Genshin Impact Review — Into The Great Wide Open

Publisher: miHoYo

Developer: miHoYo

Reviewed on: PC

Also on: PlayStation 4, iOS, Android

Genshin Impact is light on story and big on exploration, encouraging players to peek under every rock, glide from every precipice, and bash through every camp of goblins. This free-to-play, open-world action/RPG is an incredible amalgamation of stylish art and sound, easy-to-learn combat, and magical adventure around every corner. As you climb the highest peaks, take on titanic bosses, and spare moments of tranquility to take in the scenery, you are inundated with dozens of possibilities. Plenty of games serve up unending tasks, but Genshin Impact provides a sense of unyielding enchantment and desire that I rarely ever feel. 

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I'd put Genshin Impact down to head to bed, close my eyes, and find myself back playing moments later. The gameplay loop of collection, upgrading, and customization is captivating and compelling. Genshin Impact is an unending ball of adventurous yarn; pulling on any minute-long thread can lead you in unexpected directions for hours. Perhaps you’re on a major story quest but see a chest in the distance, which leads to following a mysterious spirit down a cliffside and unearthing a rare cooking recipe. By the time all is said and done, time has evaporated and you forgot why you were even in the area in the first place. That's okay, though, because you solved a crane puzzle that sent you soaring through the mountainous air, rescued some travelers trapped in amber, and fought a lumbering mech for some spiffy new loot. The main quest is always there, but it’s a struggle to stay focused on it as you run, glide, and climb. This world is an unparalleled beauty that hypnotizes and enthralls.

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Dialogue and story are the weakest parts of the experience. It’s completely okay to skip through most of the perfunctory conversation as you hit the core quest chains to unlock certain areas and boss encounters. The real story here is created by your journey as you move from area to area. From rummaging through a field of carrots for food to accidentally wandering into a high-level encounter because the surrounding environment looked interesting, I never felt that tasks became rote. The gameplay can get grindy around 30 hours in, but is it really a grind if it still feels great?

You control a party of four characters, with one on the field at a time. Combat begins simple, with each character having a few different attacks, an elemental skill, and an ultimate elemental attack. Swapping out characters is an instant push of a button, which creates a more dynamic and interesting combat system than basic button mashing. Using a water character to soak enemies and then quickly swapping to a lighting character to electrocute everyone is an effective use of elemental synergy, with more difficult encounters and time trials becoming hotbeds to try all sorts of elemental alchemy. In a fight with multiple minibosses present and a clock staring you down, it takes careful strategy to time your elements for maximum effect.

Elemental abilities aren’t just for combat. The open world is full of puzzles and chests to test your creativity. Simple tasks like burning the brambles off an entrenched chest or using wind to blow the seeds off a dandelion are available in the opening moments, but later tasks involve multiple elements to trigger a variety of environmental interactions. Find yourself running out of stamina trying to swim across a vast expanse of water? Use ice to create a walkway. Create matter to trigger a pressure plate. Even late in the game, I’m still discovering new ways to use abilities.

Up to four players can team up together, with cross-platform drop-in, drop-out gameplay. Co-op is easy to use, and a fun way to fight bosses and do mini-dungeon experiences. Or maybe you just want to hang out, watch some ducks, and take some screenshots. Co-op is a fun addition, but everything in the game can be done and enjoyed solo.

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My biggest reservation about Genshin Impact is the monetization model, which is organized in a way that mobile gamers are intimately familiar with. In the West, we can liken the “gachapon” system to loot boxes. But these loot boxes aren’t merely for cosmetic hats; they’re for playable characters and awesome weapons. Yes, Genshin Impact features pay-for-power and pay-for-convenience. Genshin Impact has a battle pass that doesn’t even appear until around 20 hours into the game. The gambling for characters and weapons is further exacerbated by Genshin Impact's deliberate methods, like having the all-star heroes join your group for certain quests, which allows you to experience their awesome powers, thus creating a desire to spin the wheels for a shot at that power.

This is a monetization model that I cannot endorse or advocate, but I also have not spent any real money in my 40+ hours with the game. I do not feel like my progress has been throttled or my enjoyment dampened because I haven’t paid up. I have played many gacha games, and while Genshin Impact’s paywall is the least intrusive of all of them, I can’t pretend that the game wouldn’t be better without it.

