The co-op RPG Genshin Impact has had a very successful launch. MeinMMO author Larissa Then has played the game for you. She reveals how she experienced the game and what reminded her of Zelda.
Who is writing here? I have loved video games for as long as I can remember. It all started in the 90s with my first Game Boy, and it hasn’t changed to this day. My first Zelda game was Ocarina of Time, and I have followed the series with interest ever since. When Breath of the Wild finally came out in 2017, I was totally hyped.
Zelda had to share my attention on my Switch soon with another passion: Asian RPGs. I have invested a lot of time in Xenoblade Chronicles 2 and I regret nothing. I was all the more pleased when I heard about Genshin Impact. Even the first images looked promising for an anime fan like me.
So I dove into the fray right after the release and tried Genshin Impact. After about 8 hours, I have progressed a bit in the story and reached adventure rank 11. In my preview report, you can learn more about Genshin Impact, what reminded me of Zelda there, and why I like it.
MeinMMO author Larissa Then usually plays MMORPGs, as seen here in ESO.
The start in the world of Genshin Impact
What kind of game is this? Genshin Impact is an Asian free-to-play RPG with a co-op feature. It was released on September 28 for PC, PS4, and Android and iOS devices. Switch players still have to wait a bit, as the game has only been announced for the console so far. There are also rumors that The colorful characters of Genshin Impact
So you always have to pay attention to the weaknesses of your enemies and switch characters accordingly. The level of your characters and your account level called adventure rank are separate.
When I finally managed to start the game, I was greeted by a cutscene featuring the twins Lumine and Aether battling an ill-tempered goddess. I was supposed to choose one of the siblings, and I opted for the female hero. The outcome was that my brother was kidnapped by the goddess, and I was left standing alone.
Then I entered the world and played a small tutorial, in which I met my future companion Paimon. This was followed by the first battle with my sword. I struggled a bit with the unfamiliar controls at first but managed to get through it.
This is how you enter the world of Genshin Impact with Paimon in the background
There are many helpful tutorials that can be clicked on when encountering new enemies. Ultimately, I was able to achieve the goal of activating the so-called Statue of the Seven and obtaining its powers.
A few minutes later, I encountered my second playable character, the archer Amber. She took me to the nearby city and I received my first important gadget – a pair of wings for gliding.
Diving deeper into the story
What happened next? I have to say, I felt very free with the wings and played with them longer than necessary. Then the city was attacked by an angry dragon that was supposed to protect it. That was a bit chaotic, and ultimately it was up to me to drive the dragon away.
The fight against the dragon Storm Terror with my new wings
Through this action, I stood out positively as a heroine and became the talk of the town. I was also able to meet a few NPCs who would soon become my companions. Especially Kaeya, the cavalry captain with his eye patch, intrigued me.
Fortunately, I met him again during the next storyline mission. We freed one of the temples in the area from evil forces. For that, we urgently needed Kaeya’s ice element.
One of the main characters at the beginning: the knight Kaeya
How is it with the combat system? From then on, I also started to think more about the elements. Each character has an element, and you can perform combo attacks with them. Additionally, enemies are differently vulnerable, and external factors such as rain also favor one or another element.
You can equip the individual characters with weapons and artifacts, so it was quite convenient for me that I soon received a welcome gift. With this Primogem and the crystals, I was able to unlock my first weapons and the archer Fischl, one of the strongest characters in Genshin Impact.
This way, I mostly played my main character and Fischl alternately and further explored the map. Along the way, I spoke to many characters and got to know the world better. More tips on how to get started well in Genshin Impact can be found with us at MeinMMO:
How much Zelda is in here? Until the point with the glider, I was not necessarily reminded of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, except for a little from the open world with its cel-shading look.
This may be because I rarely compare games. Almost every game has borrowed something from another, and that usually doesn’t bother me. I prefer to dive into my games without prejudice.
