Genshin Impact has a unique combat system which includes applying different elemental reactions by swapping through the four party characters. While most elements seem dependent on each other, Geo certainly stands.
For a very long time, many Genshin Impact players have been theorizing about using only Geo characters in their party. The official live stream for update 2.3 has revealed the content players will get in the following update, including two new Geo characters — Itto and Gorou.
Crystalize Is An Independent Elemental Reaction
Giving Albedo a banner re-run alongside releasing another two Geo characters could be miHoYo's way to introduce the first viable party with characters that use the same element. Elemental Reactions are a core fighting mechanic in the world of Genshin Impact. Combining different elements allows characters' damage output to multiply. Having a party with four characters using the same Vision is usually pretty suboptimal, but it actually could work with Geo since its reaction, Crystalize, can work independently from other elements.
The main problem with Crystalize is that it actually does no damage, unlike most other reactions. Instead, this elemental reaction generates a matching Electro, Hydro, Pyro, or Cryo Elemental Shard that can be picked up to gain a shield of the corresponding element. This ultimately means that by going with a full Geo squad, players would trade damage for sustain in fights, which can be good but only in certain situations. For example, the reactions Melt and Vaporize have the effect to double the damage for the skill that triggers the element.
Can Arataki Itto Be The Main DPS character?
Itto's ascension attribute is Critical Damage, which already gives him a head-start in the DPS scale against most characters. He can be described as a combination between Amber and Razor. His Elemental Skill, Akaushi Burst, works almost identical to Amber's skill considering that he drops a small pet that taunts nearby enemies, allowing Itto to recover if necessary. Unlike Amber's Baron Bunny, Itto's skill grants him stacks on his Superlative Superstrength, allowing him to dish out tons of bonus damage.
Arataki Itto's Elemental Burst is reminiscent of Razor, since its effect is mitigated once you swap for another character in the party. This means that ideally players would need to apply all their buffs with their support characters before going on a DPS rotation with Itto. The main reason why many players are skeptical about his DPS potential is that a Geo character should have at least 50% more damage than a Pyro or Cryo user in order to compete with their elemental reaction damage.
Albedo or Zhongli Are A Must In Geo Parties
Choosing the right support in Genshin Impact is crucial for fulfilling the damage potential for the main DPS characters. One of their roles is applying a certain element to a target, allowing the right reaction to be triggered. This role is insignificant in Geo parties because of its specific elemental reaction. Both Zhongli and Albedo have been two of the strongest support characters in Genshin Impact since their release many months ago.
Zhongli has been one of the strongest overall characters in the game since miHoYo introduced Geo buffs to the game. Besides providing one of the strongest shields in the game, Zhongli has the ability to lower opponents' resistances, which is very important in this team composition. His Elemental Burst literally brings a falling meteor to earth dealing much-needed AoE Geo damage, which is essential when having a DPS as Itto who's damage lies in Normal Attacks.
Albedo is one of the most underrated support characters since his impact is not as obvious like it is with Zhongli. Albedo and Zhongli's Elemental Skills have one of the greatest synergies in the game, dealing constant Geo damage in a large area for a long period of time. His Burst deals far less damage, but it provides multiple damage buffs, especially if his Constellations are maxed out.
Is Gorou The Best Healer For A Geo Party?
Geo parties do not require a strong healer compared to other parties thanks to all the shields provided with Crystalize. Geo-healing characters such as Noelle or Gorou do not work in the same way as other classic healers like Barbara or Kokomi. They can be considered as support healers since their slightly weaker healing capabilities are heavily compensated by other benefits they provide.
When it comes to healing, players would most likely have to choose between two characters, Bennet and Gorou. Even though he's a Pyro character, Bennet is probably the only healer that can compensate for the lack of damage that Crystalize provides thanks to his Elemental Burst, which provides a significant damage buff to all party members inside its circle.
However, miHoYo has intentionally put Gorou on the same banner as Itto because they have a very great synergy. Gorou's whole kit is based on having multiple Geo users in his party. He is actually one of the weakest characters in the game if not paired with two one or two Geo characters. A recent post on the Genshin_Impact_Leaks subreddit has revealed that a party with Albedo, Itto, Zhongli and Gorou has a slightly stronger DPS potential compared to when you swap in Bennet for Gorou.
A Geo party can be viable, especially for players with a focus on fighting their way through the vast world of Teyvat. Genshin Impact is designed in a way that players can pick up any character and build them in a strong DPS menace without having any problems in 90% of the content. However, a Geo squad could struggle in the game's endgame content such as the Spiral Abyss. Certain floors are almost impossible to beat without using the right elemental reactions.
Genshin Impact is now available on Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5. A Switch version is in development.