It often feels like mobile RPGs have to make sacrifices in order to live up to console standards, whether they decrease the graphical capacity or let the narrative slip by the wayside to focus on gameplay aspects. Well, mobile RPG Genshin Impact has greatly switched up those expectations. With its huge open world, gorgeous graphics, and hours of gameplay, Genshin Impact is still on everyone’s lips over a year after release.
Before Mihoyo released the game in September 2020, many wrote it off as a generic Breath of the Wild clone, with a member of the public even smashing their PS4 at an event to protest the release of the title, even though, at that time, people had seen very little of the game. I believe the controversy surrounding Genshin Impact really helped it gain traction initially, as everyone desperately wanted to see what the fuss was about, only to realise the game’s potential after heading off on their first quest.
Since Genshin’s worldwide release, it has become Google Play’s best game of 2020, gained enough followers to form the largest Discord server ever, and also won the best mobile game award at TGA 2021, among other things. Genshin Impact also continues to release frequent updates with new characters, quests, and light-hearted events, which further proves the game is here to stay.
In my Genshin Impact review, I called the game “a joy to explore,” and this still rings true over a year down the line. In a time where many are finding it difficult to travel in real life, it transports you to a world where you can climb mountains, glide through the sky, and explore different locations to your heart’s content. The amount of content and the grand world of Genshin Impact greatly set it apart from other mobile RPGs.
Despite being an epic, open-world RPG, Genshin Impact also includes gacha elements. Gacha games can sometimes feel off-putting for new players, and certain mobile RPGs definitely implement the system better than others. In Genshin Impact the gacha element feels unintrusive.
You can earn in-game currency by completing quests and daily commissions, which you can spend on wishes to receive new characters and weapons. The currency endlessly rains upon you in the early game, but is tougher to farm down the line. After sinking over 40 free-to-play hours into Genshin Impact, I was happy to toss a few dollars at the game just to say thanks for releasing something so epic for free, but if you need a little help, we have a handy Genshin Impact codes list.
As someone who loves console RPG epics like Final Fantasy and Xenoblade Chronicles, Genshin Impact feels like a huge step up from the mobile RPGs I am used to, and easily compares to some of the best console counterparts. It has made me give a whole myriad of mobile gacha games a second chance, but more than that, Genshin Impact has permanently changed my expectations of what a mobile RPG should look like.
If you are looking to get into the mobile RPG epic, we have a handy Genshin Impact tier list and Genshin Impact next banner guide to help get you started.