Via Play Station
So here’s the thing: Genshin Impact is becoming very popular, very fast. Now, why do people
enjoy this game so much? What about it is so interesting that it makes millions of people play it for hours on end? (Me included, I actually used to play it for 18 hours a day, don't ask.) There are many things, such as collecting characters, diverse playstyles, lore, and storyline, the soundtrack - the soundtrack being one of my favorites.
Genshin starts off with a cut scene, to begin the lore that we will continue to follow (for probably a long time, it is still going on, actually). You get introduced to the world of Teyvat (basically like Earth), and you meet your own traveling companion called Paimon. It takes some time to actually get affiliated with the gameplay but overall it is very fun to play. Since Genshin is a gacha game (meaning you basically spend in-game currency to obtain characters and weapons in Genshin), that means that you get to play with new characters, learn how to build them, do damage, etc.
Not only is Genshin lore-based and gameplay-based, but it also has co-op as an added bonus. You can play with your friends, mess around in each other’s worlds, etc. It may not be the main feature but at least you can play together! Okay, I promise this is not an advertisement, I'm just very excited about this game. Okay, I admit it sounds a little silly, me spending a lot of time and effort into this game, but I promise it is so worth it! I’ve gotten other friends to play who have immediately become pretty much addicted to the game as well.
Now, all of this doesn’t complete what Genshin has to offer - we have to talk about the culture
that is represented and how wonderful it is to see and experience, as well as learn about. Since it is a game made by a Chinese company, you can of course expect them to introduce their own culture into the game - which they totally have. In fact, in one of the quests that we do, there is a character that sings the Chinese opera, and it’s absolutely beautiful. There are more references to the culture, such as the food you can cook in the game, and there have been some clever Chinese idioms added to the game as well. Not to mention the names of the characters that hail from Liyue, the region based in China. Not only is there Chinese culture representation, but there is also a representation of Japanese culture. They have various names, and outfits that stay true to the culture, as well as the folklore mentioned. Not to forget the region Inazuma, which is based in Japan and of course stays true to its origins.
Overall, Genshin Impact may seem like just a normal RPG game, but after spending some time playing it, you can quickly see just how fresh the concept of the game is. The graphics are just simply breathtaking, as is the music made specifically for the game. The soundtrack is just one of the many reasons I have come to adore this game so much, and I hope people will realize that the game is so much more than it seems. I know this article may not be very informative and also doesn’t talk about current events, but I think with the pandemic going on and schools shutting down again, we may just need some articles about video games to cheer us up!