Beating Genshin Impact

Warning: This article discusses gambling mechanics and touches on the issue of addiction. Nothing explicit but this is about a gotcha game.

Before getting into Genshin Impact I heard all about its extremely predatory microtransactions. The characters were random drops and the odds were low for good ones. There were premium currencies stacked on premium currencies. It would be easy for anyone with a gambling issue to get hooked into the addictive system. Leveling up requires materials for weapons, characters, and equipment. If whale hunting was a competition, Genshin was in the top 10.

In the sea of negative criticism, there was a constant refrain, “it is like Breath of the Wild”. I had to see if that was right. When I played, the comparison was very close. While Breath of the Wild had deep interactions of physics systems, Genshin Impact chose to focus on RPG elements. Climbing on every surface was there. I had to manage my stamina that could be increased by offering up sacred orbs. Sure I couldn’t roll a boulder down a cliff killing a camp of enemies, but I was given the means to curate my character builds. My party adapted to my playstyle. For a month I played Genshin Impact. Then one day I just stopped. There was not a reason at all. I just felt done.

Over the course of a year and some change I heard about the changes. New regions and characters were not enough to bring me back. Instead, what drew me in was the character Yu Jin. I saw a trailer and was absolutely happy to see a combat opera singer. I was blissfully unaware that there was any (extremely shitty) controversy about her. My love for operatic music brought me back into Genshin Impact.

Now Genshin Impact is my everyday game. I log in, do my dailies and make slow progress into the story while hanging out at adventure rank 35 so I don’t get destroyed by higher world levels. It is delightful. At the time of this writing I have three 5-Star characters, a boat load of higher rank artifacts, decent weapons, and an extensive teapot defying the concept of space that contains my mansion. All of this has been achieved without paying a single cent.

What stuck out about Genshin was the Western comparisons. I used to play Star Wars Galaxies of Heroes. It is a turn-based RPG with energy timers and about ten forms of currency. After playing for over a year I finally started to have a team that could do something but I was always defeated by people who paid money. The cost was not enough for the marginal rewards. To be good, I would have had to fork over a ton of money I did not have.

My goal has always been to never spend money on Genshin Impact. The game always gave me enough to do to get enough currency to roll for new characters. There has never been a point where I felt compelled to pay money for character rolls. If anything, Genshin Impact was a huge improvement over SW:GoH, reducing the impulse to spend into oblivion. In my heart, I feel like I have beaten the game.

The objective of Genshin Impact is to extract as much money as it can from me. At every turn there is a chance to buy more wishes, a costume, or the Paimon bundle. The costumes are so outrageously expensive that I simply do not understand the logic. Overall, my experience is playing an extensive open world RPG all for free. I play the game with two of my partners and occasionally my best friend. From this angle I have beaten the objective. However, this is wrong.

I have gotten five people into Genshin Impact. Out of those five, I am confident three of them won’t spend any money in Genshin. But the other two? I am not as sure as I want to be. Every time someone asks me if they should get into Genshin I always say yes unless you have maladaptive gambling habits. I throw every caveat I can, giving anyone interested a good reason to back out. That is not good enough. Even the three I am confident about could need a serotonin boost and choose rolling characters in Genshin that day. That is how games with these economics win. It is whale hunting and the more people I introduce to the sport the more likely a whale is spotted. This is why I have lost.

What can I even do to win? First would be to stop engaging with it entirely. However, I have fun with it. The numbers go up lighting my brain and the story has grown on me. Second option would be to shut up about it. The issue with this, I like sharing my thoughts about the media affecting me. That is the joy about being an extremely small critic. This is my third option. Putting all my complicated feelings into a winding essay. Genshin Impact makes me think about these things every time I engage with it. It is not good or bad. Genshin Impact is a commodified piece of entertainment that demands repeated interactions; warts and all.

P.S.

At the time of editing I have spent money on the battle pass. It has finally extracted money from me and I feel fine about it.