All of which should be read as quite the startling accomplishment to see achieved, given that at its most basic level, Genshin Impact is an action RPG whose fantastical storytelling, main characters and method for narrative are, though more direct and baked into progression, not exactly memorable or stand-out by any stretch. Your only agency or presence in the world as a character is that of one of two siblings referred to simply as the Traveller. A character whom, outside of a handful of solitary lines, rarely speaks and emotes with anything but an accepting smile. The supposed engagement with characters, like most Gacha releases, lies on the assembly of characters you accrue -- be it naturally or through investment of real money -- over the course of the story being told. And by extension, a significant part of the where the RPG elements come into play, maxing out the levels and skills of the characters at your disposal.<br><br>But perhaps the most crucial consolation in this part especially is indeed the breadth of content on offer in Genshin Impact. From environmental puzzles to work out, to small enemy camps to clear, to brief challenges that reward another chest to open, even just taking a glance at the map and spotting a more conspicuous landmark. To venture to said landmark and find a higher-level and [thankfully] more aggressive boss show up. Most of these content placements do feed back into the continual progression of XP and AR and currency (and of the game doing its subtle best to convince us to drop some money into the Gacha side of things). Like its inspirations, some of these are more blatant and unapologetic than others. But where Genshin's true purposes may not always be purely innocent in nature, what stops the experience from turning in sour or predatory most of all, is the thoughtful craft at which the world is structured. How, like Breath of the Wild, there's no right answer to exploring in of itself, but there's an answer to such things like "how do I get that collectible when it's all the way up there?"<br><br>The next generation is here and unfortunately with it comes few games that utilize the power they offer. If you were lucky enough to obtain a PlayStation? 5, you would be met with only one major game that was truly exclusive to Sony’s next generation platform: Demon’s Souls. While there’s Spider-Man: Miles Morales and Sackboy: A Big Adventure, each incredibly well-designed games, both were also released on the PS4. It’s a sad state of affairs when the PlayStation? 5’s only next-generation exclusive is a remake of a PlayStation? 3 game, but at least Bluepoint was able to properly honor the original’s vision with adding and slightly refining it. While there are elements that do feel dated to later iterations in the Souls franchise, there’s nothing like revisiting the classic and experience where the award-winning franchise began. Beautiful visuals, a 60fps mode and excruciatingly-challenging scenarios, while FromSoftware? was not at the helm, the remake shines as one of the best games this year. If there’s one game to get on the new platform in 2020, it’s this fifty-plus hour RPG with so much replayability. Without Demon’s Souls, the PlayStation? 5’s launch would be just plain embarrassing, making me so very thankful of its existence.<br><br> <br>Not to mention, a lot of Hydro characters are known for their versatility. For instance, Neuvillette, Ayato and Childe are both some of the most powerful DPS in the SLG Game News, while Barbara and Kokomi are ever-reliable healers. Furina and Nilou offer quite the balance between heals and attacks, while Yelan can break the game at Constellation 6 with her multi-faceted abilit<br><br>But rarely does the monetization side of Genshin Impact get in the way of what feels first and foremost like an open-world adventure brimming with diverse and intriguing content to invest in. Content that isn't just another fetch quest or another handful of items to gather, but a puzzle to work out, a chest to reach, or in the briefest of spots, a curious little spot of world-building to unravel. Grind is an eventuality once you start to near the high-teens and low twenties of your Adventure Rank. Adventure Rank being your character's defining "level" of sorts whose meter can be fed through completing quests and achieving certain milestones. That reliance on levels does unfortunately rub the wrong way at points, especially when it becomes a barrier to later quests, story-based or otherwise. And while setting a minimum level cap on quests can be read as gentle persuasion to explore more of the environment, the abrupt nature doesn't always feel entirely warranted. Particularly when the main story takes a dramatic turn and you find you can't continue on that thread because your Adventure Rank (or AR for short) is one or two levels too low. So it's to the daily Commission Quests or some other similarly short-term activity on the side, for the time being.<br><br>Pokémon has always been a series near and dear to my heart, and while I was always keen on the mainline titles, the first spin-off I was ever introduced to was Pokémon Mystery Dungeon. I fell utterly in love and this year got the surprise announcement that the first title was receiving a remake. It ended up being everything I wanted and more. A return to one of my absolute favorite games in a new style and yet felt like revisiting old friends I hadn't spoken to in a long time. The story is entirely about friendship, a bond between Pokémon as they struggle to save the world together and solve the problems as they're shunned away from their home after being accused of crimes they didn't commit. It added great new things like shiny Pokémon, mega evolutions and a ton of visual upgrades for items that helped build on the world. It even fixed one of my biggest disappointments that was after the game your partner no longer said good morning to you, but now they will every day even after they've evolved. Heck, they even finally added bandanas on the main Pokémon duo while they're still in their basic forms. Pokémon Mystery Dungeon Rescue Team DX is a comfort in every way. It's familiar, yet changed, just as you would expect from an old friend and I'm thankful I had the chance to dive back into the wonderful experience once more.<br>
