Genshin Impact 6.0 is the funeral of Genshin Impact 1.0. Teyvat, once a vibrant and self-believing world, has turned into a beautiful backdrop where the plot suffocates under the weight of gacha logic. But even among the ruins of the plot, there is room for a miracle: Nod-Kraj impresses with its beauty, puzzles, and details — HoYoverse still knows how to create magic.
I don't believe it!
Perhaps, it's worth repenting. In the 5.0 review, I praised the main plot of Genshin Impact. By the standards of that time, there was reason to. But with each update, up to 6.0, there was a growing feeling that something had gone wrong. And with the release of 6.0, it became clear: the writers had long since taken a wrong turn. Only now, in retrospect, is it clear that they have led the plot to what it has become in small steps.
The problem is not so much in itself, but in what Teyvat has turned into. Remember 2020: it was a fabulous world — kind, bright, beautiful. Behind the facade is the tragedy and darkness of the lore, but the hero changed it for the better. The writers worked on three levels: stories of ordinary people, regional arcs, and a global meta-plot. And in the beginning, the system worked.
But the balance is gone. Local stories have become the background. Regional plots — a template: arrival, conflict, conspiracy, victory. Opponents have become simpler, heroes — overgrown with abstractions.
In Natlan (5.0), it seemed that the writers had finally turned off the beaten track: the external conflict became more complex, dynamics appeared, and interest was outlined. But the further, the more confused the meaning became. The finale, albeit emotionally charged — and HoYoverse knows how to put pressure on feelings — left only questions. How will the branch about the Fatui and the Heart of God be developed now? Or are we waiting for another protracted, contrived story in Natlan?
And the meta-plot? It had potential. The search for a brother/sister, the mystery of Khaenri'ah, the leader of their heirs — it turned out to be our relative, the Fatui's hunt for the Hearts of Gods, a possible connection between all this... It could have been a powerful, all-pervading arc. Instead — chaos of hints, bows to the manga, and esoteric allusions. Now, with the release of version 6.0, Snezhnaya should have appeared and the plot should have straightened out like a spring, but instead, a fizzle! A plot without logic, characters, and sequence.
By version 6.0, with the beginning of the Nod Kraj plot, this chaos reached its peak. The world stopped inspiring confidence. Not because it became darker, but because it stopped being alive. Teyvat is now a decoration. Beautiful, detailed, but alien. And the scariest thing is that you no longer believe in it.
The new location — Nod-Kraj — finally broke this faith. The first alarming bells rang in Fontaine. If Mondstadt and Liyue are somewhere at the level of the developed Middle Ages, Sumeru is in the Renaissance, then Fontaine stands out sharply in modern times. But at least according to the lore, it was conceived as a center of progress — so it could be accepted.
But what about Natlan? Tribes resembling Indians coexist with cowboys, next to them are settlements of surfers and futuristic elements. Not the Middle Ages anymore, not quite modern times... In fantasy, a lot can be forgiven, but only if there is internal consistency. But there isn't.
And Nod-Kraj? This is almost modernity. Urban landscapes, technology, everyday life — everything speaks of a world that is technically and culturally beyond everything we have seen before. At the same time — no attempts to explain how it arose, why here, who is behind this leap. No social or historical basis. Just "that's how it is."
Fantasy doesn't have to be realistic — but it has to be plausible. There must be logic within the world. But there is no more in Teyvat. Now it's not a universe — it's a collage. Beautiful, but incoherent.
So tell me, writers: how are modern productions built on this "frontier"? Where do robots with LCD screens instead of faces come from here? Robot vacuum cleaners? Motor boats? Is this a joke?
Yes, there were ancient automatons in Mondstadt. Ancient is the key word. They were found in the ruins, they belonged to the fallen civilization of Khaenri'ah — technologically advanced, yes. In Fontaine, there are also automatons, but at least there is context: a culture of progress, scientific experiments.
But Nod-Kraj? By design — a free land, a frontier without centralized power, where chaos, individualism, and the spirit of the pioneer rule. Where, one wonders, did the steel ships we arrive on come from? Compare with Liyue — wooden sailboats still float there, like thousands of years ago. And here — metal, engines, industrial scale of construction.
