Genshin Impact has Changed the Gaming Genre Forever

We’ve talked about Genshin Impact quite a bit on this channel.
I was one of the very first Youtuber’s to bring this game to the attention of our viewers, and have spoken highly about the game at every given opportunity over the course of its development cycle.
Mrs Stix and I have played the game quite extensively over the course of the last 2 weeks and I have to admit, although we had access to the Final Closed Beta test, I was taken a little aback by how good this game ultimately ended up being.

Genshin Impact is a completely functional cross-platform online cooperative adventure game. I know players have made almost infinite comparison to Breath of the Wild but this game is its own beast entirely.
This game has single-handedly dominated every game release currently available, attracting hundreds of thousands of concurrent viewers on Twitch during peak hours, and topping $100 million dollars in total gross within its first week of release.
Yup, if you weren’t already aware, the game recouped its entire budget in a single week – something that I bet they’re ecstatic to hear. And you know what? I couldn’t be happier for them.
Genshin Impact is an incredibly high quality game. This game has changed the entire market – or should. It has set an entirely new standard for what should be acceptable for a video game release on any platform.
Yes, Genshin Impact is currently available on PC, Mobile devices and PS4. A Switch release was planned, but that has been delayed… for an undisclosed amount of time unfortunately. Sorry guys.
But when playing the game, it feels almost like it was built for the platform you’re playing it on. I’ve played it on both PC and mobile devices, for both of my channels.
On PC, not only does the game look beautiful and crisp in 1440p, but the UI isn’t invasive like what is traditionally found in mobile games, especially mobile games that have been ported on over to PC like V4, A3 or Gran Saga.
The combat isn’t targeted at gamers playing on a small mobile screen. The game isn’t unintuitive. There is no auto-play, no auto-combat. It looks and feels as if it were built for PC players in mind.
And you know what? When playing on mobile devices, it feels like one of the highest quality experiences you’ll likely have. Very few mobile games have left me feeling as though they had any chance of competing with a non-mobile title.

This is a game with an enormous scale. But where most games are limited by their story – encompassing a single story that has a beginning and an end, it seems as though Genshin Impact will feature the exact opposite.
You begin choosing one of two siblings, and then.. go on your typical RPG journey. Recruiting a ton of characters along the way, some via story, and others via the Gacha system.
Now let me preface this by stating that of all the things Genshin Impact does right, there are two very large issues I have with the game.
One is the Gacha system. Obtaining certain characters is nigh-impossible. Mrs Stix spent $200 on stream to show people how unlikely it is to obtain characters, despite some people getting incredibly lucky and scoring 5* heroes.
Other content creators have spent thousands of dollars to obtain the hero they wanted – something I think is undeniably.. wasteful, in my opinion, but at the same time it’s their money and I completely relate to spending however much you want on whatever makes you happy.
To me, wasting hundreds of dollars- thousands of dollars on a character is a waste of time and money, especially considering you’re given free rolls in-game and over time will likely obtain every character you want anyway.
But at the same time I understand the appeal of wanting them now, and potentially even being able to afford them. This is your money, regardless of what some of us think nobody can tell you what you should or shouldn’t spend it on.
Heck, I spend $200 at the Angus Barn here in Raleigh, North Carolina every time we go out and that’s literally for a single meal for Mrs Stix and I. Some people might deem that wasteful, but I enjoy it.
Where most stories end, however, Genshin Impact has a surplus of content planned over a plethora of different chapters.
Currently, we have the Prologue Chapter which is set in Mondstadt and Chapter 1 which is set in Liyue.
There is Chapter 2 set in Inazuma, Chapter 3 set in Sumeru, Chapter 4 set in Fontaine, Chapter 5 set in Natlan, Chapter 6 set in Snezhnaya, and finally Chapter 7 set in Khaen’riah.
Each Chapter has its own unique elemental affinity associated with it, its own region, its own characters and a continuation of the story.
In taking this approach, they’re allowing themselves the ability to tell a long-lasting story much in the way an MMO like Final Fantasy XIV or World of Warcraft would, as opposed to including all of the story in its full release.
So if you think about it, Genshin Impact takes inspiration from games like Breath of the Wild but also the MMO genre, and attempts to meld them together into this unique amalgamation of genres that appeals to everyone.
Just because Chapter 7 is the final chapter we have listed doesn’t mean that will end the journey for the main character, though.
Much like their other incredibly popular title Honkai Impact 3rd, I bet miHoYo have years worth of content planned to keep players actively playing and spending money until their next big hit.

While the story is quite deep and provides quite a lot to do, there’s plenty more to the game than that.
Much like the vast majority of RPGs, you have a level – individual character levels and an Adventure Rank which functions as an “all-encompassing” restriction on content you’re capable of consuming and participating in.
You have an enormous world to explore, scaling the environment, gliding, engaging enemies in battle, fighting world bosses, making your way through dungeons, seeking treasure.
There’s multiplayer functionality – which is actually the only other issue I have with the game.
Multiplayer in Genshin Impact is incredibly limiting. I don’t think I’ve met a single person that actually enjoys how the multiplayer is handled, and is happy with how it’s implemented.
There are restrictions present that prevent you from continuing the story while other people are in your group, that prevent various rewards from being distributed, with the “instance owner” obtaining all of the rewards available.
So in essence you’re limited in what you can do, and you’re limited in what you can obtain. I hope these limitations are eased up a little over time but I understand that multiplayer isn’t really what miHoYo were aiming for with the game.

This is a game that nobody anticipated would be nearly as good as it ultimately ended up being. People would often come into my videos and say this was just your typical “Chinese Anime mobile garbage,” but look at it now.
Never in a million years would I have assumed a game like this – a game that you can play across all major – well, I say major but I mean the most popular – platforms currently available.
Nobody thought this would look as good as it does. Nobody thought this would play as good as it does. And now that players have gotten a taste of the kind of quality title we can play – there is going to need to be a shift in the market.
I just posted a Gran Saga video, and the majority of players came in saying “this looks crap compared to Genshin Impact” and you know what? They’re right.
MMOs, RPGs, Adventure titles.. everything is going to have to up their game if they want to compete in a market that is absolutely dominated by the titan that is Genshin Impact.
This game has set a new standard in the genre – if companies are going to want to garner a fraction of the market that miHoYo have now established, they’re going to have to create much more robust, much more complex game than what is the current norm.
This is a turning point in the gaming genre. Not just for PC games, not just for mobile games, but for the entire cross-platform genre is a whole.

Genshin Impact, while it definitely has its issues – even the best games do, is an absolute marvel to behold.
I look forward to seeing all of the content miHoYo and Genshin Impact push out and where the genre goes from here.