Best Games To Play If You Liked Genshin Impact

2020 saw the release of MiHoYo’s Genshin Impact, and within a mere two weeks, the title became the most successful new IP by a Chinese developer. As a “gacha-style” action RPG that borrows its genius combat from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, it’s no wonder why this PlayStation, PC, and mobile release is so popular.

With tons of characters and secret areas to be unlocked and an intricate combat system that provides endless fun, Genshin Impact isn’t a game that can be fully enjoyed in a short time. However, some truly committed players may have already built the teams they want and achieved everything that they feel the game has to offer. So, to any Genshin overachievers, here are some titles that will help the comedown and scratch the same itch, whether that itch is for a mobile gacha RPG or a sprawling open-world console adventure.

Updated on December 27, 2023 by Mark Sammut: Genshin Impact is still going strong, but a change of pace can be nice every once in a while. The following games are perfect for fans of HoYoverse’s action RPG.

Honkai: Star Rail

HoYoVerse’s Turn-Based Sci-Fi JRPG

The uninitiated might be tempted to dismiss HoYoverse’s new big free-to-play RPG as just sci-fi Genshin Impact, which would not be a terrible decision in and of itself; however, Honkai: Star Rail is very much its own thing, while nevertheless sharing a few common traits with the developer’s popular gacha game. It is also a follow-up to Honkai Impact 3rd, which was the fourth game in the Honkai series. Star Rail is set up to be the first entry in the saga to fully blow up in the West in a way that might allow it to live alongside Genshin.

Released in April 2023, the game casts players as the Traveler, a being with a spaceship and a crew. Honkai: Star Rail‘s campaign is split across planets, each of which comes with a unique ecosystem, politics, missions, and enemies. At launch, players can visit two planets that are wildly different from each other, and together they provide a fair amount of initial content. Star Rail uses a dynamic turn-based combat system that is flashy and smooth, so while not real-time, battles are still a sight to behold.

Star Rail and Genshin Impact utilize essentially the same gacha system to unlock characters. The former emphasizes the importance of building a robust party that can adapt to different enemies depending on their vulnerabilities, so players will want to grind to increase their chances of unlocking characters.

Tower Of Fantasy

Flashy, Weapon-Based Combat

When Tower of Fantasy debuted, the free-to-play MMORPG naturally attracted comparisons to Genshin Impact. After all, they are both gacha-driven anime RPGs with hack and slash combat – a player would be forgiven for assuming they are essentially the same game. While certainly cut from a similar cloth, Tower of Fantasy does enough to differentiate itself from its more famous contemporary.

The sci-fi fantasy game allows players to create their own character, and they will then unlock new fighters called Simulacrum. The North American version currently has 15 playable characters, all of which have unique skills and preferences that set them apart. Rather than swapping between characters in combat, Tower of Fantasy focuses on weapons, allowing three items to be equipped at the same time. The combat system is flashy, fun, and accessible, while the open-world is lovely.

Eternal Return

An Anime Twist On MOBA

This release features combat and exploration that is a far cry from Genshin Impact‘s open-world action gameplay, but its anime-styled characters should appeal to fans of miHoYo’s now iconic title. Eternal Return is classified as a top-down Battle Royale with MOBA elements that see players tossed into a large arena where they must collect items, craft weapons, and upgrade their abilities to help them fight foes.

With tons of players to unlock, this free-to-play release will keep players entertained and engaged for hours as they unlock new heroes with their own special skills, abilities, and craftable items.

Immortals Fenyx Rising

Hack And Slash Romp Through A Vibrant Open-World

Just like Genshin Impact, Immortals Fenyx Rising was also compared heavily to Breath of the Wild when it was announced for the first time. The similarities are certainly evident, but that should be no excuse to write off this stellar title.

Just like Genshin Impact, Immortals Fenyx Rising also deserves props for taking all these inspirations from Nintendo’s seminal open-world title and applying it in a manner that is unique to the title itself. It makes for a fun experience that doesn’t overstay its welcome either.

Star Ocean: The Divine Force

Stellar Combo-Based Combat

Star Ocean is a storied RPG series, albeit one that has struggled somewhat over the last decade. 2016’s Integrity and Faithlessness is generally regarded as one of the franchise’s lowest points, and while its successor is by no means perfect, The Divine Force is a notable step in the right direction. As its name suggests, tri-Ace’s license focuses on sci-fi adventures, and the games all utilize real-time combat systems.

