‘Genshin Impact’ is finally coming to Xbox, but why is it a big deal? Here’s an overview of features new players can expect from one of the world’s biggest games.

'Genshin Impact' is finally coming to Xbox, but why is it a big deal? Here's an overview of features new players can expect from one of the world's biggest games.

As an avid gamer with countless hours spent traversing digital landscapes, I must say that Genshin Impact has truly captured my heart and imagination. The sheer scale of this game is breathtaking, and its seamless transition across various platforms only adds to its allure.


Previously this past summer, Genshin Impact was officially announced for Xbox consoles at last, ending a prolonged period of exclusivity on PlayStation, computers, and mobile gadgets. This development represents a significant triumph for the Xbox platform, as currently, it lacks any notable “gatcha” games in its library.

In the realm of Action Role-Playing Games (ARPGs), “Gatcha” is a specific sub-genre where a significant aspect involves gathering or amassing characters. These characters, often modeled in an anime style, come with their individual storylines, histories, and distinct gameplay mechanics. In this genre, the characters are usually obtained through a random drawing process similar to loot boxes, serving as one of the key collecting attractions of the game. The characters can also have higher stats, indicated by the number of stars they possess, and players can also draw for weapons and other items. Currencies to perform these draws can be earned through regular gameplay, but can also be bought with extra money, which explains why Genshin Impact continues to be one of the most financially successful games in recent times.

Without a doubt, Genshin Impact ranks among the largest, arguably even the largest, global gacha games currently on offer. Publisher HoYoverse is expanding into various genres, and their reach now extends to other platforms, such as Xbox.

On November 20, 2024, Genshin Impact is set to debut on the Xbox Series X|S consoles, offering additional perks for those with Xbox Game Pass. But what exactly is Genshin Impact and how does one play it? Let’s delve into its details to find out.

So, what is Genshin Impact at its core?

2021’s Best Mobile Game at Gamescom, Genshin Impact, is a gratis open-world action RPG with gacha features. In this game, you play as a traveler exploring the world of Teyvat, encountering numerous characters and adorable creatures. Your goal in this journey is to locate your missing sibling who was taken by an enigmatic force. Genshin Impact has significantly impacted mobile gaming, being renowned for its AAA console-quality visuals, storytelling, and music, as well as its exceptional live service offerings.

Genshin Impact is consistently evolving with free updates that introduce fresh regions, plotlines, and characters. Approximately every three weeks, two distinct character banners appear for you to roll or “pull” using the game’s wishing system. By accumulating primogems (in-game currency used in the wishing process), you can effortlessly collect your preferred female and male characters without spending a dime. The acquisition of this currency is based on your playtime, but it’s quite straightforward to gather through daily tasks, events, and endgame content. Moreover, the game often rewards its players generously. HoYoverse, the publisher, bestowed 1000 primogems upon players to celebrate their Gamescom mobile award win.

'Genshin Impact' is finally coming to Xbox, but why is it a big deal? Here's an overview of features new players can expect from one of the world's biggest games.

This game stands out due to its captivating visuals featuring appealing character designs, as well as the appeal of gathering your preferred characters, which contributes significantly to its popularity and uniqueness. Unlike many gatcha games from the past, Genshin Impact offers a higher standard for storytelling and aesthetics. This has raised the bar not just for other gatcha games but for mobile titles overall. The contrast between battling dragons and gods, helping your new companions with their problems (and occasionally sharing your own), discovering new creatures, and engaging in events and mini-games gives Genshin Impact a feel more like an engrossing pastime than a typical video game. You can enjoy it either solo or with friends, making the experience more shared and immersive.

In Genshin, each region takes architectural and cultural cues from various parts of the real world, combined with award-winning music produced by Hoyomix. This music mirrors their cultural influences beautifully, frequently employing traditional instruments to compose enchanting soundtracks. Music plays a crucial role in establishing a game’s atmosphere, and Hoyomix excels at it, crafting the perfect tune for every situation; even the pre-opening theme is enticing.

