Description
Genshin Impact is an ARPG game, with an anime art style featuring open-world exploration, and an action-based battle system. It has 23 playable characters of which you can jump between four during game play. You can switch quickly between your characters, doubling down on the damage meted out to enemies. Despite the similarly named Honkai Impact 3rd, this game is, in fact, a stand-alone, not a sequel.
About the Game
The backstory is simply told: set in the fantasy world of Teyvat , home to seven nations (see more about these below), each with its own god (a group of seven gods known as Archons) and bound to its own element, the protagonist, called the Traveller, is looking for their lost twin, having become separated during earlier travels in Teyvat.
The whole region was in turmoil at the time, and in trying to leave, the twins were separated by a god who took one twin, and sealed up the other for 500 year. It is the latter who becomes known as The Traveller who, on their return, and along with companion Paimon , explores all of Teyvat, while helping out the various peoples of the area.
Underground is found the ruined nation of Khaenri’ah, which had no god and was ruined during the Traveller’s last visit to the region, when their sibling was taken from them. It’s almost opposite, the floating island of Celestia, serves as a kind of Olympus or Elysium Fields: the afterlife home to both gods and mortals whose heroic deeds have bestowed godhood upon them.
The Nitty Gritty
You can choose to play as a male or female character, with the female twin called Lumine, and the male called Aether. These names can be changed, although the sibling, once found, will use the original name for their twin.
Individuals – subjects or citizens – can be chosen by their god and given a magical gemstone that allows them to control the element of the nation, along with a mission to complete. If they succeed in their mission, they could earn a place in Celestia.
When the game first came out, players were strongly reminded of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, and there was a little controversy about the possibility of plagiarism. However, as the game progressed, Genshin Impact was shown to have moved significantly away from any similarity, expanding into a complex and carefully plotted game in its own right.
You will have to play solo until you achieve level 16, which is when multiplayer gaming is permitted in the form of co-op play – and by then you will have learned enough to hold your own against other players so it is no bad thing to be patient!
Side quests and resource gathering can be quite distracting as there is so much packed into the scenery for you to explore, try out, or gather, that you will find your progress in tracking down your lost sibling is somewhat delayed as you complete quests and missions. But you do eventually get back on track, aided always by the wonderful soundtrack and great visuals of the game.
Seven Nations of Teyvat
The seven nations are as follows:
Mondstadt: city of freedom, on an island in the middle of a lake, protected by the Knights of Favonius and with god Barbatos
Livue: to the southwest, is a market harbour, the largest in Teyvat. Presided over by Livue Qixing (business leaders) and Adepti (ancient guardians) one of which is god Rex Lapis
Inazuma: an isolationist island to the south east is ruled by authoritarian god Raiden Shogun and three govt bodies: the Tenryou (military and executive), Kanjou (finance and foreign affairs) and Yashiro (ceremonial/ traditions) Commissions
Sumeru: reveres wisdom and learning and is home to the Sumeru Academia, god the Lesser Lord Kusanali
Fontaine: a centre of beauty, elegance, culture and the arts, overseen by the god of Justice: whose name is not known
Natlan: a land of fire – volcanoes – overseen by the Pyro Archon
Murata – the newest nation and one that still has much to be revealed
Snezhnava: nation of diplomat spies known as Fatui who seem friendly and good natured, while secretly doing whatever it takes to achieve their purposes. The Fatui are led by the Eleven Harbingers who have super powers and executive authority to use them, as bestowed on them by their god Tsaritsa. As well as the Fatui there is the Abyss Order, a league of monsters who claim to be enemies of humanity, who are led by a Prince or Princess