Who built this city? Who created these technologies? Where is the society capable of producing this? An entire industrial civilization cannot arise from nothing — especially if it has never been mentioned in the lore. And it cannot but expand, with such a gap in the level of technology.
This could work in Honkai: Star Rail, where we travel through isolated worlds. But in Genshin Impact, caravans travel, people move between regions, and everywhere there is the same level of instability. In each region, we saved the world at the last moment. So how could a civilization arise in Nod-Kraj, under constant threats from the Abyss, that surpassed even Khaenri'ah?
And the most обидное is that the potential was huge. It was possible to show how technologies seep through the cracks of time, how the legacy of Khaenri'ah awakens in new forms. Instead — here's a stylish, fashionable, youth Nod-Kraj for you.
But why did we go there at all?
Initially, the hero set out on a journey for one purpose: to find a sister or brother. Archons are the key to the answer. But by the end of the Natlan plot, we are directly shown where to look for them. What does the main character do? Does he rush in pursuit? Changes plans? Decides something? No. He... goes to Nod-Kraj. Because we were invited. A person we have not seen and know about him only from hearsay. That's the whole motive.
How does it work? It doesn't. This is not a narrative — this is a schedule of content updates.
The logic of the characters' behavior is not just lame — it doesn't exist. They are all functions. Cardboard carriers of plot tasks, "deus ex machina", which are inserted where it is necessary to turn the next turn. And each such step breaks the already weak immersion. It was before, but not so noticeable. Well, cowboys in the Middle Ages — okay, fantasy. But now the immersion is broken completely.
Nod-Kraj is a climatically arctic tundra. Snow, bare plains, cloudy sky. Why then do the main heroines walk around half-naked, as if on the beach? We know the answer. And it is the same as the question: why does the number of female characters so greatly outweigh the male ones? Why are there five women and one teenage boy on the military council?
And now it is completely impossible to take seriously the drama performed by girls from a nightclub. I don't believe it! If it were about the difficulties of a dancer's career — then yes. But conversations about the fate of the world, gods, and wars, at moments when the camera snatches the most spectacular angles, demonstrating the lush forms of the heroines in all their glory?
So in the review of the content update, there is no point in describing in detail the setup and development of the plot. There is Nod-Kraj — a frontier over which the edge of three moons shines and the special magnetism of Kuuvyaki hovers. And the Fatui are bad again, and we meet Marionette, the seventh of the eleven Harbingers.
But…
But it's worth forgetting for a minute about the broken plot, about the lore, about the world-building and the connectedness of the arcs — and just go for a walk around the world, as the game is transformed. It is difficult to find modern games that would be so beautifully drawn, so subtly thought out, so vividly animated. And Nod-Kraj stands out even against this background. How can you make a desert tundra and industrial landscapes beautiful? Ask the HoYoverse designers.
It is best felt on a PC or modern console — where every ray of light, every detail is visible. On a smartphone screen, beauty is lost, like a picture in miniature.
HoYoverse still remains masters of visual storytelling. Traveling through Nod-Kraj, you regularly catch yourself wanting to climb higher — on a rock, on a cliff, on the roof of an abandoned factory — and just stop, look around, breathe in this world. After all, it's beautiful and atmospheric. And be sure to press the screenshot button.
Architecture, light, color, composition of space — everything is verified to the millimeter. Even the most random corners seem to be created to be noticed. There are no dead zones here. Each pixel is the result of the work of not only artists, but also game designers who understand: exploration should reward.
That's why Genshin Impact still captures. Each major update brings something new to the mechanics. Nod-Kraj was no exception.
At the heart of its puzzles is interaction with local magnetism: Kuuvyaki. Two poles — red and blue. Opposites attract, likes repel. And so you, having turned into a "blue" fairy, push off from the pole of the same name and fly up to gently land on a "red" cloud. Simple? Yes. And cool.
Puzzles with blocks — turn, turn, precise installation so that the blocks are attracted. Or repelled. A few more types of tests. It is extremely interesting to mess around in this world. Unlike Honkai: Star Rail or Zenless Zone Zero, where the puzzles are local, here you solve problems on a scale. Sometimes you have to move hundreds, climb or descend tens of meters. The sensations are delightful.
