience.^[136] Siliconera critic Stephanie Liu said that the minigame rekindled her excitement in the early days of the game.^[137] Gamersky editor Youming Xingkong said that the Genius Invokation TCG is an attempt to keep players fresh in Genshin Impact and solve the burnout that will occur in long-term operation games.^[35] The Youxiputao editor also pointed out that Genius Invokation TCG can "make up for the shortcomings of the game's long-term experience" and "strengthen the relationship between players".^[36] Prior to launch, fans had already made a Genius Invokation TCG mod on Tabletop Simulator.^[138][139]

Accolades

Commercial performance

On mobile platforms, Genshin Impact saw 23 million downloads and grossed approximately $60 million within a week after its release.^[133][107] Within two weeks, that figure rose to over $100 million, recouping its development and marketing budget.^[159] Its strong performance continued through October 2020 as the game was the highest-grossing game worldwide during that month.^[160] Its largest revenue came from China, Japan, South Korea, and the United States, with 69 percent of mobile revenue coming from outside China itself during this time period specifically.^[161][162] In the United States, its release was the largest launch of a role-playing game on mobile in history.^[162]

On mobile platforms, Genshin Impact had grossed over $393 million within two months after release and over $1 billion by the end of March 2021, the third highest revenue from a mobile game during that time frame after Honor of Kings and PUBG Mobile, making it one of the highest grossing mobile games of all time and the fastest game to reach that milestone on Google Play and the App Store.^[163] By October 2021, the game had grossed $2 billion.^[164][165] It became the world's third highest-grossing mobile game of 2021,^[166] with $1.9 billion grossed that year.^[167] By December 2021, the game had grossed $3 billion on iOS and Android devices worldwide. The game's largest mobile market is China with 30% of revenue, followed by Japan with 23% and then the United States with 20% of revenue.^[168] Based on a December 16, 2023 survey conducted by Nikkei Entertainment, the fanbase of Genshin Impact within Japan has an average age of 27 years, and a male-to-female ratio that skews 60:40.^[169] But according to another December 2023 survey, Japan and other Asian countries have a relatively more male skew in their player base compared to the West and it actually has a 55:45 male to female ratio globally.^[170][171]

Across all platforms (including mobile, console and computer platforms), the game is estimated to have grossed nearly $3.7 billion in its first year by September 2021, the highest ever first-year launch revenue for any video game.^[172] In that same month, the character of Raiden Shogun's debut banner earned $33,020,905 among iOS users in China alone.^{[173][better source needed]} The mobile version grossed a further $567 million between January and March 2022,^[174] adding up to more than $4.267 billion grossed as of March 2022^[update].

Controversies

Allegations of censorship

On October 6, 2020, journalist and Twitch streamer Kazuma Hashimoto published a video on social media site Twitter (currently X) demonstrating how political terms controversial in China such as "Hong Kong" and "Taiwan" are censored within the in-game chat.^[175] As the developer of the game, miHoYo, is based in China, which they are subject to China's censorship policy, which includes complying with a relatively large list of banned words that cannot be used in game or via chat.^[175] Other terms not related to Chinese politics are banned as well, such as "Putin", "Hitler", and "Stalin".^[176] Extending outside of purely political wordage, innocuous terms such as "enemies" and "words" were also being censored.^[177]

In a September 2021, over 200 Chinese video game companies signed a self-censorship pact, agreeing to remove content that would promote the "wrong set of values" and fall foul of Chinese government regulations on gaming.^[178] HoYoverse subsequently redesigned the outfits for some female characters to be less revealing in a patch for the Chinese version of the game. These alternate outfits were implemented as an additional option for global servers.^[179] In response, some media outlets discussed whether this was an instance of the game of censoring its content.^{[179][180][181][182]}

Representation and diversity concerns

In April 2021, some called for a boycott of the game over claims of bigotry in the game's content.^[183][184] Others pointed out how the only playable characters with dark skin at the time were described as "exotic" or "scary" in the game.^[184] On August 24, 2022, the game released the 3.0 version, introducing the Sumeru region. Though the region takes inspiration from the cultures of the Middle East, North Africa, and South Asia, many of its playable characters and NPCs were depicted as white-skinned, prompting accusations of whitewashing and colorism.^[185][186]

In early March 2023, HoYoverse was criticized for the release of the Sumeru character Dehya, as a portion of the game's fanbase argued that her abilities were underpowered and dysfunctional.^[187][188] As one of the few dark-skinned playable characters in the game, some fans suggested that her poor skillset might be due to colorism, given similar accusations made against HoYoverse in the past.^[189]

Li Yuantao controversy

In October 2021, Chinese voice actor Li Yuantao who was the Chinese voice of the character Oz, was accused of having multiple affairs and cheating on his wife. He also used his fame to manipulate multiple girls into having sexual relationships with him, some of which who were minors. The game's publisher, HoYoverse, cut ties with him and removed his character from the game's rate up system for a year.^{[190][191][192]}

Accusations against Elliot Gindi

In February 2023, allegations of abusive behavior and sexual exploitation of minors were made against Elliot Gindi, the English voice actor of the character Tighnari. Gindi apologized for some of his actions but denied the allegations of preying on minors. He was widely condemned by the Genshin Impact community and fellow voice actors, with the voice director of the game, Chris Faiella, seeking to take action against Gindi.^[193][194] HoYoverse later fired Gindi for "breach of contract",^[195] and replaced him with Zachary Gordon.^[196]

Security concerns

The game has been criticized for initially lacking security features ubiquitous on other sites, like two-factor authentication. On October 19, 2020, a vulnerable security flaw was discovered that exposed the phone number linked to a player's account during the password recovery attempt on the miHoYo website. However, the issue was not rectified until November 9, 2020.^[197] miHoYo issued notices following the wake of security exposures, informing players to be careful about sharing account details and to bind their account to their email address and phone number.^[198][199] In May 2021, two-factor authentication was added whenever the player signs in on a new device.^[200][201]

Similar to other online games, the game uses an anti-cheat system implemented by a kernel driver. The driver is used to prevent other programs from performing code injection, memory inspection, and other process manipulation.^[202][203] Shortly after release, players discovered that the game's kernel-based anti-cheat system would remain active after the game was closed or uninstalled,^[204] which raised concerns that the game had installed spyware.^[203] Some Japanese players using iOS devices also observed that the game read the contents of players' clipboards while starting up.^[205] miHoYo announced that both issues were the result of coding errors and have been addressed and fixed.^[206]

Prior to the release of the game, miHoYo released a manga on their websites detailing the background of its characters and the fictional world of Teyvat.^[34] It is translated into various different languages though only 13^[207][208] of its 16^[34] chapters were officially released in certain languages. Various other artwork and short comics are also released on Genshin Impact's official X accounts.^[209]

Animated videos teasing its story and characters^[210][211] are regularly released on Genshin Impact's official YouTube channels.^[212]

In September 2022, miHoYo announced a partnership with Japanese animation studio Ufotable to develop a speculated anime adaptation based on the game, accompanied by a concept trailer.^[213][214]

Other future plans include a line of comics, toys, and a possible movie.^[215][216]