For a game that initially looked like a blatant Breath of the Wild clone, the team at miHoYo has turned Genshin Impact into something that has a unique identity, and it might not be long before players have a chance to try it out.
The free-to-play Action RPG does bear an aesthetic similarity to the Nintendo juggernaut, but the large number of playable characters—at least 20—and the ability to play the game in cross-platform co-op already set it apart. When the game releases, players will have access to the cities of Mondstadt and Liyue Harbor on the massive continent of Teyvat.
This makes it quite clear that, as with many free-to-play titles, the game will feature live-service updates opening up more of Teyvat to players. The flashy trailers for Genshin Impact don't give a sense yet of how vast Teyvat is, but players will get to experience it for themselves soon.
Genshin Impact will start welcoming players on PC & mobile devices to the world of Teyvat on September 28th. This date was teased in an earlier update, when the developer stated that Genshin Impact would launch "before October". Keeping its word, miHoYo will drop the game just before September ends. The press release from the company also states that the PS4 version of the game is still slated for a fall release. Noticeably absent was any mention of the Switch version of the game.
From the initial rollout, Genshin Impact plans to expand the scope of its world, introducing more cities, stories, characters, and seasonal events. This approach could offer enough to shake off the BOTW clone label that has been affixed to the game by its detractors.
After some initial doubts, folks that had a chance to play Genshin Impact at PAX East found it charming, with a lot to offer. The deep magic system offers players a number of ways to use elements to their advantage in combat and in exploration, while the array of characters means a player can build a party to their liking.
As launch day approaches, fans are encouraged to pre-register for the game through the App Store, Google Play, or on the website genshin.mihoyo.com. Doing so will net players 'milestone rewards'.
Despite making efforts to show that it is not a retread of Breath of the Wild, gamers are still making the comparison. Though this is certainly not the worst game to be compared to. Genshin Impact might just scratch the itch while players ruminate on what Breath of the Wild 2 will look like.
Genshin Impact will launch on PC & mobile devices on September 28th, with a PS4 release this fall.