Genshin Impact started as an open-world, Breath of the Wild-inspired exploration game infused with gacha characters. While it initially felt a load of backlash because of its visual similarity to the Legend of Zelda title, its gameplay has vastly proved to be its own beast, generating over $1 billion in revenue within the first six months on smartphones alone.
It began as an action-adventure, featuring an intriguing story with some entertaining events sprinkled along the way such as the Unreconciled Stars and Lantern Rite events. Then, it implemented some new systems unprecedented for the gacha genre, such as visual novels followed by house customization, broadening the scope of what Genshin Impact is. But now miHoYo has possibly taken it a step too far with the addition of rhythm gaming, showing that it might be trying to become a jack-of-all-trades while being a master of none.
Genshin Impact's 'Side' Gameplay Mechanics
Combat and exploration make up the bulk of Genshin Impact's gameplay; by completing various daily, weekly, and monthly tasks as well as main and side quests, players can be rewarded with Primogems, a form of currency used to buy Wishes, used to access the gacha. But months after the game's launch, Genshin Impact began implementing alternative gameplay mechanics, or side activities that players could invest their time in while not being pertinent to the main objectives.
The first of these included Genshin Impact's Hangout Events. The first of the lot were four four-star characters that rarely get any attention: Barbara, Noelle, Chongyun, and Bennett. Players could spend some quality time with them, and in the case of the two female characters, the Hangouts featured romantic undertones, mimicking the visual novel genre popular to Japanese gaming. They were well-received among fans for their innocent nature and cute endings, especially Noelle's. As a result, many players said they hoped to see other characters get Hangout Events as well, and since, Genshin Impact has added initial chapters for Sayu, Diona, and Thoma.
Further down the line, Genshin Impact introduced an intriguing system called the Serenitea Pot with Version 1.5. After picking a realm, building a home, and decorating it with furnishings, players can invite their friends to visit via co-op. There are several submechanics here such as the Trust Rank and crafting times, much like many mobile sandbox games. Once it launched, players were excited for the Serenitea Pot, as it was a creative space similar to the likes of Animal Crossing but in the world of Teyvat. However, some players did note that the Serenitea Pot overall felt a bit hollow and had many grievances with it, possibly signaling intentions to keep players focused on Genshin Impact without leaving time to make the gameplay meaningful.
Genshin Impact's Mediocre Rhythm Gaming
The most recent Genshin Impact event, Tuned to the World's Sounds, actually brings back a gameplay mechanic, rhythm, which was first introduced in the Windblume Festival. Players simulate instruments to the tune of music by pressing the WASD and IJKL keys on PC. Unfortunately, unlike the examples previously mentioned, this event hasn't been as well received. Many players are struggling to pass the event and have announced they've given up. Specifically, the complaints come down to how well the mechanic was implemented, for example, the rhythms don't always line up with the beat of the music, according to professional musicians. Many have resorted to playing with Genshin Impact muted.
It's clear that Genshin Impact is trying to broaden its horizons by implementing a variety of gameplay styles. This is likely because miHoYo's goal is to keep the gacha game going for an entire decade, much longer than what was originally intended. However, fine-tuning gameplay mechanics takes time and expertise. The team could be reaching beyond its comfort zone, or perhaps the mechanic was rushed. Genshin Impact is one of the best-received gacha games on the market because it's what miHoYo is known for. But now, players feel like these other mechanics simply exist to keep players coming back, but aren't delivering strong results.
Genshin Impact is out now for Mobile, PC, PS4, and PS5, and is coming to Switch at a later date.