UTOPIA

GENSHIN IMPACT — A WHOLE NEW RPG EXPERIENCE

Monday, 25 April 2022
By Natasha Koh

Ever since Genshin Impact was released on 28 September 2020 from a small Chinese company, Hoyoverse, initially known as Mihoyo Ltd., the game has grown internationally all across the globe as one of the best open-world role-playing games (RPG).

As mentioned by BBC News, Genshin Impact is an open-world RPG that was released on multiple platforms such as Android, iOS, Microsoft Windows, and PlayStation 4 and 5. There is also a rumor that the company does have the intention of releasing the game on the Nintendo Switch as well.

Screen Rant, an entertainment news website, stated that the game starts off with a cutscene of two siblings, specifically called the ‘Travelers’ who are on an adventure but suddenly, one of them got kidnapped by someone called the ‘Unknown God’.

The other traveler wakes up in a world called Teyvat and he needs to walk around seven regions while getting seven ‘visions’ to find the missing sibling.

The game revolves a lot around alchemy and ‘vision’, a supernatural elemental power that is gifted from the Archons (God) to those who hold strong passion or ambition. There are seven elements in total which are pyro (fire), hydro (water), electro (electric), dendro (grass), cryo (ice), geo (earth), and anemo (wind).

The new 2.6 event is currently ongoing. From right to left, the characters presented are Albedo, Paimon, Traveler, and Ayato.

(Source: Hoyoverse)

The graphic of the game is beyond any doubt, the main factor that piques the interest of the players. According to IndieWire, the graphic of the game is similar to the famous Nintendo game, ‘Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild’, but it is obvious that the developers surely took that game as a full inspiration.

Nurqistinanisa, 21, a Mass Communication student from Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM) stated the characters’ clothing details are what makes her devoted to the game.

Currently, the game only has three regions unlocked out of seven—Mondstadt, Liyue, and Inazuma—each of the regions represents the country of Germany, China, and Japan respectively.

“My favorite character is Yoimiya, who is from Inazuma, a region-based in Japan. Her outfit is fully inspired by traditional Japanese clothing such as the Sarashi (the bandage under a kimono) and Shimenawa (the hemp rope to purify ritual),” said Nurqistinanisa.

Aside from the characters’ details, some of the locations in the game are inspired by real-life locations. Based on The Axo, a website focusing on gaming news, stated that in Liyue, the location called Luhua Pool is based heavily on Huanglong National Park where its spot is southwest of China’s Sichuan Province, Songpan Country.

Luhua pool (left) and Huanglong National Park (right) in comparison

(Source: BERITA DIMENSi/Natasha Koh and Tourism on The Edge)

On 9 December 2021, Genshin Impact managed to achieve the ‘Best Ongoing Award’ and the grand award, ‘Best Mobile Game’, competing with other games such as League of Legends: Wild Rift and Pokemon Unite at the time.

Salwa Sorhana, 21, a longtime Genshin Impact player, expressed that the game deserves all the hype and the awards since the game developers are mostly passionate otaku and they have been showing their true potential by creating a game with pure anime aesthetic.

“Yes, I think it is a good start to show the world what impact video games can have. It is an art medium that is laid back and entertaining all at once,” said Salwa as she explained why she would recommend the game to others.

Genshin Impact remains popular among teenagers and working adults. In a year, the game managed to generate almost two billion dollars in revenue, and the statistics continue to rise.

The game continues to shine and show a new revolution of an open-world RPG to the current generation. It is not merely the graphic that deserves the credit, but the music, playstyle, and plot together create a whole masterpiece.

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