Unlike Genshin Impact‘s more traditional hack and slash formula, Star Ocean allows players to map abilities and skills into three combo chains which can then be executed in battle. Although initially shallow, the gameplay expands significantly as players unlock new skills through a robust progression system. The Divine Force is not an open-world game by any stretch of the imagination, but the campaign generally consists of large open-ish areas that have a fantasy aesthetic to them.

Dragon Quest 11: Echoes Of An Elusive Age

Great Entry Point Into The Definitive JRPG Franchise

It would be impossible to talk about JRPGs without mentioning the legendary Dragon Quest series. While the popularity of this IP in the West might’ve been muted for the longest time, Dragon Quest 11: Echoes Of An Elusive Age ended up altering this notion to quite an extent.

All of a sudden, the Dragon Quest series leaped into the mainstream as one of the greatest franchises around. Echoes Of An Elusive Age features a lovable cast of characters and some truly enjoyable combat that turns the game into an incredibly entertaining romp from start to end.

Ys 8: Lacrimosa Of Dana

Fast-Paced Hack And Slash Combat

Even if the studio’s games have not experienced the same level of commercial success as Final Fantasy or Dragon Quest in the West, Nihon Falcom has been steadily crafting some of the best action RPGs of the last couple of decades. While not the most recent entry in the franchise, Ys 8: Lacrimosa of Dana is the best pick for Genshin Impact fans or anyone remotely interested in hack and slash JRPGs.

The game delivers fantastic fast-paced combat, a party system that allows characters to be swapped on the fly, and takes place on a large fantasy-themed island shrouded in mystery. Each playable character has its own style, skills, strengths, and weaknesses, and they come together to craft a battle system that is simultaneously accessible and deep.

Persona 5 Strikers

Musou Take On The Persona Series

Persona 5 Royal is probably the best JRPG on the PS4, and Genshin Impact fans looking for a game with unforgettable characters and a strong story should push Atlus’ game to the top of their wishlist. That said, P5R uses a turn-based combat system that is a huge departure from MiHoYo’s free-to-play game, so it is important to go in with that knowledge.

While overall a weaker game than its predecessor, Persona 5 Strikers‘ hack and slash combat is more in line with Genshin Impact‘s battle system, albeit more streamlined. Taking a page from Dynasty Warriors playbook, Strikers pits the Phantom Thieves against armies of enemies, most of which can be annihilated with a few quick slashes. Allowing four active party members at a time, players can freely swap between the characters in battle, and they all have their unique strengths and weaknesses. Unlike most Warriors games, Strikers is still an RPG.

Tales Of Arise

Intense Real-Time Combat & Fun Party System

Bandai Namco’s Tales franchise has been a reliable source of above-average action JRPGs since the 1990s, and Tales of Arise stands alongside Symphonia and Vesperia as some of the license’s best work. While it does not include a gacha feature, Tales of Arise should satisfy Genshin Impact players looking for story-driven RPGs with frantic and varied combat.

Once Tales of Arise‘s party members are all unlocked and start to accumulate Artes, players will find themselves spoiled for choice in how they set up their team. The game’s story is also gripping and tackles mature themes satisfyingly and intelligently. While Tales of Arise takes its narrative very seriously, the campaign knows when to slow things down for a lighthearted bout of banter.

Marvel Strike Force

Marvel Gacha Game With Turn-Based Combat

Marvel Strike Force is a great game for any superhero fan simply because it features every character under the sun. From Wolverine, Spidey, and Star-Lord, to Iron Man, Ant-Man, and even Luke Cage. Everyone is playable in this game. And while it may be another mobile gacha game to sneak onto this list, it also fits in terms of quality with other definitive Marvel video games.

Combat is a turn-based experience in which players must build a team of heroes and villains that can use their specific attacks, abilities, and ultimate abilities in a synergistic way. It’s a surprisingly deep and strategic system for any game, nonetheless a mobile one, and with 75 playable characters to unlock and develop into a team, there is no shortage of replayability.

Kingdom Hearts

Stylish Combat

Kingdom Hearts blends Square Enix with Disney, a match that is just as absurd in practice as it sounds on paper. Debuting in 2002, this story follows Sora, Donald, and Goofy as they hack and slash their way through various recognizable Disney worlds, defeating all sorts of classic animated villains alongside enemies created specifically for these games.

