Genshin Impact review: the best F2P open-world game ever made

Genshin Impact in 2026 is the most ambitious F2P open-world game ever made. 5 years after launch, the open world is the densest in any game, the elemental combat is the most expressive, and the F2P model is the most generous in gacha. 100M+ players, 5 years of content, and 1,000+ hours of gameplay for $0. Recommended.

What works

The open world

Genshin's open world is the densest in any game. 7 regions (Mondstadt, Liyue, Inazuma, Sumeru, Fontaine, Natlan, Snezhnaya coming 2027), each with 50+ hours of exploration, puzzles, and quests. Every region has:

• 100+ chests (with randomized loot)
• 50+ puzzles (elemental, environmental,

time-based)

• 30+ world bosses (weekly bosses, mini-

bosses, elite enemies)

• 20+ hidden quests (lore, character

development)

• 10+ achievements (exploration, combat,

collection)

The world design is the best in any game. Mondstadt is a fantasy medieval city. Liyue is a Chinese-inspired port city. Inazuma is a Japanese-inspired island chain. Sumeru is an Indian/ Egyptian-inspired rainforest. Fontaine is a French-inspired underwater city. Natlan is an African-inspired volcanic region. Every region is distinct and beautiful.

The elemental combat

Genshin's elemental combat is the most expressive in any game. 8 elements (Anemo, Geo, Electro, Dendro, Hydro, Pyro, Cryo, none), 100+ elemental reactions. Every reaction is meaningful:

• Pyro + Hydro = Vaporize (1.5x

damage)

• Pyro + Cryo = Melt (2x damage)
• Electro + Hydro = Electro-Charged

(DoT)

• Anemo + any element = Swirl

(spreads element)

• Geo + any element = Crystallize

(creates shield)

• Dendro + Electro = Aggravate

(1.15x damage)

• Dendro + Hydro = Bloom (creates

Dendro Core)

The combat is the most expressive in any game because every character has a unique kit, every element has 5+ reactions, and every team composition is viable.

The story

Genshin's story is the most ambitious in gacha. 200+ hours of main story content across 7 regions. The story has gotten progressively better with each region:

• Mondstadt arc — The "tutorial"

region, basic story about a dragon and a city.

• Liyue arc — The first "deep"

region, story about Rex Lapis and the death of the Archon.

• Inazuma arc — The first

"controversial" region, story about a civil war and the Vision Hunt Decree.

• Sumeru arc — The first

"incredible" region, story about the Akademiya and the truth about the Dendro Archon.

• Fontaine arc — The first

"masterpiece" region, 40+ hours of story about the truth about the Hydro Archon, Furina's arc is genuinely emotional.

• Natlan arc — The 2025 region,

story about the war between the Pyro Archon and the Abyss.

The Fontaine arc is the best story in any game in 2026.

The F2P model

Genshin's F2P model is the most generous in gacha. Every character is earnable for free through gameplay. The pity system guarantees a 5-star within 90 pulls, with a 50/50 system for featured characters. New players can earn 1-2 5-stars per patch without spending.

The paid content is cosmetic (skin bundles, battle pass, namecards). No pay-to-win, no paid-only characters, no loot boxes (until 2026's rumored weapon banner changes).

The 5 years of content

5 years of Genshin = 1,000+ hours of content. The main story is 200+ hours, the exploration is 400+ hours, the character quests are 100+ hours, the events are 100+ hours, the end-game (Spiral Abyss) is 200+ hours. Even if you only play 2 hours per day, the game has content for 500+ days.

What doesn't

The end-game is repetitive

Genshin's end-game is the Spiral Abyss, a series of timed combat challenges that reset every 2 weeks. The Abyss is fun for the first 100+ hours, but it gets repetitive after 200+ hours. The meta doesn't shift much (the same 8-10 characters dominate), and the rewards are small (60 primogems per floor, ~120 per reset).

The resin system

Genshin's resin system caps daily play. You can earn 160 resin per day, and each domain run costs 20 resin. This means you can do 8 domain runs per day. If you want to play more, you can't (without spending real money to refill resin). The resin system is designed to extend the game's lifespan, but it can feel limiting for hardcore players.

