Genshin Impact: A Free-to-Play Action RPG with Gacha Mechanics
Genshin Impact is a free-to-play action RPG game with gacha mechanics. It is available on multiple platforms including PlayStation, PC, Android, and iOS. With a staggering amount of free content available, how does its gacha system and overall gameplay hold up?
With four regions to explore, numerous quests to complete, and collectible characters to find, we wanted to find out if Genshin Impact is worth your time. With multiple gacha-based games now available, how does Genshin Impact’s free offering stack up?
What is Genshin Impact?
Genshin Impact is an RPG game developed by A+ Games, available on multiple platforms including PlayStation, PC, Android, and iOS. Unlike many mobile games, Genshin Impact offers a vast open world to explore as one of the Traveler twins, who must defeat the Demon Lord and free the world from their grasp.
Genshin Impact begins with a story-based quest chain, before offering character-specific quests, daily tasks, and dungeons. While Genshin Impact is free to play, the strongest characters are locked behind a gacha system, which can become expensive if you’re not careful. If you’re willing to engage with the gacha system, here’s what you need to know.
Genshin Impact Gacha System
Genshin Impact’s gacha system is standard for the most part. You’ll spend real or in-game currency for a chance to obtain powerful characters and weapons. Characters and weapons are available in different rarities and have different odds of being rewarded.
Updates are released every six weeks, introducing new characters and items for a limited time. Every two weeks, you get a guaranteed four-star item, and every 90 wishes, you’ll receive a five-star item.
When you begin Genshin Impact, you’re given a set number of free wishes, but these run out quickly. From there, you must earn Primogems, the primary currency used to obtain characters and weapons.
It takes around 160 Primogems to make one wish, and you can obtain Primogems from events, regular play, and purchasing them with real money. A guaranteed four-star item is obtained every 10 wishes, and a five-star item every 90 wishes.
If you’re willing to spend money on the game, it does offer additional benefits. For example, paying for Primogems guarantees a five-star item after 90 wishes instead of a four-star item. You can also buy Primogems with real money and obtain ten Primogems per day.
There are two passes available to help you earn Primogems. The first is The Blessing Of The Welkin Moon, a 30-day pass that offers a cost-effective way to obtain Primogems. With a guaranteed 90 Primogems every day, costing only $3.99, you’ll earn a total of $119.90 worth of Primogems over the 30-day period.
The second is The Gnostic Hymn Battle Pass, which lasts 42 days and provides you with rewards for completing in-game tasks. This pass costs $6.99, but you’ll earn a total of $95 worth of Primogems over the 42-day period.
Genshin Impact paid currency is known as Genesis Crystals, and you can exchange these for Primogems at a rate of 1:1. The only other real currency available is Maitreya Gems, which you can use to speed up the gacha process.
Genshin Impact Gameplay
Genshin Impact is a solid JRPG with its action-packed combat, anime art style, and various gameplay elements. While the gacha system can become expensive, Genshin Impact offers a staggering amount of free content to keep players occupied.
It would take around 153 hours of gameplay to complete the current content, but more updates are on the way. With four regions to explore, numerous quests to complete, and collectible characters to find, there’s plenty to keep you occupied.
Whether Genshin Impact is worth playing will largely depend on your personal preferences and willingness to engage with the gacha system.
