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    REVIEW: For longtime players, Genshin Impact 2.0 is a breath of fresh air

    Puzzles, endgame rewards, more personality await
    Jul 31, 2021
    PHOTO: Carlos Pineda/MiHoYo

    AT LAST, the long wait is over.

    After spending an entire year traversing around the lush green fields of Mondstadt and the sunny peaks of Liyue (while attending a bunch of festivals), Genshin players can now experience a new journey in the stormy lands of Inazuma.

    The overall atmosphere has been a welcome addition as players are finally given a breath of fresh air. Though we already got a worthy experience with the introduction of the Golden Apple Archipelago, Inazuma brought things to greater heights with their newest features.

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      New update packs in puzzles, endgame rewards

      A new set of puzzles and greater endgame rewards (courtesy of the Sacred Sakura) flesh out the brand new map for longtime players.

      Unlike the floating seelies or standing monuments of Mondstadt and Liyue, Inazuma now forces you to puzzle your way through pattern recognition, through relay stones, pattern cubes, thunder sakuras, lightning-imbued samurai swords, and the electro arrows.

      And if before, players hard to fight for scraps in the endgame, the Sacred Sakura in Narukami Shrine boasts 50 levels, allowing players to receive numerous character ascension materials and most importantly, Intertwined and Acquaint fates.

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      Even better, Inazuma’s Reputation Quests have lessened the grinding nature of their bounty quests.

      The Traveler is now just more than a meme-worthy housemaid

      But what I really appreciated was the greater depth miHoYo gave to the playable character.

      As a silent protagonist with a limited background, I find it difficult to connect with the Traveler. It also doesn’t help that the main protagonist of the game is viewed as a housemaid, who willingly accepts the task of cleaning up the mess of each region.

      MiHoYo often masked this issue through comedic asides. I personally don’t see any problem with these positive vibes, but it can be an issue as the Traveler became more of a dull meme character.

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      However, I’m slowly seeing the progression of the Traveler in Inazuma. After learning about the horrific events of Khaenri'ah, the Traveler is now determined to finally look for answers — and even, on one occasion, have their own thoughts on the situation. Instead of accepting Chisato’s request, the Traveler had their signature comedic facial expression... but also, the audacity to reject her request.

      Finally, the Traveler was given the ability to exercise their free will. And this was further exercised in Kamisato Ayaka’s request, where the Traveler opted to reject her offers.

      World quests and NPCs now have more depth

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      Main character aside, storytelling has always been miHoYo’s strong suit. Genshin Impact is a master class of conspiracy, as seen in Dainsleif’s missions, and the use of plot twists across numerous events, Story, and Archon Quests have been a major attraction for players.

      Who wouldn’t forget La Signora’s introduction after saving Mondstadt? Or that time when Zhongli was forced to spill the beans in front of the Salt God fanatic, Wanyan? Even heartwarming moments like Alice’s revelation in the Golden Apple Archipelago are worth the dozens of hours of play you’ll sink into the game.

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        But while there’s a great emphasis on the main quests, there seems to be a lack of interest in the World Quests — even if the majority of them have a profound lore that’s worth exploring. Given the lack of cutscenes in these side adventures, this can be overlooked, as players could be tempted to just skim past the dialogue

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        But with the 2.0 update, miHoYo was able to introduce a new feature in their World Quests.

        A perfect example would be Kazari’s story or the Sacred Sakura Cleansing quest, which, in my opinion, is the best World Quest in the game.

        There was so much lore to explore with that quest. It even brought us one of the best plot twists in the game. While diving deep into Kazari’s story, I personally expected a Sixth Sense or The Others-style ending. If you watched the movies, you know where the story is going… but then miHoYo suddenly unveils a surprise trump card in the end.

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        Plus, it had an emotional cutscene which brought more relevance to an NPC character that I have never seen before. It made me wonder if this was really a World Quest, since it had all the gripping narrative of an Archon Quest.

        Though this was the only World Quest so far that has a jaw-dropping and emotion-filled cutscene, we could expect miHoYo to apply this approach in the upcoming updates.

        Genshin Impact continues to innovate


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        It may seem miHoYo may be running dry on ideas with the usual “attend a festival formula,” but with the introduction of the Golden Apple Archipelago and Inazuma, miHoYo are steering on a different path.

        Their introductions have further enhanced the limitless possibilities of the game, where players can finally go beyond the usual borders of staying in one area for a lifetime.

        Plus, miHoYo’s degree of creativity has improved given the puzzles and activities we encountered in our island adventures as well as the storytelling.

        Though their latest additions have been impressive, there is one minor flaw that caught my attention. Take a look at the enemies guarding the chests. I was deeply surprised to see elite level enemies like the rogue samurais and Thunderhelm Lawachurls guarding common chests, while a pack of hilichurls, that can easily be dispatched, are the ones protecting the exquisite chests. Shouldn’t it be the other way around?

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        Then I remember going to an island surrounded with elite samurai opponents and a seelie trapped inside a cage, only for me to uncover a common chest.

        Overall, the latest update has forced me to believe that the developers have a lot left to offer. If they were able to surprise us, what more should we expect?

        Rating: 9/10

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        PHOTO: Carlos Pineda/MiHoYo
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