Genshin Impact's 5-Year Evolution: A Comprehensive Review of Game Changes, Character Depth, and Player Experience

Vars II

Genshin Impact's 5-Year Milestone and Industry Impact [0:00:00]

• Genshin Impact celebrates its 5th anniversary, a significant achievement for a live-service gacha title.
• The game is widely recognized as the largest and most commercially successful gacha game to date.
• Transformation of the Gacha Industry: - Before 2020, gacha games were often perceived as low-quality mobile titles focused on monetization. - Genshin Impact elevated the standard for gacha games in terms of production value and gameplay experience. - Many new and upcoming gacha games use Genshin Impact as a template, indicating its profound influence in popularizing the genre.

Gacha System and Generosity: A Declining Trend [0:02:50]

• Limited Free Pulls: - Genshin Impact has maintained a consistent, rather conservative, approach to providing free pulls (approximately 60-70 pulls per 6-week patch). - Reaching a guaranteed 5-star character requires 80-90 pulls, meaning it takes more than one full patch for free-to-play players to secure a guaranteed 5-star. - On average, players can acquire only 3-4 featured 5-star characters per year if they alternate between winning and losing the 50/50 chance.
• Increased Character Demand: - The game now features three distinct endgame modes, each with unique constraints, necessitating a more diverse and varied roster of characters than in early versions. - Many free pulls are obtained by completing these endgame modes, creating a "catch-22": more characters are needed for pulls, but more pulls are needed for characters.
• Impact on Different Player Types: - For players primarily interested in the narrative and storytelling, the limited free pulls are less impactful if they are content with their existing character roster. - However, even casual players are negatively affected by not having access to a wider range of characters, limiting their experience of the game's expansive cast.
• Conclusion on Gacha System: The game's generosity has not improved and, circumstantially, has worsened due to increased character requirements for newer content.

Character Design and Narrative: A Strong Suit [0:05:10]

• High-Quality Character Development: - Characters are considered Genshin Impact's strongest asset, contributing significantly to its mainstream appeal. - Unlike many past gacha games that prioritized quantity over quality, Genshin characters are fully fleshed out with unique dialogues, personalities, visuals, designs, and integral roles in the story. - From main archons to seemingly minor characters, Hoyo invests heavily in giving each unit a distinct thematic purpose.
• Player Attachment and Community Engagement: - The depth of characters fosters strong player attachment, leading to a vast amount of fan art and fan-made content. - The community largely agreed on the quality of characters up until the release of Natlan.
• Natlan Character Controversy (Version 5): - While some found the visual designs of Natlan's characters unusual or incoherent, they remain visually striking and narratively meaningful (e.g., Mauvika). - The issue was primarily with the aesthetic choices (e.g., biker suit and motorcycle) rather than the character's depth or role.
• Expanding Narrative and Villains: - Character association and affiliation are a strong suit, with players loving not only heroes but also side characters and villains (e.g., Fatui Harbingers compared to Naruto's Akatsuki). - The narrative is approaching a critical juncture, with many important characters teased for version 6 and long-anticipated units like Dainsleif potentially becoming playable.
• Conclusion on Characters: This aspect has consistently improved over the years, enriching the storytelling and player experience.

Gameplay and Power Scaling: Challenges for New Players [0:07:15]

• Increasing Power Creep: - Genshin Impact's power scaling has significantly increased in recent years, particularly from versions 4 through 6. - While not as extreme as other gacha games, newer characters and teams offer a considerable leap in power compared to earlier versions. - Previously, players could clear endgame content (Spiral Abyss) with two-year-old teams, but this is no longer easily achievable due to increased difficulty and power disparity.
• Difficulty for New Players: - New players starting in 2025 would face substantial challenges in endgame content. - It could take over a year to achieve a perfect clear in modes like Stygian Onslaught, and higher difficulties of Imaginarium Theater might be inaccessible due to elemental requirements and character rosters. - This makes it difficult for new players to experience the "full scope" of the game in a reasonable timeframe without significant financial investment.
• Motivation for Progression: - As an RPG, even non-combat activities are indirectly motivated by combat and progression, as resources from quests and events are used to strengthen characters for tougher enemies.
• Conclusion on Gameplay: The escalating power creep and character requirements have worsened the gameplay experience for new players, making it much harder to engage with endgame content.

World Exploration: A New Player's Paradise [0:09:36]

• Vast and Rich Open World: - The world of Teyvat has unequivocally improved over the years, offering an overwhelming amount of content for new players. - Access to all regions (Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, Natlan, Dragonspine, Khanri'ah, Sea of Vigo, Eras, Ancient Sacred Mountain, Enkanomiya) provides an unparalleled exploration experience.
• Hundreds of Hours of Content: - New players can enjoy approximately 300+ hours of gameplay just in exploration, with main story content alone estimated at 100 hours and 100% completion at 800+ hours. - This includes diverse scenery, intricate puzzles, and numerous quests.
• Comparison to Other Games: - The exploration content is comparable to critically acclaimed open-world titles like "Breath of the Wild" and "Tears of the Kingdom."
• Advantages for Newcomers: - Unlike day-one players who experienced content incrementally, new players have immediate access to five years of accumulated content. - This wealth of content offers plenty to do even if it takes a year to reach endgame readiness.
• Lack of Legacy Events: - The absence of legacy events (unlike Honkai Star Rail or Wuthering Waves) means past limited-time content, such as the Three Realms Gateway Offering event for Enkanomiya, is not available. However, this is a minor drawback given the sheer volume of permanent content.
• Conclusion on World Exploration: This aspect has significantly improved, making Genshin Impact one of the best free-to-play open-world exploration games available.

Quality of Life Improvements [0:11:00]

• Positive Progress, Albeit Slow: - While sometimes slow compared to competitors, Genshin Impact has made significant strides in quality-of-life (QoL) improvements. - The game is in a much better state regarding user experience and convenience.
• Key Improvements: - One notable example is the ability to see the fourth stat of a three-line artifact without investing XP, a monumental improvement for artifact grinding.
• Remaining Areas for Improvement: - Despite progress, more QoL enhancements are still needed to address lingering tedious or bothersome aspects of the game.
• Conclusion on Quality of Life: QoL has definitely improved, making the game less frustrating and more enjoyable for players.

Overall Assessment and Recommendations [0:11:34]

• Mixed Feelings and Missed Potential: - Many players, including the video creator, expected more from Genshin Impact, expressing disappointment over its "what it could have been." - The game had potential for a more elaborate combat system, a nuanced endgame, or better integration of casual and "sweaty" content.
• Acknowledging Accomplishments: - Despite criticisms regarding its progression system, subpar endgame, expensive units, and lack of generosity, Genshin Impact is still a solid game.
• Recommendation for Players: - Adapt Expectations: Both new and veteran players should adjust their expectations. The game is best enjoyed casually and for fun, rather than as a hardcore competitive title. - Casual Play for Maximum Enjoyment: Players who focus on their favorite characters (regardless of meta), enjoy events with friends, customize their Serenitea Pot, and immerse in the story tend to have the most fun.
• Final Verdict: Genshin Impact is neither definitively "better" nor "worse" after five years, but "different." It has evolved, and so have players' perceptions and expectations.