Genshin Impact is a free-to-play action role-playing game with gacha mechanics. You can play cross-platform on PlayStation 4 or 5, PC, Android, and iOS. You'll explore the world of Teyvat as either Aether or Lumine, male-female twins who are known as Traveler. Pairing up with other characters you'll meet on your journey, you'll face a range of foes and uncover some intriguing secrets.
There is a story-based quest chain to follow filled with lore about the world. This is alongside character-specific quests, daily tasks, dungeons, and more. While it is free-to-play, the strongest characters are locked behind the gacha system, which can get very expensive. So, how much of the game is truly free, and is Genshin Impact worth playing?
Updated on July 21, 2023: We've updated this article to include the video version from our GoodBuy series, so you can watch to find out if this is the game for you!
Review
Genshin Impact is a very extensive game and the volume of content you can access for free is staggering. There are four regions to explore, numerous quests to complete, and characters to collect and level. You can spend hours and hours in the game without spending a penny. The problems arise when you face the inevitable temptation of the gacha system, which can drain your bank account like a casino, but with anime roulette.
Every six weeks or so a new update is dropped and with it a new five-star character or two. These will be available for a limited time, and while you can get them using Primogems you've earned in the game, the gacha system is your shortcut. You are purchasing a far greater chance of getting those desirable and powerful new party members, which is what can make the system truly addictive, something that our Features Lead Jade King found a problem.
"I understand why people love this game, even more so when the gameplay systems and open world structure are so generous for a free-to-play effort, arguably setting a new benchmark in the genre when it comes to quality and breadth of content that can be accessed without spending a penny."
However, for Jade it didn't matter how beautiful the world was, in the end, the gacha system was just too addictive, causing her to leave the game. "Genshin Impact is a good game, perhaps even great, but it’s also a dangerous one." she said, showcasing the need for caution when it comes to gacha.
Time Expenditure
Genshin Impact has content that spans hundreds of hours, with an estimation of around 153 hours before you even touch The Chasm or Sumeru, the largest region to date. It's an incredibly large time sink, and if you want to catch up with the frequent updates it is an uphill battle.
New content drops every six weeks or so, and much of this involves new permanent quests, as well as limited-time events. The sheer scale of the world is a double-edged sword. If you want to play an RPG you can sink hundreds of hours into and don't mind a grind then this is a great free option. However, with such a vast amount of content to get through, and over 50 playable characters available on a rotating basis, there is a strong temptation to spend on the gacha system.
Cost
Primogems are the primary currency in the game if you wish to expand your party of characters or gain access to the strongest weapons. You'll need 160 Primogems per wish (chance to get a character or weapon).
There's a 50:50 chance any five-star you collect will be the one on the limited banner, and if it isn't the next five-star you pull will be. Characters are on one banner, and weapons on another, so you can choose which you want. This means that it can take up to 180 wishes to get the current banner character or weapon, if luck isn't on your side.
While you can earn Primogems for quests and events, you can also use real money to purchase them. However, this does add up very quickly. There are also other benefits available for those willing to spend money. Here's how it breaks down:
Blessing Of The Welkin Moon
Blessing Of The Welkin Moon is a 30 day pass offering the best value option to get Primogems. However, it also requires you to remember to log in to the game each day to get the most out of it. The pass costs $5, and you'll instantly get 300 Genesis Crystals ( the game's primary paid currency) and 90 Primogems.
You'll then receive 90 additional Primogems each day that you log in over the next 30 days, making a total of 2700 Primogems. This equates to 18.75 wishes, assuming you also convert the Genesis Crystals to Primogems on a 1:1 basis. Once the pass has expired you can purchase a new one, essentially treating it as a $ 5-a-month subscription that gives you just shy of 19 wishes over 30 days.
Battle Pass - Gnostic Hymn
The Gnostic Hymn Battle Pass costs $10 and follows a regular Battle Pass system, with new rewards available for each rank you obtain. Each Gnostic Hymn Season runs for 42 days, and you need to collect 1000 EXP per level by doing in-game tasks.
This means that you need to regularly play the game, and not just log in, in order to get value for money. There are 50 ranks in total and the rewards include:
- A Four-Star Weapon - Unlocked at BP Level 30
- Primogems - Up to 680 (4.25 Wishes)
- Intertwined Fate (Limited Banner Wishes) - Up to 4
- Mora - Up To 2,160,000
- Mystic Enhancement Ore - Up To 288
- Talent Level-Up Materials
- Character EXP Materials
You can also upgrade to Gnostic Chorus for $20 which provides all of the above benefits plus:
- Ten Battle Pass Levels
- Travel Notes Namecard
- Furnishing Blueprint
- Five Fragile Resin
Genesis Crystals
These are the main paid-for currency of the game. They are also the point where the system gets complicated. Below is the cost:
Crystals | Bonus | Price | Wishes |
|---|---|---|---|
60 | 0 | $0.99 | 0 |
300 | 30 | $4.99 | 2 |
980 | 110 | $14.99 | 6.8 |
1,980 | 260 | $29.99 | 14 |
3,280 | 600 | $49.99 | 24.25 |
6,480 | 1,600 | $99.99 | 50.5 |
Character outfits cost 1680 Genesis Crystals.
Crystals can be exchanged for Primogems at a 1:1 ratio, meaning one wish (on the limited or permanent banners) costs 160 Genesis Crystals.
The first time you make a purchase the bonus doubles your crystals. After that, it reverts to the figures above. This double bonus has been reset every few months so far.
What Players Are Saying
Worth It If You Can Resist Temptation - Helen Ashcroft
I have spent hundreds of hours in Genshin Impact, yet have only spent about £10 in real money. If you participate in the limited-time events you can earn Primogems frequently, and wish fairly regularly. You can also build a decent team with the four-star characters, which are far easier to get hold of. The difficulty ramps up slowly through a world-level system, so if you have the patience to grind you can explore Teyvat completely free.
Heaven For Lore Enthusiasts - Sanyam Jain
There aren't many games that pay attention to every single detail when it comes to the Lore. In Genshin Impact, every mechanic and behavior is backed by phenomenal research and story. Even when you're caught up with the main story, there are plenty of books in the game that will tell you more about Teyvat.
A Solid JRPG If You Don't Mind Free-To-Play - Chris Sanfilippo
I'm not a massive fan of free-to-play games. Mainly because the grind required to unlock content without paying can feel brutal. At that point, I'd instead buy a non-service game or opt for a gear pack. Still, there are quality free-to-play games, and Genshin is one of them. In the short time I've played it, I found several parallels with other JRPGs that fans of the genre will love: simple yet action-packed combat, a gorgeous anime art style, crafting, skill-building, etc. So, if you don't mind the free-to-play model and you've already played through Kingdom Hearts a gazillion times, Genshin will fulfill that itch.
Go Big, Or Take It Easy - David W. Duffy
Genshin is one of those rare games that caters to you whether you're a hardcore MMORPG fan or just want a more casual open-world fix. The story is deep enough to keep you engrossed for hundreds of hours, but its gorgeous world is equally great for just dropping in and pottering about with sidequests for a while, without the pressure other online games can put on you. Yes, it's grindy if you're free-to-play, but it doesn't really feel all that oppressive in being so, and you'll get plenty of free currency to gradually upgrade your team and hit those ever-so-desirable five-stars.