But as alluded to near the beginning of this review, Genshin Impact does falter at the point where it seems the game is destined for undeniably phenomenal heights. Not entirely a deal-breaker or one that takes the player completely out of the accomplished immersion of its world or even its combat. But when totted up, does signal a game that could've used a bit more checking-over. When it comes to tackling some of the more technical components, Genshin Impact drops the ball one too many times. Even if you were to disregard the nature of the narrative or the way in which a group of characters can, at their worst, talk extensively (and absently off-screen worst of all), there's a notable disconnect when the game, for example, continues to refer to your male sibling character as "she" or "her." It isn't the only basic error that crops up with many an instance of dialogue cutting off mid-conversation, not matching up with what's written on-screen and at one point, a mere line of dialogue getting stuck on-screen for the rest of one's play session.
Any game that's branded as a "free-to-play" title is almost immediately going to get inundated with any number of negative connotations and accusations alike. Long-winded, grind-inducing, predatory, a matter of luck over skill on the kind of content you’re granted outside of some voluntary, monetary investment. It may sound dismissive and pessimistic, but the number of such games whose priorities with maintaining a steady revenue stream doesn’t get in the way of the base game offered are few and far between. Enter Genshin Impact, developer miHoYo’s far from first rodeo on the F2P frontier -- itself thrown many a condescending remark on being a clone of this or imitation of that. The similarities are there to see of course and while admittedly a touch obvious in parts, what I’m most thankful for with Genshin Impact is the genuine effort and design miHoYo have placed in crafting an enjoyable action RPG to start. A live service, continually-expanding release this may be, Genshin Impact’s starting world, its gameplay, its sheer breadth of exploration put many similar open-world efforts, let alone F2P attempts, to shame. To state with hand on heart I’ve now clocked near to 40 hours and still not spent a single penny -- occasionally tempting it may be -- I’m grateful that Genshin Impact has taken a more sensible approach to F2P games: satisfying base game first, additional monetization second as an option.
Prioritize Event Wishes: When redeeming rewards from Paimon’s Bargains, always prioritize the Event Wish to secure Wish slots for a particular banner. Never trade Stardust for the Standard Banner, especially when you can redeem more Intertwined Fates next month if you have spare Stardust on
Given that Genshin Impact is a gacha game, it’s no surprise that the game will always find ways to incentivize players who prefer paying their way into Primogems - which in turn gives them access to more Wishes. However, for players who want to stay frugal, if they ever consider investing in Genshin Impact , they should probably just spend their extra USD 4.99 for the Blessing of the Welkin M
Pokémon has always been a series near and dear to my heart, and while I was always keen on the mainline titles, the first spin-off I was ever introduced to was Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. I fell utterly in love and this year got the surprise announcement that the first title was receiving a remake. It ended up being everything I wanted and more. A return to one of my absolute favorite games in a new style and yet felt like revisiting old friends I hadn't spoken to in a long time. The story is entirely about friendship, a bond between Pokémon as they struggle to save the world together and solve the problems as they're shunned away from their home after being accused of crimes they didn't commit. It added great new things like shiny Pokémon, mega evolutions and a ton of visual upgrades for items that helped build on the world. It even fixed one of my biggest disappointments that was after the game your partner no longer said good morning to you, but now they will every day even after they've evolved. Heck, they even finally added bandanas on the main Pokémon duo while they're still in their basic forms. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX is a comfort in every way. It's familiar, yet changed, just as you would expect from an old friend and I'm thankful I had the chance to dive back into the wonderful experience once more.
When the Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild launched in 2017 it was praised for its action, storyline, open-world and more. It has become the epitome of what a Zelda game could and should be. And while all that is terrific, some answers remained a mystery until the recent release of Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity. Here, we find out about the events that occurred leading up to Ganon's takeover of Hyrule. It bridges the gap between past and present. Plus, getting to play as some of the Champions, Zelda herself and others from the series, is a dream come true. It was a surprise when the game was announced since the first Hyrule Warriors came out in 2014 as its own original title. But basing this version off of pre-existing content adds tons of new tidbits for fans to enjoy. Plus, Age of Calamity gives us something to do before mouse click the next document release of Breath of the Wild's sequel. This is why I am thankful for the game; it satisfies the need and want for more Zelda.
