Genshin Impact Review - Free-Roaming | Twinfinite

Twinfinite "Genshin Impact is shockingly impressive, and not just by free-to-play standards. It's a superb RPG that rivals the genre's best premium games."

[Nerdmaster]

It irks me when I read people saying "you don't need to spend money to enjoy the game".
If you have any experience with free-to-play, you know these games in the beginning are not difficult enough for the 5-star characters and weapons to be necessary.
However, as new (and harder) content is released, the difference in power/max level of 5-star characters and weapons become much more noticeable, to the point where they become practically a necessity.
And a lot of people, after spending so much time on the game until that point, just think it would be a waste to stop playing and chooses to spend (a lot of) money to be able to progress.
I never played a single free-to-play gacha game that escaped this pattern. And I don't think this game will, either.
It has only 2 of the expected minimum of 7 areas. Let's see how soon my prediction will come true.

[cemelc]

You actually nailed it.

In order for the game to be profitable you need to sell new characters, which means that at some point you have to create a power creep in order for ppl to move from their current team.

Not only that, but the adventure level its a clear sign of how they will halt the player progress in order for you to stay in the game. Its not a matter of will it happen?, Its a matter of when will it happen

[Toonge]

But at that point you’d have invested tons of hours into the game and would have had enough fun to justify the statement of you don’t need to spend money to enjoy the game. But I understand what u are saying in terms of long term enjoyment of the game and the requirements it will cost then.

[lellkay]

Enjoying the game so far and would have happily paid for it. The second they start halting me with progression and attempt to sell me content I'm out though.

F2P model is garbage.