Summary
- Genshin Impact unnecessarily oversexualizes its female characters, including sexualizing religious clothing like in the case of Yae Miko.
- The game has made some changes to its female characters' outfits, but more needs to be done to address the issue.
- Other games, like Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage, don't sexualize their characters and still maintain a dedicated fanbase, showing that sexualization is not necessary for success.
Genshin Impact has a wonderful selection of characters that shape and move its story. However, there is one thing the game gets wrong more often than not: it needlessly oversexualizes its women to cater to fans' wallets. Genshin Impact is a gacha game, but there is no need for unnecessary bits of skin showing. For example, in the case of Yae Miko, the game even sexualizes religious clothing.
It's one thing to make characters appeal to certain audiences, that is the nature of gacha games. But it's another to go too far and push the boundaries of what's appropriate and what isn't. The game has already had to change some of its women's skins before, issuing players alternate skins for free that fixed Genshin Impact's Mona, Rosaria, Amber, and Jean's revealing base outfits. Though not all of these changes are huge, it's a start in the right direction.
Genshin Impact Female Skins Need Changing
It's no secret that Genshin Impact's banner revenue is out of this world. No matter who's available for players to pull, players will pull. So, with a guarantee of income no matter how it's spun, this begs the question of why Genshin Impact feels the need to sexualize its female characters to draw in more customers. If a character is strong enough, players will want them. Even if a character hits a niche gameplay mechanic, that alone will intrigue players to want to spend their Primogems on them, even with no sexualization.
Even the smaller, younger models are not exempt from scantily clad clothing. Genshin Impact's Sayu, who despite having the same model as Diona is implied to be in her mid-teens, has a fishnet garter on one of her legs. These details are unnecessary for characters who are so young, regardless of their intended age. Especially when she has the same appearance as Klee.
If a game has to sexualize a female character to make them sell, the character should be taken back to the drawing board. While attractive female characters are welcome, they do not need to have their skin showing to be good characters. Genshin Impact has done well with other women who are covered up and still considered attractive by some, such as its Fatui Harbinger Arlecchino. She is not sexualized and still appeals to a wide enough audience that players want to save up for her; which only makes the needless sexualization of its other female characters highly questionable.
Other gacha games, or even games featuring gacha mechanics in general, such as Hatsune Miku: Colorful Stage do not sexualize their characters. There isn't a need to, since when a character in that game gets fans, they want to collect all the character cards regardless--simply because they enjoy the character. If other games can pull that off, Genshin Impact does not need to make itself an outlier.
An unwarranted amount of women in Genshin Impact feature unnecessary dress slits, fishnets, garters, or generally revealing clothing. When considering the position some of these women have, such as Genshin Impact's Yelan, who is a special intelligence officer, her outfit seems unfitting. The game has the potential to cease the needless flaunting of women's bodies to turn a profit since it has done something similar with Jean, Mona, Rosaria, and Amber. But as it stands, there is work to be done.
Genshin Impact
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 81 /100 Critics Rec: 87%
- Released
- September 28, 2020
- ESRB
- Teen / Alcohol Reference, Fantasy Violence, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Publisher(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Engine
- Unity
- Multiplayer
- Online Co-Op
- Cross-Platform Play
- All platforms
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into Teyvat, a vast world teeming with life and flowing with elemental energy.
You and your sibling arrived here from another world. Separated by an unknown god, stripped of your powers, and cast into a deep slumber, you now awake to a world very different from when you first arrived.
Thus begins your journey across Teyvat to seek answers from The Seven — the gods of each element. Along the way, prepare to explore every inch of this wondrous world, join forces with a diverse range of characters, and unravel the countless mysteries that Teyvat holds...
MASSIVE OPEN WORLD
Climb any mountain, swim across any river, and glide over the world below, taking in the jaw-dropping scenery each step of the way. And if you stop to investigate a wandering Seelie or strange mechanism, who knows what you might discover?
ELEMENTAL COMBAT SYSTEM
Harness the seven elements to unleash elemental reactions. Anemo, Electro, Hydro, Pyro, Cryo, Dendro, and Geo interact in all sorts of ways, and Vision wielders have the power to turn this to their advantage.
Will you vaporize Hydro with Pyro, electro-charge it with Electro, or freeze it with Cryo? Your mastery of the elements will give you the upper hand in battle and exploration.
BEAUTIFUL VISUALS
Feast your eyes on the world around you, with a stunning art style, real-time rendering, and finely tuned character animations delivering you a truly immersive visual experience. Lighting and weather all change naturally over time, bringing every detail of this world to life.
SOOTHING SOUNDTRACK
Let the beautiful sounds of Teyvat draw you in as you explore the expansive world around you. Performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the soundtrack changes seamlessly with the time and gameplay to match the mood.
BUILD YOUR DREAM TEAM
Team up with a diverse cast of characters in Teyvat, each with their own unique personalities, stories, and abilities. Discover your favorite party combinations and level up your characters to help you conquer even the most daunting of enemies and domains.
JOURNEY WITH FRIENDS
Team up with friends across various platforms to trigger more elemental action, tackle tricky boss fights, and conquer challenging domains together to reap rich rewards.
As you stand atop the peaks of Jueyun Karst and take in the rolling clouds and vast terrain stretching out before you, you may wish to stay in Teyvat a little longer... But until you are reunited with your lost sibling, how can you rest? Go forth, Traveler, and begin your adventure!
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC, iOS, Android
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Action, Adventure, Gacha, Open-World
- Platforms That Support Crossplay
- Mobile, PC, PS4 & PS5