Genshin Impact is a whimsical, wondrous land dripping with unbridled charm and appeal, combining a ridiculously compelling reward loop with unfettered, continuous discovery. In this world I felt like a child visiting theme park for the first time — dazzled, mesmerized, and completely swept away. I only wish the shimmering glow wasn’t marred by a ghoulish monetization model, but that’s something I’m willing to overlook for my ticket to this fascinating realm.

Score: 9.25

Summary: Genshin Impact delivers an enthralling world.

Concept: Explore a massive fantasy world while building a colorful cast of characters

Graphics: The aesthetic is so captivating, I often just got lost in the art and scenery

Sound: A stirring, powerful soundtrack accurately captures the sensation of sitting at a quiet pond or dueling a boss to the death

Playability: Genshin Impact drip-feeds its systems slowly and succinctly, as critical features and mechanics are spread out over the first 10 hours

Entertainment: This is an amazing smorgasbord of exploration, discovery, combat, and customization worthy of your attention – despite the presence of a predatory monetization model

Replay: High

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Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time Review – Precision Platforming

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Publisher: Activision

Developer: Toys for Bob

Rating: Everyone 10+

Reviewed on: PlayStation 4

Also on: Xbox One

The early Crash Bandicoot games of the ‘90s were partially experiments in how to navigate 3D space. Crash didn’t freely traverse an open world; he marched down tightly designed digital tunnels. The camera zoomed in and out of the action and panned around the character, which seemed novel at the time. However, Crash’s movement was limited in ways that seem restrictive by today’s standards. In some sense, Crash Bandicoot’s gameplay was a product of those limits of technology as much as it was any single creative vision. And yet, those limitations helped produce one of 1996's most memorable platformers. Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time proves the classic formula still works in 2020.

With Crash 4, developer Toys for Bob sends Crash and his sister Coco on an adventure through space and time. In one set of levels, I battled seahorse-like pirates while dodging cannon fire. In another, I bounced off dinosaur heads and over creeping lava flows. In yet another, I navigated a busy skyway, miles above a futuristic metropolis. Every level is full of wacky sights and sounds that made me smile, and I couldn’t wait to see where I was headed next.

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However, this experience is more about the journey than the destination, and Crash’s platforming remains faithful to his early adventures in ways both good and bad. On one hand, the controls are more responsive than ever, and I loved bounding from one precarious platform to the next while smashing crates full of Wumpa fruit. On the other hand, Crash 4's precise platforming sequences demand practice. The thrill of mastering Crash 4’s most challenging levels is rewarding, but some of the deadliest pitfalls come out of the blue, which means you have to replay sections over and over again to memorize each level's layout. A “modern” difficulty allows you to play with unlimited lives, which removes some of the sting, but distant checkpoints still tested my patience, as they forced me to routinely jumped through a familiar hoops in order to return to the platforming section that tripped me up.

While Crash’s platforming feels like it fell out of a time warp, this bandicoot does have a few new moves. Throughout his journey, Crash collects a handful of Quantum Masks that grant him new superpowered abilities. For example, one mask allows you to invert gravity so Crash can run along the ceiling, while another lets you transform into a spinning vortex that floats over large chasms. I especially liked the Kupuna-Wa mask, which slows time, so I could platform across falling objects and dodge fast-moving projectiles. These masks pop in and out of the game at predetermined times, so you can’t access them whenever you want, but I was always excited when one showed up. Even more, I'm impressed with how the Quantum Masks add new wrinkles to Crash’s classic gameplay in a way that feels true to the spirit of the franchise.

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In addition to the Quantum Masks, Crash and Coco are joined by a few unlikely cohorts, such as Doctor Neo Cortex, Dingodile, and Tawna. These new characters have their own unique movesets, which they display in a handful of dedicated levels scattered across the game. These special levels offer a refreshing change of pace. For example, Cortex can’t double jump, so his levels center on using a gun to transform enemies into spongy platforms that launch him into the air. However, my favorite newcomer is Tawna, an alternate-reality version of Crash’s love interest from the first game. Tawna comes equipped with a grappling hook that allows her to zip across massive gaps and smash crates from a distance, and I always jumped into her special levels the second I unlocked them.

