Is Genshin Impact an MMO, RPG, Action-Adventure…?

Genshin Impact is a game that took over the world in 2020, and since then has been one of the most popular open-world games in the world. The design of the games is quite appealing, especially to anime fans, however, even the causals realized they can enjoy this game. Because of its popularity and availability, Genshin Impact prompted a few questions and one of them was the nature of the game. In this article, we will discuss what is Genshin Impact’s game genre.

The game is identified as open action role-playing game that has both single-player and multiplayer. Genshin Impact is not an MMORPG or purely an action-adventure game. Genshin Impact does share some similarities with these genres, but it does not feel like those genres at all. Because of its feature to do missions or wander the world alone, Genshin Impact does not feel like a pure MMO or action-adventure – you only interact with other players if you want to.

We will discuss why are players confused by identifying the game’s genre, and analyze which genres are the closest to what Genshin Impact really is. If you are interested in this topic, stay with us until the end!

Is Genshin Impact an MMO?

If you ask a player who tried playing Genshin Impact if the game is a massively multiplayer online game (MMO), they will probably tell you yes. Technically, they are not wrong, however, there are differences in between the genres that can seem confusing for some people. MMO, as the name suggests, is a massively multiplayer online game where a player interacts with a large group of players.

There are great examples of MMOs on the market – World of Warcraft, Runescape, The Elder Scrolls Online, Lost Ark, Final Fantasy Online, Dungeons & Dragons Online, and more. The track record between these game genres is similar – they are all open-world online games where players interact with each other most of the time.

Now, the key meaning of the sentence that explains the definition of the MMO genre is that players are encountering other players nonstop, and most of the things you do in the game, if not all, you must interact with others.

Genshin Impact is not like that – because it has a single-player feature that reminds us of Destiny 2, where you need to level up to a certain point to actually play online with others.

Another detail includes Genshin Impact’s option to go solo – players can go to solo missions and complete quests by themselves. The MMO games that we mentioned do not have that “luxury” and everything you do, needs to be with other players.

All in all, Genshin Impact differs from the games we mentioned, and because of that, we cannot classify the game as an MMO – it is disingenuous.

Is Genshin Impact Co-op?

While discussing games on this website, we always mentioned the lack of co-op features in the games, especially the ones that support, besides single-player, multiplayer games. Call of Duty: Warzone removed the co-op feature and broke a lot of hearts on the way because they valued the graphic quality of their first-person shooter game.

Genshin Impact does not need to do that, and thankfully they let the players have a co-op feature in the game. So, when you reach Adventure Rank 16 with your character, you will be able to invite up to four Travelers to take on the Domains, and monsters, find treasure, and just enjoy the Genshin Impact world.

Besides the rank, for players to play together need to be on the same regional servers, regardless of the gaming platform they are playing on. However, even when you manage to unlock this feature, some limitations still exist – players playing co-op cannot play story quests, and you can’t interact with the chests or collectibles, only the host of the party can acquire or activate those quests.

Regardless of those limitations, we can safely confirm that Genshin Impact supports co-op gameplay.

Is Genshin Impact an RPG?

Role-playing games are insanely versatile and have so many different variations that sometimes even the most experienced players get confused. There are seven known RPGs in the gaming world:

• RPG – all games that include this type of genre, from tabletop games to video games (Dungeons & Dragons vs Fallout)
• ARPG – this genre is essentially an action role-playing game, which emphasizes combat, like Witcher 3.
• CRPG – the definition is “a computer RPG”, an older genre used by developers for games like Divinity: Original Sin 2
• MMORPG – we already defined it – World of Warcraft, Elder Scrolls Online
• TRPG – tactical RPG that is essentially a strategy game – XCOM games
• Roguelike – turn-based gameplay and tile graphics – Hades
• Roguelite – A sub-genre of the previous entry – a good example is Vampire Survivors

Out of all of these options, Genshin Impact can be defined as an open-world RPG, that lets you explore the world, grind for experience and interact with other players IF you want to.

Is Genshin Impact a Sandbox?

This one is a bit tricky because Sandbox is spread and connected with other game genres and is one of the most undefined genres in the gaming world. Genshin Impact does have some sandbox aspects, like open environments and player choice, however, what defines the genre and the connection to Genshin Impact stops is non-linear play, and not defined concrete goals.

To improve in Genshin Impact, you need to solve quests and go through the game’s storylines which will ultimately present you with an award. Yes, you can roam around the Genshin Impact world, but that is not so freeing and useful as in games like Sims, Minecraft, Rust, Grand Theft Auto, and more.

Even though Genshin Impact has some sandbox genre traits, it is not a strict Sandbox game.

What Genre Is Genshin Impact?

Now we can define the game as what it really is. Genshin Impact is an open-world RPG where players have options to roam alone, grind, and complete quests, and if they want (important word here), can invite up to three players to participate in exploring the Genshin Impact world.

Some players even said they do not feel like the game is MMO when playing it, and the games like Fortnite, and CS: GO have more MMO in them than Genshin Impact because of its availability to other players. Who to trust more than players themselves?