An exhilarating free-to-play open-world game wherein Breath of The Wild meets anime tropes Genshin Impact was released at a time when The Legend of Zelda: Breath of The Wild was still taking the world by storm and nothing could apparently steal its thunder (at least until Elden Ring came to the fore). Up until that point, many games tried to pull off that Breath of The Wild (BoTW) vibe but failed to garner enough attention from critics. Oceanhorn 2 comes to mind, and it didn't help that it was an Apple exclusive game. What catapulted Genshin Impact's success was its twist on the BoTW formula - mixing all the exploration perks of the Zelda release with over-the-top anime characters and combat - but also the fact that it was a multiplatform game. The game is available on Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Android, iOS, and Windows (the Xbox systems are currently the only notable absences). The experience is roughly the same in each platform I played on (though I only played the Windows and mobile versions, admittedly). It is also "platform agnostic", meaning that you can play with everyone, no matter the platform they use, and you may continue your adventure in any system without losing any progress. As for the map, it's massive and makes exploring worth it. There is not one spot that felt out of place for me or that I could consider "filler". You'll get the usual Zelda-styled vistas and environments, but you'll also get immersed in very unique settings, such as the Japanese-inspired land of Inazuma, full of Sakura blooms, shrines, and yukata wearers (almost as if BoTW and Ghost of Tsushima had a child). You'll oftentimes feel like a genuine tourist while playing this game! However, you might begin to get bored of it all once you reach a certain point, especially due to the game's grindy nature (more on that later). Genshin Impact's ability to run on a myriad of mobile devices is, perhaps, its most remarkable feat. Keep in mind, though, that this game takes up a huge chunk of your storage space (around 9 GB) and you could experience some lag on budget-friendly devices. Also, there are some compromises in terms of dynamic lighting when compared to BoTW (as far as I know, there are no graphical differences between versions). Still, the experience is likened to that of a AAA game in many respects. The story is anime through and through, filled with pure, unapologetic, unindulgent anime clichés down to the last "waifu", with the typically overblown voice acting, flashy VFX, and occasional sexualized characters. The storyline lacks any sense of coherence in some places, and you'll be overwhelmed with explanations about magical stuff that you won't really care too much about (at least I didn't). This didn't bother me at all, especially since most of my playthrough was spent roaming the world and playing the fool (and gliding - gosh, I loved that mechanic!) Before I get to the gameplay aspect, I need to point out that this game is "free to play". That means, of course, that you should expect to find hindrances along the way. Some games manage to not annoy the player with excessive ads or pay-to-win antics (Path of Exile comes to mind here), but I'm not sure whether this game's approach is any better. We'll be covering miHoYo's monetization strategy in the next section since it has a lot to do with gameplay.