Following the first entry in the series, Kingdom Hearts‘ plot gets notoriously convoluted, to the point that it has become something of a joke. However, the franchise delivers consistently great gameplay that is usually fast-paced, stylish, and even complex. Genshin Impact fans searching for another action-driven fantasy RPG could have their next few months sorted if they decide to jump into Kingdom Hearts.

Bleach: Brave Souls

Bleach + Gacha

Unlike Dragon Ball, Naruto, or One Piece, Bleach games are in relatively short supply, particularly in Western nations. Consequently, describing Brave Souls as one of the best Bleach games might seem like faint praise, but it is generally a respectable adaptation of the source material. As an action RPG, Brave Souls has quick and stylish combat that fits the overall franchise. Graphically, the game certainly looks like a mid-2010s mobile project, but it has its charm as well.

Like Genshin Impact, Bleach: Brave Souls utilizes a gacha system to unlock most characters, and it is possible to pull duplicates. Unfortunately, this mechanic can get frustrating after a while, but the core gameplay is entertaining enough to pick up the slack. That said, this title will likely not keep someone’s attention if they are not already fans of Tite Kubo’s manga.

Trials Of Mana

Real-Time Action & Multiple Playable Characters With Unique Movesets

1995’s Trials of Mana had to wait until 2019 to make its way to Western nations, and a year later, Square Enix published a 3D remake. Despite the modernized visuals, the 2020 version is still ultimately the same game as its predecessor, with the combat and story largely following the same concepts. Naturally, some of these elements are expanded upon; for example, new skills can now be unlocked by leveling up and Chain Abilities have been added.

Fundamentally, Trials of Mana is an action JRPG with six protagonists, although each playthrough only includes three characters. The battle system is quite similar to Genshin Impact, including the ability to swap between characters with a click of a button. Although the campaign is quite linear during its first half, Trials of Mana opens up quite a bit after that point, allowing players to tackle a few bosses in any order they want.

Final Fantasy 7 Remake

A Retelling Of A Classic

On the surface, Final Fantasy 7 Remake and Genshin Impact do not appear to share much in common. The former is a sci-fi epic with four playable characters, linear progression alongside some open areas, and quite a mature story; conversely, the latter is a pure fantasy game set in an open-world and featuring a gacha system for unlocking new characters.

Despite being cut from a different cloth, Final Fantasy 7 Remake‘s real-time combat should strike a chord with fans of Genshin Impact. Players can swap between the party members at a moment’s notice, and they all adhere to widely different class archetypes. The battle system also sprinkles in an element of strategy as players can pause the action to perform special maneuvers.

The Legend Of Zelda: Breath Of The Wild

The Open-World Game That Changed The Genre’s Landscape

It is no secret that MiHoYo’s Genshin Impact was heavily influenced by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, even going as far as to make Genshin’s combat a direct replica of the combat system. But how could it not be, when the influence in question is also one of the greatest achievements in video game history.

What is there to even say about this game that hasn’t already been said? It’s one of the most sprawling and alive open worlds ever, full of secrets, enemies, characters, weapons, armor, and hours of spellbinding fun. If players haven’t played Breath of the Wild before, then they probably already know they’re missing out.

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom

Expands On BOTW’s Blueprint

The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom is a massive step up from Breath of the Wild, which is insanely impressive on its own. Nintendo absolutely knocked it out of the park with this sequel, giving players a larger Hyrule to explore while simultaneously giving them access to an array of new abilities and the power to piece together Zonai devices (which act much like vehicle and tool parts) to create practically anything.

With new and returning characters and an interesting look at the land of Hyrule during its beginnings, Tears of the Kingdom is one of the best titles on the Switch.

Tokyo Xanadu eX+

Great Combat & Even Better Story

From the same studio responsible for the stellar Trails franchise comes Tokyo Xanadu eX+, an action JRPG packed to the brim with content. Over the course of a storyline spanning roughly 40 hours, players will split their time between character-driven story sections and dungeon missions, the latter of which incorporates some puzzle elements to break up the combat.

Tokyo Xanadu eX+ takes place in an alternate version of Earth overrun with portals to a terrifying reality called the Eclipse, forcing a select few heroes to take on the task of closing these connections. Split into chapters, Tokyo Xanadu eX+ dedicates a great deal of time to developing its characters, and each unlockable fighter is unique.

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