A Journey to the World of Genshin Impact

Hi there, Lei here! While my good friend @theclassypoor is more on travel, food, and photography, I’m the tech and gaming guy in our circle. I try and play new pc and mobile games every now and then, but I’m currently active in Genshin Impact and Mobile Legends. I also do a bit of Valorant, World War Z, and Left 4 Dead.

Once in a while, with COVID out of the picture, I tag along on some of The Classy Poor’s eatsplorations.  But today, I’ve been invited to take you to Teyvat, the fictional world of Genshin Impact.

Two weeks ago, there was much buzz going around about Genshin Impact as the game has been updated to version 2.1. The game evolves into a new version every six weeks which leads to a major update and for version 2.1, it revolved around the continuation of the traveler’s journey in Inazuma, one of the nations in Teyvat – of which only 3 are currently explorable.

Inazuma was first introduced in Version 2.0 and the main story (also called the Archon Quest) ends with the battle between the Shogunate and the Resistance, where Sangonomiya Kokomi (leader of the Resistance) pushes the Shogunate into a retreat.

Version 2.1 takes us to Watatsumi Island, where Sangonomiya Kokomi resides. Fast forward from there, the story leads to a battle against the Electro Archon (archons being the 7 gods that established the 7 nations of Teyvat) named Raiden Shogun. New versions also introduce new character event banners where you can roll (called wish) for a chance to get featured characters, including a 5-star character who will be the face of that banner.

For the 1^st banner of version 2.1, Genshin Impact featured no less than Raiden Shogun herself, which might actually account for a vast majority of the posts related to Genshin Impact that you may have come across since the teasers leading to the version launch last August 20. And yes, if you’re gonna ask me, I did roll for Raiden Shogun and got her within 20 wishes on day 1 of her release.

Raiden Shogun is an interesting character as not only is she the first exclusive 5-star electro character you can get from the game since its release but also because she has some unique skills and abilities that make her a great part of a player’s party. I’ve been able to take her to Level 90 already, but there’s still a lot of work to be done not only on Raiden Shogun, but the new team I formed for her.

The Classy Poor asks: So, why do you play Genshin Impact?

Before Genshin Impact, I played Valorant heavily. Valorant is a first-person shooting (FPS) game and is quite competitive. And admittedly, losing can get stressful at times. There’s also a lot of trash-talking that happens in the game and instead of taking away the stress you’re meaning to address by playing, it can even add to it.

The same is true for multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA) games such as Mobile Legends. And well, with the situation that we’re in right now, we can only ever deal with enough additional stressors.

So when I came across Genshin Impact through another gamer friend, I watched teasers about it and thought it was nice. I’m really into role-playing games, and I spent tens of thousands of hours in games like Final Fantasy, Flyff, Angels Online, and Dragon Nest.

Going back to Genshin Impact, I’ve been playing since day 2. I found out about the game on the evening of day 1 of the global release on September 28, 2020, and after downloading overnight, I have been playing it every day.

The Classy Poor asks: What do you like about Genshin Impact?

With experience in various formats of RPGs, I’m now mostly inclined toward those that I can control my characters’ movements and attacks and not through point-and-click. This is why I fell so in love with Dragon Nest before. I appreciate the control that these types of games give as compared to point-and-click RPGs.

The graphics are also great. And at a high setting, you can really immerse yourself in the beauty of Teyvat. Not to mention that they also have good work with their soundtrack.

I also like how the story continues to evolve. And since we’re just on the third of seven nations, you’ll likely see me playing Genshin Impact for quite a long while.

It’s also worth mentioning that the game is playable across many different devices: PC, Android, and IOS devices, and PlayStation 4 and 5. And I’m not talking about a game that has many different versions, but a game where people across all these devices can play together. So it’s very inclusive.

The Classy Poor asks: Do you spend for Genshin Impact?

As much as I would like to say that I am a proud free-to-play (F2P) gamer, I have to say that I regularly spend a small amount on the game. I subscribe to the Blessing of the Welkin Moon which gives you 90 Primogems a day for 30 days plus 300 Genesis Crystals instantly. Both Primogems and Genesis Crystals are primarily used for wishing characters or weapons. I also get the battle pass every now and then. But that’s about it. I’m not on the level of whales who spend so much on games.

The thing is, one of the features of Genshin Impact is the gacha, or rolling for characters and weapons, and this is where a paying player has an advantage. With more wishes, you have more chances of getting great characters and weapons. But there are great non-5-star characters out there so F2P players aren’t really left behind. There are actually streamers who highlight being F2P and some even take it a step further by not wishing at all.

At the end of the day, it’s really about one’s spending appetite. But regardless, you’ll be able to enjoy Genshin Impact whether you spend or not.

The Classy Poor asks: Would you recommend Genshin Impact to your friends, and to our readers?

If you like exploring vast virtual worlds, solving puzzles, defeating monsters and bosses, and immersing in storylines, then yes, Genshin Impact is something I can recommend for you. I’ve been here since day 2 and I’m still enjoying it.

The Classy Poor asks: What’s next for Genshin Impact?

Aside from the events related to Genshin Impact’s 1^st anniversary, players await the release of Sangonomiya Kokomi on September 21^st. Kokomi will be the 2^nd banner-exclusive 5-star character for version 2.1.

Details of Watatsumi Island’s Divine Priestess can be found here.

Meanwhile, at the end of the Inazuma Archon Quest, Omnipresence Over Mortals, Mihoyo also teases the next chapter of the Traveler’s adventure, mentioning the next region of Teyvat that will be made available for exploration. Since we hate spoilers, I won’t spill the tea on that. This new region, of course, won’t likely come out this year.

The Classy Poor asks: Any other message for our readers?

I think I’ve about said all I can about the game. The rest is something for you to experience yourself. Genshin Impact is a great adventure game and while I spend most of the time playing it alone, the game provides the opportunity to play with your friends (save for some events and quests that were made to be accomplished alone).

If you have questions or if you need help in the game, you may reach me through my page, IcarusPlays. And from there, maybe we can play together! 😊

See you in Teyvat, fellow travelers!