What is Genshin Impact’s “wishing” system? What exactly does “gatcha” mean?

'Genshin Impact' is finally coming to Xbox, but why is it a big deal? Here's an overview of features new players can expect from one of the world's biggest games.

After a brief introduction to the story, gamers gain access to the primary “wishing” feature within the game – this is unlocked. In each update, there are four character banners that are hinted at during special HoYoverse broadcasts on YouTube. During these events, players can make their desired character selections by using a wish. However, I’d strongly recommend being thoughtful with your choices since each wish requires 160 primogems, and there’s no guarantee you’ll get the 5-star character quality you desire.

After making 90 wishes, you’re assured of getting a top-tier character, whether it’s from the regular banner (which gives blue stars) or the special banner (with rainbow stars). If you’ve already used the special banner and got a standard 5-star character before (like Jean or Mona), your next 90 wishes will guarantee you a character from the special banner. But if your last obtained 5-star was a character from the special banner, then your chances of success in the next 90 wishes drop to 50%. This is the risk you take.

The same principle applies to the weapon banners (although slightly different), which change depending on the characters. So, if you are terribly unlucky, the maximum wishes you’d have to spend would be 180, which is 28,800 primogems. Bearing in mind you only get a minimum of 60 primogems a day, this is a lot. Of course, you can buy them with money, but then that’s less of a gamble and more of a purchase. An expensive one, too.

Instead of spreading your wishes across various characters, it’s wiser to focus on your favorites, considering the possibility of a 50/50 outcome. Experiencing a 5-star character after just 10 attempts, or even two in the same round, brings immense joy in Genshin Impact. The odds might seem overwhelming, but there’s an unusual thrill in taking that risk (just remember not to get too carried away). Additionally, acquiring primogems doesn’t have to be challenging, so feel free to play for free and still excel!

'Genshin Impact' is finally coming to Xbox, but why is it a big deal? Here's an overview of features new players can expect from one of the world's biggest games.

Another aspect of the gacha system is the Artifact System, unfortunately not as generous in rewards. Artifacts (I’ll delve deeper into them later) play a significant role in character enhancement, but obtaining the right ones can be quite difficult. It can become tedious and disappointing to use your resin currency on something that might turn out to be worthless. Yet, nothing brings me greater pleasure than rolling a Critical Damage Circlet with Critical Damage, Rate, and Attack Percent sub-stats! Regrettably, resin isn’t earned through gameplay directly, but it does regenerate slowly over time. It can also be bought using primogems, which you can earn both through play and purchase. However, you’ll likely want to save your primogems for characters unless you’re intentionally trying to equip your favorites.

As an analyst, I’d put it this way: Every time I enhance a top-tier artifact with ideal sub-stats, there’s always a sense of uncertainty. You see, five-star items have the potential to upgrade any sub-stat up to five times, often resulting in unwanted stats like excess defense. Fortunately, these less-than-optimal artifacts can be recycled, providing some much-needed currency in return.

In a role-playing game like this, there are various methods to advance your preferred characters, not just by rolling dice.

Character levelling and progression in Genshin Impact

'Genshin Impact' is finally coming to Xbox, but why is it a big deal? Here's an overview of features new players can expect from one of the world's biggest games.

In Genshin, you control a primary character driving the storyline, yet battles mainly involve a team of four characters. You can swiftly switch between party members mid-action, configuring their abilities for impressive combos. Characters are usually elemental, causing status effects that can intensify when combined with corresponding elements; these interactions are clearly explained within the game. When enhancing your characters, it’s crucial to remember four key aspects for a well-balanced team.

In the second section we focus on weapon enhancements. Genshin offers five primary types of weapons: claymore, sword, polearm, bow, and catalyst. The type of weapon your character uses allows you to select the most fitting weapons based on their playstyle. Both the character and the weapon can be upgraded to a maximum level of 90. However, each weapon has an initial attack stat, as well as additional ones like elemental mastery, so make sure to choose carefully.

