Review: Genshin Impact vs. Breath of the Wild

In the recent past, the game Genshin Impact has caught the attention of many people. It is an open-world action RPG with anime style graphics and a story that has left many people intrigued. Though the game is still in development, it has become widely prevalent in the media due to its unique story and characters. 

Breath of the Wild is an extension of the popular Legend of Zelda series that many people have grown to know and love. Contrary to many of the previous games in the series, it is completely open world and allows you to explore many diverse environments, with the same story that so many fans are familiar with.

Both games are spectacular, with many elements allowing players to create their own adventure and play the game at their own pace. However, it has come to many people’s attention that the gameplay mechanics are eerily similar. Breath of the Wild was released in 2017, far before Genshin Impact’s release in 2020. So what similarities are there between the games?

The most notable similarities between the two are the climbing and gliding mechanics. In both games, you can climb up mountains and use a glider to slowly float down from high places. These activities require stamina, which the player has a finite amount of and can increase as the game progresses. This mechanic is nearly identical in both of the games, with only a few design differences. 

Another similarity between the games is the use of teleportation. Both games have towers scattered around the world that unlock parts of the map as you go on. However, the process of getting to the towers is more complicated in Breath of the Wild. The towers are usually harder to reach and have certain puzzles and challenges to be able to get to the top. However in Genshin Impact, the process of getting to the towers is simply walking up to it and unlocking it. Additionally, there are smaller teleport points scattered more densely across the map. Like the towers, unlocking these points is far more complicated in Breath of the Wild than Genshin Impact. Breath of the Wild has shrines with various puzzles that you must pass, and they give you rewards that help you increase the amount of health you have and your stamina. The teleport waypoints in Genshin Impact are just a matter of walking up to it and unlocking it. While these mechanics show extreme similarity, there are still differences that make the games unique.

While there are many more similarities that could be mentioned, it is important to also mention some of the differences. The most notable divergence between the games is Genshin Impact’s gacha system. Players can spend money to unlock certain characters that appear in the story, which have different abilities and gameplay mechanics. In Breath of the Wild, the only playable character is Link, who will gain abilities throughout the game as the player progresses. Genshin Impact is also free-to-play, while Breath of the Wild will run you $59.99, with an additional $19.99 if you want to play with the DLC. 

Many critics agree that both of the games are very good despite the many comparisons you can make between the two. Though there are many similarities, both games are unique in their concepts and can be enjoyed in a person’s own way by creating their own path. The ways that they are alike can even make more people enjoy the games, and don’t take away from any of either of them respectively. In the end, they are both amazing games with beautiful world building experiences and mechanics that are fun to play in their own ways.