The Traditional Cultures Behind Genshin Impact

January 25, 2023 8:08 PM

Open-world RPG gacha game Genshin Impact heavily draws from and features traditional cultural arts, particularly Chinese arts - such as engaging a professional Chinese Opera artist to sing for operatic character Yun Jin (live concert version). For this year's Lantern Rite (the in-game equivalent of Lunar New Year), their YouTube channel features collaborations with more traditional Chinese artisans, such as a short film set during the Shexian Lantern Festival and art handmade using Chinese woodblocks.
posted by creatrixtiara (10 comments total)

My phone advertises this game to me sometimes. I am enough of an ignorant white man to not have realized it's Chinese and not Japanese. It looks a bit overwhelming to me, but it seems to be very popular. I'm glad they're incorporating real world traditional arts (or at least references to them), because those things might go away if they don't remain in knowledge.
posted by hippybear at 8:17 PM on January 25, 2023

Also, that Lantern Festival video is really charming. I don't know how much Genshin Impact really bleeds over into real life, but I certainly know how such things can happen.
posted by hippybear at 8:47 PM on January 25, 2023

Their attention to detail is just astounding, this reminds me of this post from a Middle Eastern player a few days ago. I can't wait to see their take on other regions in the world.

I know Sumeru is inspired by a mix of south Asian and middle eastern cultures, but as a Persian it’s just amazing to see such nostalgic and familiar things in a Chinese anime game of all things. Just looking at the NPCs names and seeing names I recognize is such a cool experience, and the architecture and food is all so familiar and well-made. The names of things and events were well done as well, just as an example the Sabzeruz festival sounds a lot like a combination of the words “Sabzeh” and “Ruz” in Farsi, which mean “sprouting/plants” and “day” respectively. And god the music is so beautiful, not only were they faithful to more traditional instruments like the sitar, but the composition is just so pleasing to the ear. I’ve quite literally never been able to see my cultural childhood experiences represented in any authentic way, and then all of a sudden being hit with the beauty and detail of sumeru honestly made me tear up a little. I just really want to thank the people who worked on this game for that, they truly did a wonderful job.

Hoyoverse must be one of the top game studios right now. Zenless Zone Zero just oozes style, and the facial expressions in Star Rail is on another level.
posted by xdvesper at 8:54 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]

I'd been thinking of making a post along these lines! Sisi Jiang at Kotaku has some great articles about Genshin Impact's drawing on Chinese culture in particular: Here's Yun Jin and Chinese Opera, and here's Liyue more broadly, relationships and diaspora.
posted by one for the books at 8:56 PM on January 25, 2023 [1 favorite]

My kid loves this game. If she's not playing Roblox, she's got this one going
posted by NoMich at 4:16 AM on January 26, 2023

>I am enough of an ignorant white man to not have realized it's Chinese and not Japanese.
The marketing for the game (at least as directed towards English speakers) seems to encourage this perception - for example, if you go to the English version of the official homepage the only alternative option for character voiceover language is Japanese, not Chinese.
posted by mrgoldenbrown at 7:02 AM on January 26, 2023

I cleared the first continent, and most of the second. (I also decorated my teapot.) I quit when it became too much of a time sink. There's a bunch of things to do, and although it's a gacha game, I never felt the need to spend money. (It also uses a pity system, so after a certain number of pulls, you're guaranteed a 5 star.)
It's also cross platform. My kid started playing on her laptop, and when the game got too much, switched to the computer she built, or her iPad.
posted by Spike Glee at 7:11 AM on January 26, 2023

This video about the Stove God (a popular Chinese deity) is very nicely done too. Look like the colors are borrowed from Dunhuang frescos.
posted by of strange foe at 11:12 AM on January 26, 2023

of strange foe: that's about the in-universe Stove God (who turns into the companion of one of the playable characters, Xiangling), not the Stove God of Chinese mythos
posted by creatrixtiara at 2:22 PM on January 26, 2023

The more recent expansions and special events for this game have really showcased some excellent world building, character design, story design, and overall art design. Over the summer there was a big special event with lore for multiple characters who each also had their own mini-worlds with themed puzzles and art design. It's a huge amount of care a work put into it, not just a gatcha cash-grab. The only downside is that I had to eventually switch to the PC version after the game file got too big for my phone. I've never bought anything because I prefer a grind to keep me interested, but for the time I've spent it would be well worth paying for.
posted by radiogreentea at 5:22 PM on January 29, 2023 [1 favorite]