I Wish Genshin Impact Would Acknowledge My Party Choices
Ganyu and Zhongli rule, so let me do my silly little side quests as them.
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Since its launch almost a year ago, I’ve adored Genshin Impact and the vibrant, complex world Mihoyo has crafted within Teyvat. Its characters are a cast of complicated, charming, and (usually) likable folks that have kept me coming back with every patch. It’s easy to manage with Genshin Impact’s bite-sized story updates, and party members like Ganyu – an anxious young woman who struggles to find where she belongs – have become some of my favorite stories in gaming. But when it comes to freedom within that universe, I feel like Mihoyo holds me a little too close, limiting my choices about which direction story beats take. While I don’t mind a linear narrative by any means – I honestly prefer them – I’m a little put off by how Genshin Impact constantly swaps out my party members for story interactions, and I wish the game would acknowledge who I’ve brought along for new journeys.
Canonically, I understand that your adventure across Teyvat is mostly just you and little Paimon. Cutscenes early on indicate as much, and characters only really “join” you for certain arcs before they disappear and head back home, even if you technically use them to fight. In Genshin Impact, you can interact with an NPC as Zhongli and then all of the sudden he’ll poof, and out comes the Traveler. It’s a little jarring, and sometimes irritating.
So, here’s what I wish would happen. Instead of forcing me into every scene as the Traveler, I do wish there were some instances where the game would acknowledge I’m playing as Zhongli, Ganyu, Ningguang, or whoever else. I understand that this isn’t necessarily those characters’ stories, and I’m honestly not even trying to make the case for this in the main questline. But, for side stories, I’d love to be able to shake things up. I want to see how Ganyu takes the advice to return back to Liyue in her side-story if it were the advice of someone else, like Zhongli or Keqing.
For such an open world, Teyvat honestly feels quite gated. My usual party consists of Ningguang, Zhongli, Ganyu, and Diluc, so it’s always extra jarring to interact with a random quest NPC, only to have the Traveler’s suddenly force her way out and bench everyone else. She’s not a presence that’s very familiar to me, and isn’t much of a character herself in the grand scheme of things, more like just a witness to everything happening.
Even if it were just in smaller ways, I wish Genshin Impact would respond to the choices I’ve made in my party composition. Where is the reaction from Mondstadt NPCs shocked Ningguang is there browsing flowers? Or people in Liyue surprised to see Jean visiting from somewhere so far away? I’m so tired of having the Traveler pop out of nowhere, it’s more jarring than NPCs ignoring my other characters. I would take anything, really. I love moments in RPGs like the Tales Of series, where my characters will just stop to chat about anything on their mind. And in a world that’s as rich as Teyvat, I think there’s plenty of room to stop and let Kaeya bicker with Diluc, or moments to let Klee reveal Albedo’s softer side.
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Andrea Shearon is a news editor at TheGamer who loves RPGs, mobile games, and anything horror related. Find her on Twitter via @Maajora.
Link Source : https://www.thegamer.com/genshin-impact-story-party-choices-traveler/