On October 13 “Genshin Impact” updated to its 2.2 version with the addition of a new character and the return of a few, and this version is worth exploring.

This open-world action role playing game (RPG) allows players to start with a team of four free characters including one with a preferred gender and customized name. As you progress through the game’s new regions, each with their own unique culture, new experiences can be unlocked granting players with the unique abilities and items such as travel, food, and relationships.

So far, three out of seven regions have been introduced to the game: Monstadt, Liyue and Inazuma. Monstadt, the city of freedom, has influence from German culture. Liyue, the city of contracts, has influence from Chinese culture. And finally Inazuma, the city of eternity, has influence from Japanese culture. Unlike most open-world RPGs, the game is not only playable on just PC and PS4/5, but also on mobile devices (iOS & Android). 

Throughout the game, you have the ability to unlock different characters, each with their own abilities, weapon type and element. The different weapon types include catalyst (mage), bow, sword, claymore (bigger sword) and polearm.

In the game there are seven elements that correspond to each of the seven regions. In order to unlock characters you have to commit to the gacha aspect of the game. Gacha is a monetisation technique, used mainly in Japan, that pulls from a selection of characters or data from a larger pool at random. The game is defined as free-to-play; however, many gamers tend to succumb to the temptation of gambling to unlock certain characters. 

On October 13, the game underwent its ninth major update. The update introduced a new playable character: Thoma. Thoma is a four-star pyro polearm user who is a featured character on Hu Tao’s banner which came out on November 2. Hu Tao is a five-star pyro polearm user who is making her comeback after not being available since March 16. The update also includes a new area called Tsurumi Island which was the last island to be added to the region of Inazuma.

New hangout events have also been welcomed into the game allowing players to expand relationships with certain characters. In the near future, the game will likely introduce more areas like the Chasm, which is a cave-like part of Liyue containing multitudes of tunnels and crystals. The next likely region to be added to the game would be Sumeru, the city of wisdom, which is said to have influence from Middle Eastern/South Asian cultures. 

Back in September the game underwent major criticism because of its unfair anniversary rewards. Many fans of the game claimed to have deserved better rewards for the anniversary of the game because they are the ones who made it a multi-million dollar  company. According to PCGamer, as a result of the horrible anniversary awards the fans were “taking to the game’s mobile store pages in droves to leave 1-star reviews.” However, the game developers unexpectedly dropped additional rewards for the players once the anniversary occurred. This caused the ratings of the game to return to their former placement. 

Personally, I believe that if you’re looking for a game to pass the time and tell a complex storyline, then Genshin Impact is the perfect choice. I’ve spent months playing this game and with the frequent updates it is very difficult to get bored. The fantasy world of Genshin Impact includes many puzzles and storylines for you to solve. Hours of gameplay await for you to enjoy and discover, so its definitely worth a shot.