The gacha is still gacha

Genshin's gacha is the most generous in gacha, but it's still gacha. The 50/50 loss costs 180 pulls (~$300 if you spend), the weapon banner has a different pity system, and the 5-star rate is 0.6% (with a "soft pity" at 75+ pulls). New players will lose 50/50s and feel the pain of gacha.

The character build grind

Genshin's character build grind is the most tedious in any game. 5-star artifacts (the gear system) drop with random substats, and getting the "perfect" artifact takes 100+ hours of domain runs. The talent books, weapon materials, and ascension materials all have weekly caps, so building a character takes 2-3 weeks of dedicated farming.

The mobile version

Genshin's mobile version is OK but not great. The graphics are downgraded, the controls are touch-based, and the performance is poor on older devices. PC is the recommended platform.

The F2P model in detail

Genshin is the gold standard for F2P gacha. Here's what you get for $0:

• All 80+ characters (unlockable

through gameplay, 30-60 pulls per character)

• All 5-star weapons (unlockable

through pity or event rewards)

• All regions (every region is

free)

• All story content (200+ hours

of main story)

• All events (every event is

free)

• All game modes (Story, Open

World, Spiral Abyss, Imaginarium Theater, etc.)

Here's what costs money:

• Welkin Moon ($5/month, gives

300 primogems per day = 10 pulls per month)

• Genesis Crystal (premium

currency, $5-100 per bundle)

• Battle Pass ($10 per patch,

gives you cosmetic rewards)

• Skin bundles ($20-30 per

bundle)

No pay-to-win. No paid-only characters. No loot boxes. The F2P model is clean.

Should you play it?

If you've ever played Breath of the Wild, Elden Ring, Horizon Zero Dawn, or any open-world game, yes. Genshin is the most ambitious F2P open-world game ever made, the elemental combat is the most expressive, and the F2P model is the most generous. 1,000+ hours of content for $0. If you commit 200+ hours, you'll get the best open-world experience in any game.

If you want a casual open-world game, try Breath of the Wild first. It's simpler, the learning curve is gentler, and the story is more focused. Genshin is a 1,000+ hour commitment.

If you want a gacha game with a different focus, try Honkai: Star Rail (turn-based combat) or Wuthering Waves (more action- focused combat).

The verdict

Genshin Impact is the best F2P open- world game ever made. The open world is the densest in any game, the elemental combat is the most expressive, and the F2P model is the most generous. 5 years of content = 1,000+ hours for $0. The end-game is repetitive, the resin system caps daily play, and the gacha is still gacha, but these are minor issues in an otherwise excellent game. Recommended for anyone who enjoys open-world games.

FAQ

Is Genshin really F2P?

Yes. Every character is earnable for free, every region is free, every event is free. The paid content is cosmetics and the Welkin Moon (which gives you 10 pulls per month for $5).

Is Genshin better than Breath of the Wild?

Different games. BotW is more focused (one region, one story), Genshin is more sprawling (7 regions, 1,000+ hours). If you want a focused open-world game, BotW. If you want a sprawling open-world game, Genshin.

How long is the Genshin campaign?

200+ hours for the main story, 400+ hours for the full exploration, 1,000+ hours for the end-game.

What's the best character for new players?

Any 4-star character you get from the permanent banner. The 4-stars are surprisingly good (Xingqiu, Bennett, Xiangling, Fischl are all S-tier). The 5-stars are nice but not necessary for the first 100+ hours.

What's the Spiral Abyss?

The end-game content. A series of timed combat challenges that reset every 2 weeks. The rewards are small (60 primogems per floor = ~120 per reset). The Abyss is fun for the first 100+ hours but gets repetitive.

Is Genshin worth playing in 2026?

Yes. The 5.0 Natlan update added 30+ hours of story content, the 5.2 update added a new region, and the 5.4 update is rumored to add 20+ hours more. The game is in its best state yet.

What's the best region in Genshin?

Fontaine. 40+ hours of the best story in any game, the underwater exploration is the most unique in any open-world game, and Furina's arc is the most emotional character development in gacha.

Should I pull for the featured 5-star?

Depends. If you like the character AND the character is meta, pull. If you like the character but they're not meta, save your primogems. The 50/50 system means you'll lose 50% of the time. Don't spend money on the gacha unless you can afford to lose.