The Google Play Store awarded miHoyo’s Genshin Impact its Best Game of 2020 accolade. Meanwhile, Apple did the same and proclaimed it as the iPhone Game of the Year. Moreover, it received nominations in The Game Awards and Golden Joystick while getting highly positive reviews from critics.

On the surface, you safely Genshin Impact deserves all the praise. The world and art style look astonishingly beautiful, and the combat looks extremely fun and exciting. However, it goes deeper than that. The game can be an industry-changer and is a shining example of how free-to-play games should be made.

It proves multiplatform games can be excellent and well-optimized

Genshin Impact is primarily a mobile game, much like miHoyo’s other big-name title, Honkai Impact. We can assume this is the case since the developers want to reach as many players as possible, and releasing the game on smartphones is the best way to do it. However, they also released it on PC and the PlayStation 4, and both versions ran smoothly, with the former running on a stable 60 FPS if you have the recommended specs.

We’ve been desensitized to games with bugs and subpar optimization upon release to the point that it’s already the norm. Genshin Impact proves multiplatform games can be well-optimized across all devices. It’s worth considering this is miHoyo’s first console game, and they don’t have much of a portfolio on PC. If they can create a game that runs smoothly on all platforms, why can’t other triple-A developers do the same?

Tons of content for a free-to-play game

Content is vital in games. Genshin Impact still has ways to go in this regard, with only two of the seven main cities available today.

Despite this, the game offers hundreds of hours of content, and although it mostly involves players having to grind an ungodly amount of hours to strengthen their roster, it has a lot to offer. Its content roadmap details this, introducing new areas and characters that dish out their quests and lore. Plus, it does not make the mistake of having a barren open-world because ut contains hundreds of enemies to defeat, bosses to slay, puzzles to solve, and chests to open.
In its current state, Genshin Impact is like the first season of a fantastic anime series, and we can’t wait for what the next patches will bring.

The production value is exceptional

Genshin Impact’s animations, character design, and voice acting are nothing short of stellar. Established anime and game voice actors comprise the Japanese cast with names like Ayumu Murase as Venti (Hinata in Haikyuu), Kōki Uchiyama (Tomura Shigaraki in My Hero Academia) as Razor, and Rie Tanaka (Lacus Clyne in Mobile Suit Gundam SEED) as Lisa. We can say the same for the English dub, considering it has names from the dub versions of Re:Zero, Hunter X Hunter, and Sword Art Online.

One of the best combat systems in an ARPG to date

Genshin Impact has a robust and rather deep elemental reaction mechanic. The pyro element can melt cryo (ice), while electro mixed with hydro is a devastating combination.

Most of the time, fights involve mass clicking and button-mashing, but at the same time, it requires a lot of clinical thinking, timing, and strategy. Why? Well, you need to swap characters dozens of times in fights to maximize elemental reactions. For example, switching between Mona and Keqing is a great way to deliver a hydro and electro combination, while Qiqi and Barbara can freeze opponents instantly. These, merged with characters’ various skills and weapon types, provide fast-paced combat while keeping you on your toes.

Ongoing, and hopefully, it won’t falter

Overall, Genshin Impact had a bright start, and it is well-positioned to have a stellar future and place among the video game greats. As of today, there’s absolutely no doubt it deserves all the praise it’s getting from the critics and community.

With a still yet-to-be-finished story and content to be patched in, it has a long way to go. Here’s to hoping it will continue its momentum and provide us with exciting tales and battles in Teyvat.