First announced in June of 2020, Genshin Impact immediately caught a considerable amount of attention for it’s cel-shaded, open-world environment and colorful cast of characters. Unfortunately, that popularity turned to notoriety due to an incident involving a PS4 fan at ChinaJoy after the game’s initial response, but the game has shown itself to be a unique title that can stand out against the controversy.
Game Rant has been fortunate enough to have an opportunity to talk to Genshin Impact developer MiHoYo about the development of the title and looking at what players can expect and be excited about ahead of the release on September 28th. The following transcript of miHoYo’s answers to the prepared questions have been translated and localized from the developer’s native Chinese language.
GR: Being both an open-world and free-to-play title with tons of games in both genres, what makes Genshin Impact unique and stand out among the competition?
A: We don’t think that there are too many games on the market that have combined open-world and free-to-play. Genshin Impact is an open-world action RPG that immerses players in the beautiful and exotic land of Teyvat. Players can enjoy an original game world with charming characters and many interesting stories. Multiplayer co-op and a combat system revolving around elemental interaction are also key features that we hope players will enjoy, alongside unlocking new and exciting possibilities in battle. Experiencing them first-hand will, of course, be the best way to understand them.
GR: On the subject of standing out among the competition, while the art style has been compared to The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, how does the gameplay make Genshin Impact feel like its own unique experience?
A: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is one of the most popular and respected titles in the industry, and one which our staff holds in high regard. In a post that our team circulated to players last year, we mentioned that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild was one of our inspirations for creating Genshin Impact as an open-world action RPG. That said, it is important to note that once you actually pick up the game, you will find the experience of Genshin Impact to be very different from that of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
Genshin Impact features a fully original story and characters, and the core gameplay revolves around assembling a party of multiple characters and engaging in a combat system based on interactions between different elements. We are hoping that players can experience the uniqueness of the game first-hand, and of course that they will enjoy the experience.
GR: As far as inspirations may go, are there any specific historical or spiritual themes, like mythical characters and creatures, that influenced building the world of Teyvat?
A: The cities of Teyvat each have their own distinct local culture. Mondstadt is inspired by European culture and style, while Liyue Harbor is a realm of oriental fantasy. The scenery of Liyue Harbor and its surrounding area draw heavily from natural landscapes, architecture, and culture of East Asia, with distinctive Chinese-inspired landscaped gardens, terraced farms and flora, all giving it a sense of drama and natural beauty that you may recognize from Chinese historical dramas. Mondstadt and Liyue Harbor are merely the first two of seven majors cities in the world of Genshin Impact, with other cities slated to be added to the game in future updates. Each city will have its own distinct setting and history, bringing a unique visual and audio experience as you explore each of them.
GR: What is the first thing players should do as they sign into Genshin Impact and start exploring the open world?
A: When the player enters Genshin Impact, Paimon will be there to guide the player through a tutorial so that they can understand the game’s basic mechanics and combat style. So, when you first enter the game, acclimating to the vast world of Genshin Impact under Paimon’s guidance is the first step. Of course, as an open-world action RPG, the core aspect of the gameplay experience beyond the main storyline is exploring the world. There is no agenda as far as quests in the open-world are concerned — players can explore Teyvat to their heart’s content and pursue whatever they find fun or interesting.
GR: How is monetization balanced to make sure that microtransactions are rewarding for players looking to get everything they can out of the game?
A: We have strived to make Genshin Impact a friendly and accessible F2P experience. Players will be able to choose whether and how they want to spend money. Players will be able to unlock 4 main characters to use for exploring the world by simply progressing through the storyline. Players may also obtain materials, equipment, weapons, and other characters by completing challenges and quests.
Of course, the Wish system is also available for players who want to have access to more characters and equipment. The in-game shop allows players to buy Genesis Crystals, supply packs, as well as Primogems. Primogems are used to purchase Wish items, such as Intertwined Fate and Acquaint Fate, which in turn can be used to obtain rare weapons and characters. Other items like Gnostic Hymn and Gnostic Chorus are used to upgrade the Sojourner’s Battle Pass and obtain in-game items.
GR: In what ways will the large cast of characters affect how players experience the game? For instance, will players be encouraged to find a main character to play as, or will successfully advancing require trying out new characters and play style more often?
