Genshin Impacthas been an ever-present title in the gaming space for several years now, but nothing lasts forever. Although HoYoverse has yet to unveil the extent of its plans, it is fair to assume that the game is nearing the final stages of its story. With that in mind,Genshin Impactshould take extra care to ensure that its upcoming characters stand out from the crowd.
Genshin Impacthas been a smash hit for the majority of its lifespan, but that hasn’t entirely shielded it from criticism. Perhaps the most ongoing discussion has been towards the subject of character design. Despite having a very diverse setting, some ofGenshin Impact’s characterstend to blend together. Thankfully, the upcoming Snezhnaya region is the perfect time to change course.
Genshin Impact Should Branch Out with Snezhnaya Characters
Snezhnaya May Be the Penultimate Chapter in Genshin Impact’s Story
Genshin Impacttakes place in Teyvat, an expansive world filled with potential for fantastical adventures. Through the game’s gacha system, players can pull any number of characters. Each character wields a Vision, which corresponds to one of the seven elements that hold dominion in the world. Likewise, there are seven major regions within Teyvat for players to explore.
These regions have been added into the game one after the other since its inception, and they provide a consistent structure forGenshin Impact’s major updates. However, this structure happens to place a strict timer on development as well. Barring any significant upheavals,Genshin Impact’s story appears to be rapidly barreling towards its conclusion.
Genshin Impactrecently released the Natlan region. Once Natlan’s time in the sun inevitably comes to a close, the game will then steer into the nation of Snezhnaya. Snezhnaya is home to the Fatui Harbingers, who happen to be the ongoing antagonists of the story. Furthermore, it is the last major region that remains unexplored. Once Snezhnaya’s time is up, players will only have Khaenri’ah left to explore, meaningGenshin Impactmay only have a few major patches before its story is finished.
Snezhnaya Characters Need to Follow in the Footsteps of the Fatui Harbingers
First impressions are important, but a last impression can make just as much difference. Considering it will be the last of the seven nations for players to explore,Snezhnaya needs to learn from every regionthat has come before it. In the same vein, since it serves as the home of the game’s main villains, Snezhnaya’s other playable characters should reflect this.
Of course, Snezhnaya doesn’t need to make all of its characters associated with the Harbingers. In fact, they don’t need to be any kind of antagonist in general. However, theFatui Harbingersare some of the most popular characters in the game for a reason. Each of them are incredibly distinct from one another, and this could inform the next characters to joinGenshin Impact’s massive roster.
Snezhnaya Could Be a Swan Song for Genshin Impact Character Design
Genshin Impacthas a huge number of playable characters, which somewhat explains why some designs may seem homogenous. If there is any time to break the game’s prior conventions though, it’s Snezhnaya. Not only is the setting distinct from every previous region, it may be the last chance developers get to innovate on existing tropes.
Snezhnaya’s climate is a simple example of a factor that could motivate its characters' designs. Sumeru and Natlan alike have arid regions, and the characters that inhabit them mostly reflect this in their style of dress. By contrast, Snezhnaya is the land of Cryo, and its frigid reason gives plenty of reason for distinct characters.Genshin Impacthas had an issue with diversityin the past, and it’s unlikely that Snezhnaya could fix this, but developers could always aim for more cultural accuracy regardless.
There are a number of routes developers could take, but breaking boundaries is key. The Fatui Harbingers provide a solid blueprint for what Snezhnaya’s playable characters could be like, thanks to their distinct personalities and designs.Genshin Impactneeds its upcoming charactersto stand out from each other, and especially be distinct from what has come before.
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into Teyvat, a vast world teeming with life and flowing with elemental energy.You and your sibling arrived here from another world. Separated by an unknown god, stripped of your powers, and cast into a deep slumber, you now awake to a world very different from when you first arrived.Thus begins your journey across Teyvat to seek answers from The Seven — the gods of each element. Along the way, prepare to explore every inch of this wondrous world, join forces with a diverse range of characters, and unravel the countless mysteries that Teyvat holds…
