Genshin Impact is less a game than a place you move into. The question in 2026 is no longer whether it is good — it is whether starting now means drowning in six years of content.
Exploration is still the hook
Climbing a cliff, gliding across a valley and finding a chest nobody told you about remains the most satisfying loop on mobile. Elemental reactions give combat a puzzle layer that most action RPGs never attempt: water plus lightning, fire plus wind, ice plus claymore.
Where new players should start
Ignore the urge to rush to the newest region. Mondstadt and Liyue teach the systems properly, and you need the primogems from their chests and quests. A realistic plan: four to six weeks of story, then decide if you want to keep going.
The gacha question
You can clear all story content with the free characters. You cannot clear the hardest Abyss floors without investment. That is the honest trade: the game is generous with story and stingy with endgame.
Verdict
A remarkable free game with a monetisation model that rewards patience and punishes impatience. 8.4/10.