Each character in Genshin Impact has an elemental power which corresponds to one of the seven elements (Hydro, Pyro, Electro, Anemo, Geo, Cryo, and Dendro). Switching between characters enables elemental reactions that add an additional layer of depth to combat, and even characters of the same element are not completely alike in how their elemental powers work and what role they play in battle. Players can form a party of up to 4 characters at any one time based on their own preferences and fighting style, and use their party to explore the world and complete domain challenges.
GR: How do the characters’ elements and weapons affect multiplayer and team composition?
A: You can choose from a variety of characters in Genshin Impact, each corresponding to one of seven different elements. Switching between characters enables elemental reactions that add an additional layer of depth to combat, as well as dealing greater damage to the enemy. Choosing your elements is key to finding your own combat style and completing the various challenges in the game. The different elements also interact with the environment: Hydro and Cryo interact with Pyro differently, for instance, enabling puzzle solutions and new possibilities for exploration. Weapons also have their own attributes that interact with characters and combat in different ways.
GR: How does Genshin Impact balance single player with multiplayer to make sure that solo players are still able to enjoy the games when playing by themselves?
A: Our goal with Genshin Impact is to deliver an immersive open world, combining both single-player and co-op modes to allow you to explore the massive game world with your friends and join together for certain challenges such as boss fights and domains. Which mode you choose is entirely up to you — there are no stages or challenges that can only be completed in co-op mode.
GR: What can players expect from the more dynamic aspects of the world, like public events or monster attacks on Mondstadt?
A: The game will feature various events based on different in-game content. We hope that players keep an eye out for these in-game events and look forward to participating in the fun.
GR: How do the locales of Teyvat, like Mondstadt and Liyue Harbor, set themselves apart from each other, and is there an incentive to visit each one regularly?
A: The different cities of Teyvat have different regional cultures associated with them. To take the two major cities that are already featured in Genshin Impact as an example, Mondstadt is a European-style city of freedom, while Liyue Harbor is an Eastern fantasy land. When we were designing the landscape of Liyue Harbor and the surrounding countryside, we drew inspiration from traditional Eastern landscapes, architecture, and culture, so that Liyue and Mondstadt each have a completely different feel to them in terms of both the sights and the culture.
The auditory experience in both regions is also strikingly different, and for those who decide to explore the game in depth, the vastly different stories, folklore, and history to be found in each region will serve to enrich the distinctive cultures of both regions. In Genshin Impact‘s open world, everything is changing constantly. Players will find all sorts of random events and ad-hoc assignments that can only be discovered by constantly exploring the world and digging deeper into it.
GR: Are there plans to port Genshin Impact to other systems, like Xbox One, or even next-gen consoles as they release later in the year?
A: We have plans regarding next-gen consoles, and we will be announcing them as these plans take shape. We do not currently have plans to release the game on Xbox.
GR: What types of additional content can players expect to see in Genshin Impact after launch, and how often will these expansions be coming?
A: Genshin Impact has been conceived as a live service game, with continuous updates and new content that will improve the player experience. We will be making continuous improvements based on player feedback and suggestions. More characters and stories are in the pipeline, as well as richer social interactions, more variety in the gameplay experience, and more optimized domain farming. As new features are implemented, any materials required will be added to the game world, with the goal of having the open-world experience permeate every part of the game.
Domains will become increasingly dynamic, increasing player engagement and the importance of team planning. Ways to customize your appearance are also being discussed. Genshin Impact will launch with two of the seven major cities of Teyvat — Mondstadt and Liyue. The third city is currently under development. As this game is a long-term operation, more content and other main cities will be released after the game is officially launched. Stay tuned!
GR: Is there anything else that players should know about Genshin Impact to get them excited to start playing?
A: As Genshin Impact is an open-world action RPG, adventuring in the open world is a very big part of the game. The game features dozens of hours’ worth of non-repeated exploration, which we are sure will provide players with a memorable gaming experience. At the time of launch, Genshin Impact will feature the first two of the seven major cities to appear in Teyvat, namely Mondstadt and Liyue. We are currently planning and creating the third major city. Genshin Impact will be a game for the long term, and we will be continually releasing new content — including the remaining cities, amongst other things — after it officially launches. So please stay tuned.
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Genshin Impact is set to release on September 28th, 2020, on Android, iOS, PC, and PS4. With a Switch release expected later on.
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