Exploration captures not only beauty and puzzles. For every secret found — a reward: a chest or a short story. Not always deep, not always new, but alive. The writers may have lost the thread of the main plot, but they have not yet forgotten how to tell short stories. A small narrative is difficult to spoil — especially if it is honest and without pathos.
As for the combat system — with 3.0 and the appearance of Dendro, it has hardly changed. Combinations of elements, reactions, team synergy — the key to efficiency. But when exploring the world, encounters with enemies are now rare. And those who meet are difficult to call a serious threat.
Story battles with bosses have been brought to the extreme degree of ease. The villain will not be able to defeat you — not because you are strong, but because the plot does not allow it. So it is comfortable to "adventure" around Nod-Kraj even with heroes from Mondstadt.
Powercreep in Genshin Impact, if there is, is still within reasonable limits. Unlike the same Honkai: Star Rail, where the developers had to artificially tighten the stats of old favorites, here the "olds" do not feel useless — you just need to properly assemble a team. Except that in difficult tests for large rewards, you can't do without newcomers. But this is a completely different style of play, it's about collecting waifu. And for such players, neither the lore, nor the plot, nor the deep exploration of the world is usually very important. They play for the sake of banners.
And yet…
What is Genshin Impact 6.0 now?
I can understand the writers. In each update, you need to present two or three new characters — those that players will spin on banners. Preferably — girls. Because we have waifu-collecting here. This is a business model built on aesthetics and desire.
I can understand the designers. Waifu should be attractive. The more seductive, the higher the CTR, the higher the conversion, the thicker the HoYoverse wallet. Aesthetics has long become a product, and the character is a marketing asset.
But how then can you create a real drama at all? How to build a logical world when each new region must be both a cultural mix, a technological miracle, and a fashion show at the same time? How to inspire confidence in the fate of the universe if the main carriers of this fate are girls in swimsuits, saving Teyvat in between posing?
And then it becomes clear: Genshin Impact has long ceased to be a game about the world. It has become a game about choice. Banner.
HoYoverse itself has driven itself into this trap. If earlier the gacha mechanic manipulated players, now it manipulates developers as well. Each plot, region, dialogue is subject to the need to present a new character that can be sold.
What's next?
In Tower of Fantasy — a not very successful attempt to repeat the success of Genshin — the developers, failing to pull the level of quality, added a dating simulator. Can Genshin expect this too? I hope not.
After all, there is another way.
In 6.1, the "Astral Limit" was released — a platform where players can create their own mini-games. This is not just an addition, but an attempt by HoYoverse to turn Genshin from a game into a platform — like Fortnite or Roblox.
By the way, mini-games already exist in Teyvat: the same "Sacred Call of the Seven" — a card game that is surprisingly organically integrated into the lore. But "Astral Limit" is about something else, because here you can create any games: platformers, puzzles, arcades. This is a step towards an open ecosystem.
Will it work? Maybe. Given the scale of the audience and the creative potential of the community — there is a chance. Is it worth playing? There is not much content yet. But over time it may become interesting. Especially if high-quality author's projects appear.
However, another question arises: will players have enough time? Genshin Impact already devours weeks, months, and sometimes years. And now — also this limit. Well, if it works out, then maybe, well, her, this gacha? Ah, HoYoverse?
Diagnosis
Genshin Impact 6.0 is the beautiful ruins of a great idea. A world that you no longer want to believe in, but still fascinates. A game where design wins over narrative. HoYoverse is at a crossroads: continue the path of consumption — or take a risk and find new monetization models that do not depend on gacha and waifu.
Pro
- Nod-Kraj is beautiful and atmospheric.
- Puzzles with kuuvyaka are fresh, large-scale and interesting.
- It is comfortable to explore the world even with old characters.
- Battles do not put pressure on when exploring the world.
- Short stories, secrets, visual finds still please.
- Astral Limit may be interesting.
Contra
- The plot has fallen apart.
- The logic of the world is broken.
- Characters are functions.
- Frank outfits and drama in the style of a strip club.
- Gacha-monetization spoils the game not only for players, but also for developers.
