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Genshin Impact’s Kokomi Used To Suck, But Now She's Fun As Hell
8.4.2022
I didn’t try to recruit Kokomi, the water-element healer, during her initial, limited release. Instead, I opted to skip her for Childe, the water-based archer who can slay packs of enemies in seconds flat. I regret that now. After spending over a hundred wishes to get Childe (which would’ve cost...
Genshin Impact Update Makes Its Saddest Anime Boy Even Sadder
7.4.2022
The most poignant lines in Genshin Impact’s latest update came when I discovered a bouquet of white flowers laid next to the bodies of dead Hilichurls. As I surveyed the grisly scene, the wanderer Dainsleif said, “The Inteyvat [flower] is a symbol for a wanderer far from home, signifying...
The Best (And Worst) April Fools’ Jokes In Gaming For 2022
1.4.2022
April Fools’ is finally upon us, or as our UK editor John Walker likes to call it: “International Lying Day.” Never fear, readers. We Kotaku bloggers are vigilantly keeping alert for any announcements that seem a little bit too good or too weird to be true. Not me, though. Some April Fools’ jokes...
Genshin Impact's Latest Character Reveals Clouded By Ongoing Leak War
28.3.2022
Genshin Impact’s characters are its greatest asset, so naturally developer Hoyoverse strives to control how and when information about them is revealed to the game’s massive player base. Nevertheless, Genshin has been struggling with leaks since it was first released, and no amount of legal action...
Genshin Impact’s Inazuma Update Gives Fans What They’ve Waited Almost A Year For
18.3.2022
Ayato wanters, rejoice. For eight long months, the Genshin Impact community has been thirsting after a character whose physical appearance hadn’t even been revealed, and their faith has finally been rewarded. HoYoverse–formerly miHoYo–will make him playable at last with the major 2.6 festival...
Genshin Impact Turns A Bad Storyline Into A Sublime Portrayal Of Grief
22.2.2022
When the main story of Genshin Impact’s Inazuma region concluded last September, a lot of fans (including yours truly) felt a little bit let down. The story felt incomplete, and the actions of its main villain, the goddess Raiden Ei, didn’t seem very logical. Later story updates helped to clarify...
These So-Called ‘Casual’ Gamers Are Actually Hardcore Strategists
21.2.2022
Mobile gaming is the largest segment of gaming by revenue, yet it’s also one of the most misunderstood by self-identified “gamers.” I know this first hand because for several years, I played games on my phone more frequently than I did on PC or console. I found gacha games mechanically fun,...
Genshin Impact’s Latest Event Requires Healers
18.2.2022
The highly anticipated Genshin Impact event “Three Realms Gateway Offering” unlocked yesterday. Many fans are praising it for getting rid of content time-gates for the first time, which allows the gacha game to feel more like a traditional RPG where you can play at your own pace. However, while...
Genshin Impact's miHoYo Rebrands For Global Audiences
14.2.2022
Founded in 2012, miHoYo became world-famous with games Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd. But now, the game studio is being rebranded to make room for the metaverse. Read more
Genshin Impact's Best Update Yet Is Full Of Killer Moments
4.2.2022
Genshin Impact’s events can often feel puzzle-driven and sparse. Last year’s Lantern Rite Festival was a bit like a festive museum display. The Windblume Festival and Moonlight Merriment events, meanwhile, were little more than vehicles for seasonal minigames. In contrast, this year’s Chinese...
Genshin Impact’s Inazuma Update Adds Yae Miko, New Enemies, And Bartending
4.2.2022
This morning, Genshin Impact revealed the next major update for the game, which consists of new content for the Inazuma region. Yae Miko will become playable for the first time, the Enkanomiya sub-region will get its own event, and players will be able to fight a boss who looks suspiciously like...
Genshin Impact Player Survives Impossible Falls By Pinballing Off Cliffs
3.2.2022
Some Genshin Impact players refuse to play the game the way that it’s meant to be played, and I respect that. Yesterday, Reddit user Ezmankong posted a video in which they used playable character Ningguang to spectacularly bounce off two cliffsides and avoided dying of fall damage, and it’s...
How To Get Free Wishes In Genshin Impact
27.1.2022
According to a Japanese research study, only 2-5% of players spend money in gacha games like Genshin Impact. This means that the vast majority of players are subsisting on free gacha rolls from various in-game activities. With a little bit of persistence, you can improve your odds and save a pretty...
Genshin Impact Players’ Zhongli and Ganyu Rolls Are Looking A Little Funny
26.1.2022
Normally, I’m a good person. I celebrate my friends’ wins when something good happens to them. But when half the internet is crying at the sad, sad state of their Genshin Impact rolls for the Lantern Rite event, I can’t help but get a bit of schadenfreude. How’s that C6 Qiqi treating you? (Sisi...
How To Pick The Best Four-Star Character In Genshin Impact's Lantern Rite Event
24.1.2022
Don’t fret if you’ve had absolutely terrible luck rolling for characters in Genshin Impact gacha banners. The Lantern Rite Festival is running again this year, which means that every player will be able to earn a free four-star character in the Fleeting Colors in Flight event. After accumulating...
Genshin Impact's Latest Controversy Shows Games Can Be Powerful Ambassadors For Art
15.1.2022
On December 26, the voice performances for Genshin Impact’s latest playable characters were shown for the first time. This included Yun Jin, the young leader of a Chinese opera company. The reaction from the Genshin community was mixed, but the moment also became an opportunity for people...
Genshin Impact's Greece-Inspired Update Is Surprisingly Devastating
13.1.2022
Genshin Impact’s first major update of the year takes place in the Chinese-inspired city-state of Liyue. The update centers two new characters, and Liyue will soon host Genshin’s annual Chinese New Year event. So I understand why the newly added Enkanomiyan islands aren’t depicted as the meat...
How To Build Any Character In Genshin Impact
11.1.2022
It’s a rough world out there for newcomers who want to learn the ropes in Genshin Impact. Many guides are filled with in-game jargon, and Reddit posts are often stuffed with incomprehensible walls of mathematical calculations. You won’t find any of that here. Instead of focusing on a specific...
12 Recent Games To Play When You Want A Great Story Or Characters
30.12.2021
Games rooted in abstract systems or that see you controlling vast armies of faceless soldiers can be great, but sometimes you want something that feels a little more intimate and human. Something where the characters are so lively, playing the game almost feels like hanging out with friends,...
The Best Free Games Of 2021
16.12.2021
You may have seen me writing tons of Genshin Impact blogs around here, and that is definitely a free-to-play game that I think is outstanding and deserving of extensive coverage. However, there are actually tons of other great free-to-play games in the mobile gaming ecosystem, too. Read more