Free to play games have always been incredibly popular. Every few years, there’s a new game that gains a huge amount of interest – even by the casual gaming public. Some years ago, it was Fortnite – which of course is still massively popular. For some time, though, another free to play title has reigned the gaming landscape, specially on mobile devices. Developed by MiHoYo, Genshin Impact has taken the online world by storm. Immediately after its initial trailer released, people were already talking about it. Some praised its visuals and gameplay promises, while others compared it to similar games at the time.
Genshin Impact garnered major interest from the public. It also proved to be not only a success, but also a unique game. Thanks to its open world gameplay, varied cast of characters, and deep combat mechanics, gamers quickly became a fan of its world and story. It’s a no-brainer that NVIDIA tried their best to bring the game over to their GeForce Now service, so more people could play it. Thanks to GeForce Now free tier offering, almost everyone with a decent Internet connection can enjoy the game on practically any device. As you know, here at Cloud Dosage, we strive to produce and share quality content regarding cloud gaming and its benefits. So, today we bring you a Genshin Impact review, running on GeForce Now.
Genshin Impact: much more than it seems
At first glance, some might think of Genshin Impact as just a Breath of the Wild clone. This is mainly due to its similarities in some basic things, like travelling the world by climbing, or even its cell shaded graphics. Of course, some similarities are to be expected, since practically everything has already been done before, especially at the current year. Still, Genshin Impact adds much more to the basic formula. The game is essentially an RPG with action elements and lots of exploration and customization. Despite falling short of being a full-blown MMO, Genshin Impact allows up to 4 players to enjoy the game together. Plus, the game is home to an extensive online community full of gamers, artists and much more.
Genshin Impact is an open world game, with a focus on elemental combat and exploration. Given that the game is still in development with new updates dropping frequently, the game’s plot is still ongoing. Aside from the main story, there are also side quests and other missions across the world. Gameplay is quick and varied, with deep mechanics and many weapons and abilities. Each character has its own fighting style and special attacks. The combo system is also great, and the most skilled players will feel rewarded. Exploration and puzzle-solving are also key features of Genshin Impact, providing variety and upgrades to the player. Being still on development, the story of Genshin Impact is ongoing. Looks great, though!
Divisive art style and monetization
Graphics are hit-or-miss. Overall, the presentation is charming and the cell-shading style, with many visual elements and particles, looks great. However, some will be put off by the anime aesthetics. The over world looks decent, sometimes even gorgeous. Landscapes are colorful and the towns and landmarks are very detailed. Characters designs are very stylized, with a lot of flare and eye-catching designs. Probably due to the game’s monetization methods – we’ll get there. Enemies can sometimes feel bland and uninspired, though. Music and sound effects are fine. Not memorable by any means, at least for the most part, but serves well the whole vibe.
Being a free to play game, Genshin Impact needs a supplementary monetization system. Developer MiHoYo and publisher Tencent opted for the gacha system. Players can either win or purchase different kinds of currency in order to acquire characters, bundles, skins and other items. Characters obtained are random through summoning. On top of that, there are also two different subscription methods: Blessing of the Welkin Moon and the good old Battle Pass. All these options are there for those who want to enjoy the most of the game. Others that simply want to have some fun and play alone or with their friends, will also be able to enjoy the game without spending a dime.
Genshin Impact on GeForce NOW
Despite seemingly being a game with basic graphics, Genshin Impact is home to a vast world with many varied assets and elements. Most computers and smartphones will run it just well enough. The main issue that some players, specially those who want to enjoy the game on their smartphones, is the download size. Even though the initial download is rather small, each and every update makes the total game size much bigger. As of this review, Genshin Impact is over 20gb on mobile devices… yikes! But with GeForce NOW, and pretty much every cloud gaming service, gamers won’t have to deal with those heavy download sizes. That’s one of the many benefits of cloud gaming.
Just as expected, the game runs and looks just fine. The cell shaded art style lends itself well with the streaming caveats. For most of the time, there are no graphical artifacts. Animations and movement also look smooth, without any issues. On top of that, those who play on mobile can use touch controls, just like in the standard mobile version of the game. This way, everyone can use their preferred control options. Also, those with non-conventional screen resolutions should be fine. All in all, no matter your device preference, Genshin Impact is a safe bet on GeForce NOW.
Conclusion
Being one of the biggest free to play titles of the current generation, NVIDIA’s efforts to deliver a solid experience are to be expected. Genshin Impact’s performance via GeForce NOW is a solid one. Both from the graphical and mechanical standpoints. The cell shaded, anime art style will put some people off, but it works charms for cloud gaming. Control is smooth, and input lag is barely noticeable independently of your preferred device. The game is playable with keyboard and mouse, a controller and even touch controls on mobile devices.
All around, GeForce Now is a perfect way to enjoy the game without dealing with the download. If GeForce NOW’s queues and waiting times are a huge deal for you, perhaps this new offer will interest you.
Genshin Impact
Summary
Charming presentation and engaging gameplay, make Genshin Impact one of the biggest free to play titles of the moment. Playing it on the cloud via GeForce NOW feels great and will help more players enjoy the game on their old devices.
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