One way to rephrase this in natural and easy-to-read language: What’s great about this game is that there are no time restrictions on obtaining materials needed for upgrades (except for accessing certain areas). Additionally, the game has a system that allows you to progress quickly through the story without having to wait, so you can use your strongest characters immediately.

In the process of selecting your ideal artifact setup, consider this: each type comes in both a 2-piece and 4-piece set, with the choice between them being the first hurdle. For instance, if you’re opting for a character specializing in Pyro damage (often referred to as DPS), a popular pick would be the Crimson Witch of Flames artifact set due to its Pyro damage boost.

Finally, there are talents. This is the more direct way of making characters more powerful. You may enhance your basic attack, skill, and burst to level 10, (can be more depending on constellations) but bear in mind this can get expensive and time-consuming. Towards the later levels, each talent requires special materials that drop in Trounce Domains. You can only get rewards from the bosses in there once per week. And on top of that, you’re not guaranteed the exact drop you need. Each boss has three different rewards and it gives them away at complete random. You could gain one of each or two of one that you don’t need! So expect to take time perfecting your characters.

Adapting to these four systems might take some effort initially, but the benefits are definitely worth it. HoYoverse has kept alterations to character mechanics minimal. Balancing characters is crucial when tackling content such as the abyss, which are challenging endgame domains that become progressively tougher over time. These challenges also provide you with primogems, adding to the excitement of the gameplay experience.

What does endgame content look like in Genshin Impact?

'Genshin Impact' is finally coming to Xbox, but why is it a big deal? Here's an overview of features new players can expect from one of the world's biggest games.

After wrapping up the primary storyline, there’s still plenty more to explore. From participating in the annual Windtrace game of hide and seek, to battling your way through the progressively challenging Spiral Abyss and the recently introduced Imaginarium Theater, there’s always an activity waiting. These are combat events that might be too tough for new players due to their high levels. For instance, the toughest stage of the Imaginarium Theater requires at least 22 level 70 characters matching the appropriate element. As I mentioned earlier, building even a single character demands a significant investment of time and resources, making progress a challenging endeavor.

Discovering the game’s world map filled with treasure chests may seem mundane at first, but it offers an abundance of primogems as rewards. Additionally, the game provides a sandbox-style mode known as the Serenitea Pot, which serves as a housing system offering great flexibility. This lets you place characters and furniture in one of the available realms, customizing your own space. Each character in the game earns friendship experience, and some of the rewards for this include exclusive voice lines that can only be heard within the Serenitea Pot. And let’s not forget about their story quest or hangout event, which provides a personal and intimate connection with each character.

Genshin Impact drops on Xbox on November 20, 2024

'Genshin Impact' is finally coming to Xbox, but why is it a big deal? Here's an overview of features new players can expect from one of the world's biggest games.

In simpler terms, despite being quite extensive, Genshin Impact includes features like time limits and premium resources. However, you can enjoy all its content entirely for free.

Genshin Impact stands out as a pioneer among current cross-platform games, available on mobile devices, PCs, and consoles. Its graphics and audio quality rival those of AAA titles, while its storytelling is often evocative and memorable, qualities rarely found in mobile gaming. The game’s live service continuously adds new regions and events, keeping the news cycle for Genshin Impact consistently engaging due to frequent character releases.

It’s wonderful news that Genshin Impact and HoYoverse games are now available on Xbox, indicating a promising future for other HoYoverse titles such as Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero to follow suit.

If you’re seeking a visually stunning environment along with an engaging narrative (and a chance to gamble if you’re up for it), then Genshin Impact is the game for you! You can download it immediately on Android, iOS, and PC devices. Plus, when the Xbox version becomes available later on, you’ll be able to use the same account.

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2024-10-26 14:09