This is what the environment in Genshin Impact looks like
Then I set out into the world of Genshin Impact, and the feeling of Zelda had not dissipated. Too many elements reminded me of Breath of the Wild:
You can climb rock walls or buildings. You have a stamina bar that gets depleted. If you climb faster, you use more stamina.
This stamina bar also comes into play when sprinting.
In the world, small challenges await, similar to the Koroks.
The design of some enemies is very reminiscent of Zelda.
You can shoot chests to launch enemies into the air and set them on fire.
These are just the little things that lurk in the world and reminded me of Zelda. Much more significant was my first real story mission. There, I had to visit a temple and free it from the evil power.
A temple with jumping puzzles in BOTW (left) and Genshin Impact (right)
More such temples awaited me. There, I had to defeat enemies and overcome smaller puzzles and jumping passages – just like in Breath of the Wild.
And there was another significant experience. When I activated my second Statue of the Seven, a new section of the map became visible. This type of completion of the open world was something I only knew from Breath of the Wild. Generally, I found it hard to take a step in Genshin Impact that didn’t remind me of Zelda.
I like Genshin Impact anyway, or precisely because of that?
I found it by no means bothersome that I was reminded of Zelda at every turn. At least Paimon doesn’t say “Listen!” all the time, although the little flying creature is still somewhat annoying.
What do I like about Genshin Impact? On the contrary, I even think it is good that I am reminded of Breath of the Wild. I loved the game, and I am glad that I can play something similar. A sequel is still a long way off.
I especially look forward to the higher temples. I’m curious if the puzzles will become more challenging because Breath of the Wild did that well. In Genshin Impact, the temples are tied to the adventure rank, and I need to level up a bit to unlock more.
What am I particularly looking forward to? I am also looking forward to the next cities and characters I will encounter there. So far, I am relatively spoiler-free regarding the story and am curious about what else awaits me in the open world. Since I liked the characters I have met so far, I’m particularly interested in their development.
My first glide through the beautifully designed city of Mondstadt
What sets Genshin Impact apart significantly from Breath of the Wild is the combat system. The switch between various characters and elements can be quite demanding, especially at the beginning.
I’m still not quite through with some enemies; I find it incredibly exciting and want to learn how to master it.
Is there anything that bothers me? Nevertheless, a few minor things annoy me as well. The most stressful thing I find is Paimon, my companion. She is always present during cutscenes, ruining half of them or struggling to find words. She might be cute, but I can’t stand her.
Paimon is in charge of your menu. She calls you when you want to check your inventory or character list.
Also annoying is the noise when my character stretches while standing still. It sounds like a crying baby. Especially when I briefly tap out of the game, I often get startled by it.
However, those are the only points of criticism I have at the moment. Sure, the gacha system can cost you a pretty penny. In Genshin Impact, you can unlock new characters and weapons through loot boxes, and the chance of obtaining a 5-star item is extremely low.
However, I am satisfied with what I have. After all, you often get the chance to draw for free and can unlock characters through missions.
There is even an advantage to BOTW
How is it with multiplayer? And the best thing about Genshin Impact is that I can finally play a game like Breath of the Wild in co-op! Personally, I love playing multiplayer. It’s extremely rare these days for a solo game to captivate me for a long time. I just need my buddies to have longer-lasting fun.
Unfortunately, I haven’t been able to test the co-op feature in Genshin Impact yet, as my adventure rank is not high enough. However, I can already send a few details ahead.
To be able to play with your friends, you must have reached adventure rank 16, which can take several hours. You can level up by exploring, opening chests, or completing quests.
Of course, Genshin Impact is not Breath of the Wild, but it shouldn’t be either. I wouldn’t call it a clone, even though many elements resemble Zelda.
In the first hours, I chuckled at every Zelda reminder, and my partner in the background kept dropping “Breath of the Wild” references. Nevertheless, I find Genshin Impact fascinating as a standalone game and want to learn more about its world and characters.
Genshin Impact is a free-to-play co-op RPG from the developer miHoYo. The graphics and the open world of the game are reminiscent of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, ...
