About

Genshin Impact is a free-to-play fantasy adventure video game with gacha mechanics developed by miHoYo and released for iOS, Android, PlayStation 4, and Windows. The game has been compared to Breath of the Wild for its art style and open world.

History

Genshin Impact was announced in June of 2019 at that year's ChinaJoy convention (reveal trailer shown below).^[1]

The game drew heavy criticized for appearing to heavily draw from Breath of the Wild, as people pointed out similarities in art style, world, and music between the two games.^[2] Twitter user @SiyuYang_V posted a comparison of screenshots between the two games highlighting their similarities (shown below). This led to protests at the game's reveal, with some attendees reported to have smashed PlayStation 4s in anger.

The game released on September 28th, 2020 for iOS, Android, PlayStation 4, and Windows. A Switch port has also been announced.^[3]

Reception

Upon release, critics praised the game while noting its similarity to Breath of the Wild. PC Gamer^[4] wrote the game is "a bigger, more ambitious blend of Zelda's open world, an actiony JRPG, and a mobile "gacha" game, with co-op play tossed in on top," noting how the game has much more of an anime flair than Breath of the Wild. Android Police^[5] wrote, "Not only are the graphics superb, but the in-game world is totally worth exploring, the story is interesting (if a little contrived), and the ARPG gameplay is actually fun while offering some depth, which means the game requires skill instead of a fat wallet."

Online Presence

Criticism of the game for its Breath of the Wild influence died down after the game's initial announcement, as players began expressing excitement about the game. The game's subreddit, /r/Genshin_Impact,^[6] has gained over 104,000 subscribers since its June 7th, 2019 creation. Additionally, Twitter users expressed their excitement for the game after its release, sharing screenshots, clips, and fan art of the game (examples shown below).

Emergency Food

Emergency Food refers to a dialogue in the prologue in which the player refers to their companion Paimon, as "emergency food". The scene quickly gained notoriety for its comedic delivery and Paimon's subsequent reaction, and is used as the subject of memes, fanart, as well as Paimon's frequent depiction as food.

Ehe Te Nandayo

Ehe Te Nandayo is a phrase spoken by Paimon in a cutscene during the first act of the game's story, in which Paimon mocks another character's expression of dismissal to the main character. The phrase is the subject of memes, fanart, and remixes.

McGenshin

McGenshin or Genshin Impact McDonald's is a social media trend that involves users making memes which unite Genshin Impact characters and McDonald's fast-food restaurants in various ways, most notably in profile pictures of Genshin Impact characters wearing McDonald's hats and headsets. Originating from a viral meme posted on Reddit in February 2021, the trend achieved viral spread in the game's community in mid-April 2021.

Search Interest

External References