In many ways, Crash Bandicoot 4: It’s About Time feels like a game that shouldn’t work. Single-player, mascot-driven, hardcore platformers are few and far between these days. Moreover, most franchises born in the mid-‘90s have had to continually reboot themselves to match the tastes of an ever-changing market. At its core, Crash 4 remains rooted to the old way of doing things, but that’s not a bad thing. The visuals are cleaner now and Crash has a few new gimmicks, but if you squint, Crash 4 looks like the same old platformer you’ve always loved. 

Score: 8.5

Summary: A return to the unique brand of ‘90s platforming that put Crash Bandicoot on the map.

Concept: A return to the unique brand of ‘90s platforming that put Crash Bandicoot on the map

Graphics: The vibrant, colorful visuals really pop, and enemy designs are goofy in a charming way

Sound: This energetic soundtrack is fun and upbeat, which is good since you’ll be listening to some tracks on loop for a long time

Playability: Controls are tight and precise, which is necessary given the pinpoint maneuvering required in some levels

Entertainment: Mastering Crash’s aerial acrobatics is highly rewarding, but the journey to get there is occasionally frustrating

Replay: Moderately High

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Star Wars: Squadrons Review – Roaring With Excitement

Publisher: Electronic Arts

Developer: Motive Studios

Reviewed on: PC

Also on: PlayStation 4, Xbox One

A hail of green laser fire rips dangerously close to my X-Wing’s cockpit as I rocket through the debris of a downed Star Destroyer. A TIE Fighter gives chase, and my astromech unit alerts me that a missile strike is imminent. I put my X-Wing into a spin and dive through a narrow gap in the wreckage, narrowing scraping a wall. In this moment, the Star Wars fantasy of piloting an X-Wing screams with excitement, showing how thrilling the dogfighting between the Rebellion and Empire can be. Developer Motive Studios has created a fantastic multiplayer experience that has the visual detail and edge-of-your-seat thrills of Star Wars’ epic space battles, but only fires direct hits in the online space, struggling to captivate with both its single-player content.

Star Wars: Squadrons is set after Return of the Jedi, with the second Death Star scattered to cosmos and the Empire retreating while looking for ways to strike back at the Rebels. This era gives us the cool ship designs from the original movie trilogy, but with more firepower than Luke Skywalker had at his fingertips. Whether I was in an A-Wing in a hunter role against a TIE Interceptor or a Y-Wing on a bombing run against an Imperial flagship, each craft feels distinct and is a blast to control. The movement is so smooth and precise that you can skip along the surface of an asteroid and safely snake through a space station’s interior without dinging the hull. And even if you do, the game is forgiving in damage, allowing you to quickly correct the flight path.

Unlike most space shooters, Squadrons is only playable from the first-person perspective. This is an odd design given just how iconic these ships are, but the locked viewpoint makes sense given how many systems the player has to monitor at any given time. Rather than littering the HUD with these meters, most of them are visible within the ship’s cockpit, and they all function admirably, allowing for quick reads on ammo, radar, and most importantly, how power is balanced throughout the ship. With a click of a button, the player can adjust the power to favor shields, weapons, or speed. I was constantly switching for various needs, and it always feels great to get that extra boost in the thrusters or to rattle off more laser blasts to down a TIE or A-Wing.

The loadouts of each of the eight ships can also be tweaked in a number of ways, such as switching a steady laser to burst fire or giving up hull integrity for shields. The number of components that can be swapped is fairly deep, allowing the player to tweak performance in a number of strategic and satisfying ways.

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No matter what ship I was piloting, the one-on-one battles against other player-controller ships are almost always intense. These duels can be quite long, as the targeted vessel can make a run for it, dance every which way through cluttered airspace to dodge laser fire, and perhaps get the upper hand and start firing back. If an opponent is shielded and at full health, you’re in for a good fight. Missiles will be dodged with countermeasures, and repair kits used to get health back. The maps are also nicely designed, providing surprisingly cluttered areas for the harrowing chases and open space that can be used to lure enemies into traps if you are coordinating with your teammates.

