Review: Genshin Impact

All of which should be read as quite the startling accomplishment to see achieved, given that at its most basic level, Genshin Impact is an action RPG whose fantastical storytelling, main characters and method for narrative are, though more direct and baked into progression, not exactly memorable or stand-out by any stretch. Your only agency or presence in the world as a character is that of one of two siblings referred to simply as the Traveller. A character whom, outside of a handful of solitary lines, rarely speaks and emotes with anything but an accepting smile. The supposed engagement with characters, like most Gacha releases, lies on the assembly of characters you accrue -- be it naturally or through investment of real money -- over the course of the story being told. And by extension, a significant part of the where the RPG elements come into play, maxing out the levels and skills of the characters at your disposal.

Pokémon has always been a series near and dear to my heart, and while I was always keen on the mainline titles, the first spin-off I was ever introduced to was Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. I fell utterly in love and this year got the surprise announcement that the first title was receiving a remake. It ended up being everything I wanted and more. A return to one of my absolute favorite games in a new style and yet felt like revisiting old friends I hadn't spoken to in a long time. The story is entirely about friendship, a bond between Pokémon as they struggle to save the world together and solve the problems as they're shunned away from their home after being accused of crimes they didn't commit. It added great new things like shiny Pokémon, mega evolutions and a ton of visual upgrades for items that helped build on the world. It even fixed one of my biggest disappointments that was after the slg game Money guide your partner no longer said good morning to you, but now they will every day even after they've evolved. Heck, they even finally added bandanas on the main Pokémon duo while they're still in their basic forms. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX is a comfort in every way. It's familiar, yet changed, just as you would expect from an old friend and I'm thankful I had the chance to dive back into the wonderful experience once more.

Americans celebrate Thanksgiving every November. It’s a time when families gather, friends reconnect and communities unite. On Thanksgiving you also announce what you're thankful for in life, so several of our writers decided to let everyone know exactly which video games they're thankful for. These thanks are comprised of releases from Thanksgiving 2019 to Thanksgiving 2020 and made up of a variety of reasons. Read on to see the titles everyone decided were personally meaningful enough from the past year to make the list!


Since Diona is a character available within the standard 4-star pool , she is a fairly accessible unit for most players. Additionally, she looks to be on the upcoming Yae Miko banner, granting anyone who doesn’t have her yet a chance to snag the frosty, feline support. Diona fulfills a unique role in Genshin Impact and can fit into a variety of team compositions, so she would definitely be a worthy pickup if you can spare the Primog

But rarely does the monetization side of Genshin Impact get in the way of what feels first and foremost like an open-world adventure brimming with diverse and intriguing content to invest in. Content that isn't just another fetch quest or another handful of items to gather, but a puzzle to work out, a chest to reach, or in the briefest of spots, a curious little spot of world-building to unravel. Grind is an eventuality once you start to near the high-teens and low twenties of your Adventure Rank. Adventure Rank being your character's defining "level" of sorts whose meter can be fed through completing quests and achieving certain milestones. That reliance on levels does unfortunately rub the wrong way at points, especially when it becomes a barrier to later quests, story-based or otherwise. And while setting a minimum level cap on quests can be read as gentle persuasion to explore more of the environment, the abrupt nature doesn't always feel entirely warranted. Particularly when the main story takes a dramatic turn and you find you can't continue on that thread because your Adventure Rank (or AR for short) is one or two levels too low. So it's to the daily Commission Quests or some other similarly short-term activity on the side, for the time being.


Hangout Events How To Unlock Hangout Events Shikanoin Heizou's Hangout Event Barbara's Hangout Event Bennett's Hangout Event Noelle's Hangout Event Kuki Shinobu's Hangout Event Beidou's Hangout Event Gorou's Hangout Event Thoma's Hangout Event Sayu's Hangout Event Diona's Hangout Event Noelle's Second Hangout Event Chongyun's Hangout E

As you can see, there has been a diverse line-up of video games to be thankful for this past year. Let us know one of your favorite releases of 2020 in the comments below and share how it may have impacted your life in any way!