The incredibly popular open-world action RPG title Genshin Impact took inspiration for more than a few design elements from the smash-hit Nintendo title The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Nowhere is this more evident than when it comes to the game's exploration mechanics. Genshin Impact players have a wide variety of ways to explore the sprawling world of Teyvat, but some of those mechanics are more streamlined than others. According to a number of fans, the game's climbing mechanics specifically leave a little to be desired.
In Genshin Impact, players have the ability to climb just about anything, from buildings to towering mountains. Free-form climbing is an essential part of journeying across Teyvat, gathering collectibles, and finding good spots to glide from. However, climbing may be important, but a number of fans have stated that the system is far from perfect.
Redditor mastocklkaksi kicked off the debate by posting that the flawed climbing mechanics were taking away the fun of exploring new areas in Genshin Impact. They stated that climbing was always a chore, that stamina management was unnecessarily irritating, and that slightly-uneven surfaces were the single biggest threat in the game. According to the user, miHoYo keeps making even more frustrating climbing surfaces with each new patch.
Another Redditor, rouye_, stated that nothing was worse than climbing to the top of a surface and not being able to get any further because of a protruding ledge--or climbing up a mountain and belatedly realizing it was an optional exploration objective. However, a number of other users commented that they enjoyed having to examine a wall and predict whether or not they'd be able to finish climbing. Apparently, this strategic element of the game's exploration is quite realistic, as real-life climbers often have to evaluate terrain as well as their stamina levels.
Other users noted that they don't mind evaluating Genshin Impact's terrain, but sometimes the game's climbing surfaces appear to glitch. Reportedly, it's very difficult to tell what ledges and protrusions the characters will be able to get past and what will bring the climb to a dead stop. Fellow Redditor neue-user shared a request for a smooth climbing mechanic that didn't force the player to stop on uneven surfaces, while several other users began suggesting that a harpoon gun or grappling hook be implemented to make climbing easier. Another user noted that most exploring is done by sprinting in Dragonspine, and Dragonspine is one of the most comfortable areas to explore despite being a frozen mountain.
Genshin Impact is available now on PC, PS4, PS5, and mobile devices. A Switch version is currently in development with no confirmed release date.