Just last week, I wrote about how I don’t really care much about the story in Genshin Impact; I’m just in it for the endless grind. Of course, that was then and this is now, and after spending more time with Genshin Impact‘s story, I’m completely sold. This is some good stuff.
Initially, the story was something that I felt I had to do. It was the chore that would help me level up my Adventure Rank faster so I could get to the dungeon crawling and boss grinding (and currency converting) that I was so looking forward to.
And, to be fair, the opening hours of the story are kind of a drag. There are a few hints at some interesting things that might happen later, but the setup feels so forced and obvious. Plus, Paimon’s incessant blathering is virtually insufferable.
But eventually, Genshin Impact‘s charm started wearing me down. The writing in the game is surprisingly competent, and the fact that the main story events are fully voice acted helps me stay invested. Best of all, story events — the ones that wrest control away from the player — tend to be rather short. This prevents the narrative from feeling tedious.
The characters have wormed their way into my heart at this point. While the silent protagonist is kind of meh (and Paimon is still intolerable), the tension between Diluc and Kaeya has me intrigued. Some of Venti’s big reveals are handled quite well, and Xiangling’s story bits are adorable and silly. I’ve just begun the Liyue section in the Archon quests, and, without spoiling anything, I’ll say that this part of the story starts off with a bang. I’m curious to see where it’s headed.
Oh, and there are some incredible animations at key points in the story as well, which are a marvel to look at. And since the world at large is absolutely gorgeous, learning about its inhabitants is something I feel compelled to do rather than forced to suffer through.
So yeah, I was very much expecting Genshin Impact‘s story to be dull and tedious, and the opening several hours only reinforced that. But now that I’m much deeper in, I’ve fallen under its spell. I can’t wait to see where the story takes me next.
