Genshin Impact, the Chinese action-centered role-play game developed by animation studio miHoYo has swept across the world, garnering more than 140 million downloads since its release in Sept. 2020, according to Statista. However, the Jan. 4, 2022 update amassed another wave of downloads, sparking interest especially among RCHS students. 

The action RPG, available on multiple consoles and platforms, offers captivating multiplayer game-play that follows a developing storyline as well as ‘gacha’ features that allow players to gamble for special items and characters. 

Taking place in the fantasy world of Teyvat, the main objective of the game is to play as the Traveler who embarks upon the arduous journey, alongside their non-playable accomplice Paimon, to find their missing sibling. The Traveler must use their magical abilities to perform nearly impossible tasks and save their sibling. 

Many find Genshin Impact entertaining because of its open-world exploration gameplay, much like The Legend of Zelda. 

RCHS junior Sandy Mourice said, “It’s fun to travel the world and explore at your own pace, and the story is compelling as well.” 

What sets Genshin Impact apart from other action RPGs is the ‘gacha’ feature, which is essentially a monetization technique that allows the player to spend money and randomly receive special characters and weapons in the game. Though, these are still accessible for free through standard gameplay. 

Another RCHS junior who is obsessed with the game is Hyemi Choi defined the ‘gacha’ aspect of the game as “a terrible system that forces you to gamble on the game.” 

The ‘gacha’ system hooks players and keeps them coming back by cycling through events that feature different special, powerful characters.

While ‘gacha’ is a significant part of the game, however, it is not mandatory to spend money to progress. The game is free to download and play. 

Choi also said that “they added a new customization feature and are releasing new clothes for the characters.” She also mentioned that the game is notable for its graphics and its addicting gameplay. 

Another factor that contributes to the success of Genshin Impact is the storyline. Mourice said the game’s popularity is due to the fact that “the game is still progressing in real-time like there isn’t a laid-out story already, they just keep adding story as time progresses. There is a main plot and then there are a bunch of side plots for each character with their own personalities that we are all attached to.” 

In response to why people should download Genshin Impact, here’s what RCHS students have to say: 

Betty Huynh, who is also addicted to Genshin Impact said, “People should play this game because if you like Legend of Zelda and you also like anime, play I guess.” 

Eliza Youssef, swept up in the game’s popularity as well, said, “You will find a new language of love within the Genshin community, there are so many characters to simp for, and if you don’t have any love interests in real life, you can find Genshin characters. Plus, the game quality looks so good, the characters are all splendid, the powers are cool, the storyline is amazing. It is just so good.”

Overall, Genshin Impact derives its huge success as an open-world exploration and action RPG from the many who are addicted to its storyline, characters, graphics, and ‘gacha’ gameplay.