Genshin Impact

I came for the anime aesthetics and stayed because I got emotionally attached to a fictional chef. Genshin Impact — HoYoverse's open-world action RPG — drops you into Teyvat, a sprawling fantasy world of windswept plains, neon-lit harbours, and deserts hiding ancient ruins, as the Traveler hunting for a lost sibling. That premise lasts about five minutes before the world swallows you whole. Exploration is the star. See that mountain? Climb it. That distant island? Glide there. Every horizon hides a puzzle, a boss, a treasure chest, or a heartbreaking side quest about a ghost who just wanted to finish their novel. Combat runs on elemental reactions — mix fire and water, electro and ice — and swapping party members mid-fight to chain combos feels like conducting a very violent orchestra. Then there's the story, which — credit where it's due — goes places. Each new region brings its own culture, politics, and cast you'll absolutely get too attached to. I've laughed, I've theorised at 2am, I've definitely cried. For a free game on my phone, that's absurd value. The honest catch: it's a live-service game with gacha character pulls, a chunky download, and events that assume you'll show up regularly. But the main adventure — dozens of hours of genuinely superb exploration and storytelling — costs nothing. My backlog hates it. I adore it.

The good stuff

Teyvat is enormous and hand-crafted. Every region has its own look, music, and culture — it's the best free tourism in gaming. Elemental combat with real depth. Building a party whose abilities chain into devastating reactions is endlessly fun to tinker with. A story that respects your feelings. The Archon quests are proper fantasy epics, and the character stories hit surprisingly hard. Genuinely free to enjoy. The whole main adventure is playable without spending — the gacha exists, but the story is never held hostage.

Your first few moves

1. Follow the Archon quests early. They unlock new regions, features, and free characters faster than anything else.
2. Build ONE main damage-dealer first. Spreading resources across eight half-built heroes is the classic beginner trap.
3. Grab every glowing thing. Chests, collectibles, ingredients — Teyvat rewards magpies, and you'll want the materials later.

Before you jump in

It's a big download, so check your storage and brace for the initial patch over a stable connection. New characters come from the gacha system — set a budget or embrace the free roster, which clears everything just fine. Daily energy (resin) limits grinding, so pace yourself; this is a marathon with a gorgeous view.