The online multiplayer in Squadrons is limited to just two avenues of play: Dogfight, which is wildly fun and is determined by kill count, and Fleet Battles, the heart and soul of this experience that delivers awesome wars of attrition. Fleet Battles flow to a moving front that forces you into offensive and defensive positions. Victory is achieved when your opponent’s flagship is destroyed, which takes time; victory can come down to barely visible slivers of health on both opposing flagships.

Both multiplayer modes are 5v5 conflicts. The small number works well for dogfighting, since the maps accommodate it. Fleet Battles could use more players, but the scale feels massive thanks to the healthy presence of A.I.-controlled ships, many of the larger variety. Both modes deliver plenty of exhilarating dogfighting moments, gorgeous backdrops to fly against, and iconic Star Wars music and sounds to set the tone.

After a match concludes, experience points are accumulated and currency is handed out to purchase new cosmetic items for both your ship and pilot, including goofy bobbleheads which are always viewable in the cockpit. The player can use a different earned currency to buy new ship components to add even more depth to the loadouts.

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I love EA’s stance of not having microtransactions or DLC, but the well of unlockable cosmetics is surprisingly shallow, and relies too heavily on alternate colors for the same item. I only had my eye on around a dozen items, and the unlock time isn’t extensive. While multiplayer is great on its own and has depth in just being fun to play, not having that carrot dangled in front of you to get new stuff you care about hurts the drive to play more.

While Squadrons’ single-player campaign introduces a number of cool Star Wars characters, most of the story is told as they stand around in a hangar or at the briefing table. It doesn’t have much of a pulse, even though the narrative setup of a mysterious “Starhawk” project is quite good and remains an intriguing focus point for the entire arc. When plot is delivered mid-flight, the dialogue is rough and lacks impact, and certain moments could be framed more clearly.

Flying all of the ships in the single-player experience remains enjoyable, but the enemy A.I. doesn’t put up a good fight, and is the worst part of the entire game. The A.I. pathing is also a mess. Watching a TIE Fighter fly directly into an asteroid and then slowly spin on its axis to get free made me cringe. Some of the set pieces are good, but most of the campaign missions play out like mini tutorials, teaching new tactics even late into the game.

All of Squadrons’ content is fully playable in VR, and is a perfect fit for this medium. Through a headset, the battles feel like they are much larger in scale (even though they’re exactly the same as on TV), and I loved being able to sneak a quick glance at my astromech unit whenever it chirped. A variety of flight sticks are also supported, though I did not play with one for my review. EA included a full suite of accessibility options, and crossplay is supported for all systems, including VR.

Squadrons’ single-player may fizzle out frequently like a malfunctioning hyperdrive motivator, but the multiplayer continually impresses and is worth the price of entry alone. Flying in formation with a group of friends put a smile on my face, and that was just the calm before the storm. When the lasers start flying, Squadrons’ multiplayer can be nothing short of exhilarating and a great test of skill, pushing players to be clever in the cockpit to outthink and outmaneuver opponents. Given just how enjoyable it is to pilot an X-Wing or TIE Fighter, this is a multiplayer experience I will continually go back to, even if EA doesn’t support it with new content. It’s just fun to play, providing something different compared to most of today’s competitive games.

Score: 8.25

Summary: The multiplayer delivers huge thrills, while the single-player struggles to hit the target.

Concept: Set after the events of Return of the Jedi, this space-combat game tells a new story, and wows with its multiplayer

Graphics: Even though it’s all set in space, each map has plenty of variety in the backdrops and navigational spaces. The amount of detail in every object is excellent

Sound: The iconic soundtrack and effects cannot be beat and are in full force. Some of the voice acting is a little overblown, especially when trying to sell drama from the cockpit

Playability: Dogfighting with an enemy and lining up that perfect shot feels fantastic. The controls are excellently crafted, and the ships are all powerful in different ways

Entertainment: The single-player campaign teaches you the ropes, but achieves little else. Multiplayer is always fun and is exactly what it needs to be to wow Star Wars fans

Replay: Moderately High

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