Gamers first heard about Genshin Impact at E3 2019, but the big buzz didn't start until August 2020. The game is an open-world RPG that allows for exploration and character development, encouraged by a colorful anime aesthetic and the convenient ability to glide almost anywhere on the map. Like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, this is a game for geeks.

(I don't know who first coined the term "Breath of the Wife" on Twitter, but that's about it.)

Released on PC, PS4, Android, and iOS, "Phantom of the Wild" has several interesting aspects: it is free to play, uses a gacha mechanic for new characters and equipment, and draws heavily from "Breath of the Wild," even down to the soundtrack. The soundtrack is inspired by "Breath of the Wild". And even the soundtrack is heavily inspired by "Breath of the Wild.

The F2P mechanics of "Genshin Ibunroku" have the potential to be as plunderous and unsatisfying as a gacha game, but the core design of the title is solid, the story is intriguing, the characters are endearing, and the world is worth exploring. Impact" is worth at least a few hours of play this weekend, given that it is free to play (and, like many free-to-play games, you get plenty of premium currency right from the start). On a whim, I played through the several-hour prologue of "Genshin Impact," and what I liked immediately was how easy the game was to get to grips with. There is no boring backstory or complicated character creation. You start in the middle of a short cutscene, choose whether you want a boy or a girl, name your character, and you're done. The time between starting the game and actually playing it is a few minutes at most.

From there, the core mechanics of the game are extremely easy to understand. With a helpful sidekick (a rather adorable and slightly obnoxious fairy named Paimon) to guide you, you'll figure out movement, platforms, combat, map unlocks, etc. in less time than it took me to type this paragraph.

Once you understand the core gameplay loop, it is very engaging. You visit a town, discover some quests, and head out into the countryside to accomplish them. The main difference between "Phantom of the Phantom" and, say, "World of Warcraft" is that there is a lot to do between quest destinations. Every time you leave the beaten path, you will come across hidden caves, enemy strongholds, environmental puzzles, and lots of crafting materials.

Most of these paths lead to treasure chests, which not only give you better equipment, but also raise your "adventurer rank." This rank is not a character's level, but an overall indicator of how far one has progressed in the game. The higher your rank, the more features you unlock, from quest lines to multiplayer.

Unlike Breath of the Wild, you can also switch between four characters on the fly. Some of these characters can be obtained by playing through the storyline, while others can be obtained through the Genshin Impact gacha mechanic. Leaving the gacha impact aside for the moment, the characters themselves are diverse and fun. Amber, the first party member, can shoot arrows and set enemies ablaze, while Lissa, the witch, can make up-close enemies disappear with her light.

The combination of lightning and water is just the tip of the (sometimes literal) iceberg of elemental mechanics in Phantom of the Opera. Each character has different elemental affinities: fire, ice, light, etc. Every element interacts uniquely with every other element. It can electrocute an enemy in standing water, freeze a burning enemy, or create a dangerous vortex in the air. There are so many combinations of elements that it can be difficult to wrap your head around, but it also adds strategic depth to the game.

Finally, like "Breath of the Wild," you can unlock a glider early on and fly around the vast world, stopping wherever you like to admire the scenery while fighting enemies, collecting crafting resources, and unlocking new fast travel points.GENSHIN IMPACT offers a large, colorful world, likable characters, and straightforward core gameplay.

Whether you ultimately stick with "Genshin Impact" will have a lot to do with your tolerance for messy games. If you are unfamiliar with the term, gacha is a Japanese design strategy derived from vending machine toys. Gacha games charge premium currency for random drops, rather than simply buying the character or equipment you want. Instead of paying for the character you want, you pay for the chance to get the character you want, much like buying a pack of baseball cards.

There is an obvious tension between relying on gacha for new characters and trying to make those characters an important part of the story. Of course, some characters are simply better than others (depending on their rarity), making it a bit more difficult to complete the game with free characters. So far, the differences are not that pronounced, but these disparities tend to rear their head in the middle of the game, waiting for the other shoe to drop.

The game's various premium currencies can also be quite confusing. One type allows you to summon new characters, another type allows you to purchase your first type, and yet another type allows you to purchase your first type. I understand that "Phantom of the Phantom" wants to focus on gameplay and story, but a lot of confusion could be cleared up if they explained what each currency is, how to get it, and how to use it, all in one or two screens.

The game also employs a strange F2P mechanism where it is not needed. When the game starts, you can level your character up to 20. Beyond that, you need to upgrade your character, you need special crafting materials, you need a specific adventurer rank, you need to complete specific quest lines, and you need to level up other characters. In a mobile mess game, it makes sense to have level-up content. But in a single-player adventure title, it would only get in the way of character building and exploration.

Still, considering that this is a game that had barely been on my radar until this week, "Genshikai Ibunroku" does almost everything right. The gacha mechanics may grow tiresome over time, but on the other hand, you're not locking away important content for a fee. The risk is only for a few hours, and if the game gets you hooked, the rewards will be worth it.