Genshin Impact has received a lot of praise for its gameplay and story. While the game looks like an MMO, it is actually a single-player game in which a few friends can play with you. Genshin Impact has become so successful that many other games have taken elements of inspiration from it. Although it wasn’t the first game to use the Gacha style, it’s arguably one of the most successful.
Below are some games similar to Genshin Impact, but far enough away that you aren’t playing a clone. The important thing to remember is that we listed these games with Genshin players in mind, so even if you like some games more than others, they should all appeal to you.
15. Dragon Nest
We consider Dragon Nest to be the likely catalyst for almost every game in the list, due to the fact that it was one of the pioneers for action-MMORPG games when we started to develop our passion for gaming. Dragon Nest is a fast-paced action-MMORPG that offers a fun experience for new and veteran players with its cool skill combo and difficult-to-master raid system. The guild communities are more times than not newbie-friendly and they can help you reach the max level relatively quickly.
The real game begins once you hit the max level as it opens up a whole new world in which players can now grind for the strongest armor sets in the game through nests and raids. Nests and raids require players to form teams and survive the grueling mechanics of each boss and defeat them to earn their materials for crafting. Although some might argue that the game is pay-to-win, you can still grind for almost everything in the game as long as you find a nice and helpful community.
14. Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds
Since the success of Genshin Impact, the Ni no Kuni series tries to chip in their take on the mobile market with the release of Ni no Kuni: Cross Worlds. The game looks absolutely stunning with its art direction subtly reminding players of good old Studio Ghibli. The combat feels very similar to Genshin but the main difference between the two gacha games is that Ni no Kuni offers a crafting and hatching system as an alternative to draws, which means you can grind materials in-game, unlike Genshin Impact.
13. Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is a great open-world action RPG that offers a somewhat similar experience to Genshin Impact. While the game is not for everyone, especially fans of the old Assassin’s Creed games, Valhalla still offers a lot of impactful moments and cool combat maneuvers. You play as either the male or female Eivor, a Viking Raider and Clan Leader trying to survive the icy environment of the North Sea.
The best aspect of the game is that players can choose to lead raids to gain resources to establish and fortify their bases. The game also allows you to build structures such as tattoo shops to further improve the morale of your settlement. Lastly, you can also recruit new members for your clan and train them so that you can successfully infiltrate other high-end missions with ease.
12. Xenoblade Chronicles 3
Xenoblade Chronicles 3 offers a deep combat mechanics system that allows you to take advantage of battlefield positioning, and elemental combos to unless tons of damage to your foes. Implementing a sound strategy while tackling giant monsters is essential to survive the punishing environment of the game. The game offers about 70+ hours worth of content including main and side missions plus masteries of each character in your party. Overall, Xenoblade Chronicles 3 asks players to invest more time in learning the ins and outs of the game, similar to how addicting Genshin Impact is with or without the Gacha System.
11. King’s Raid
King’s Raid is a free-to-play game that uses the Gacha system, like Genshin Impact. It also has a solid leveling system, which is more straightforward. While the characters in King’s Raid are easy to get, the equipment in the game makes up for it. The gameplay focuses more on PvP battles, which is a huge improvement over Genshin Impact. The player isn’t given complete freedom of movement in the combat system, but it works well for the game. You’ll enjoy this one if you’ve always wanted to assemble a Gacha team and battle other enemies.
10. Scarlet Nexus
Scarlet Nexus was developed by Bandai Namco Entertainment, famous for its anime-based games. Although the game had mixed reviews, if you are a fan of this genre, you will probably enjoy Scarlet Nexus. The combat system and telekinetic moves are the game’s highlights, making players feel involved and on top of their game. As you play it, you can’t help but see how similar it is to Genshin Impact.
9. Immortals Fenyx Rising
The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild inspired Immortals Fenyx Rising in the same way as it inspired Genshin Impact. Players create their own characters on Aphrodite’s beauty chair, choosing their gender, voice, and appearance. Players are then tasked with killing Typhon, an escaped monster born after the Titans. Even though the similarities are there, the game is far enough from Genshin Impact to feel fresh and new. The game is more like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild than Genshin, but you should still enjoy it.
8. Final Fantasy XIV
After the first version of Final Fantasy XIV, which did not please many people, the game was shut down and re-released as a 2.0 version, which was extremely successful. Final Fantasy XIV is an MMO that will most likely take your attention away from Genshin Impact. Final Fantasy XIV differs greatly from Genshin Impact, particularly in art style, but once you get into the game, a lot of it feels familiar. It still has the same theme and a larger-than-life story that makes the protagonist feel like the main character while not making everything feel too easy.
7. One Piece: Fighting Path
This game is heavily influenced by Gacha games such as Genshin Impact. Players sail from island to island, fighting enemies and leveling up their characters. This combat style is familiar to many players from the Genshin Impact mobile controls, but it works especially well in One Piece: Fighting Path. The game’s ultimate goal is to unlock all characters, but it follows a simple narrative. This is still a One Piece story, so you will love the references to the anime if you are a fan.
Players earn new characters through a Gacha lottery, and characters’ rarity and maximum abilities depend on their ranking. If you’ve played Genshin Impact, you won’t have to learn much to understand One Piece: Fighting Path.
6. Tower of Fantasy
Tower of Fantasy is a more traditional RPG than Genshin Impact. Characters in Tower of Fantasy can use any weapon and switch between three at once. Characters are not defined by their abilities or skills, and their identities can be changed through customization. In that sense, Tower of Fantasy could be described as a less-restrictive version of Genshin Impact. This is great for players who feel they can’t have the team they want because of their specialties.
These restrictions make it hard for players to feel completely free in Genshin Impact. Getting used to Tower of Fantasy may take some time, but it is easily one of the best alternatives on this list.
5. Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom
Genshin Impact and Ni No Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom are similar in the way they construct their worlds. Players can explore towns and dungeons in Ni No Kuni II to uncover more of the world’s history and lore. In towns, players look like regular Gacha characters, but after leaving town, they become Chibi versions of themselves. While that type of change in style isn’t often seen anymore, it is a fun blast from the past, something that many JRPG games used to do. Ni No Kun II‘s combat is also very similar to Genshin Impact, providing a familiar alternative for players looking for a new game to try out.
4. Alchemy Stars
A similar look to Genshin Impact is used in Alchemy Stars, and the fighting in the game focuses on elements. Players in Alchemy Stars use five characters known as Aurorians, and each Aurorian is associated with a different element. Battles are turn-based, as players try to guide their characters through identically colored tiles. The longer the tile path, the more powerful the character. Despite this seemingly simple concept, it gives players ample opportunity to develop tactics and strategies to make their path longer and reach their opponents.
According to their powers, characters can teleport and change the elements of tiles. In addition to combat, Alchemy Stars allows players to build a base, which they can shape and design as they wish. At the base, they level up their characters and interact with them.
3. Tales of Arise
Tales of Arise is a great action JRPG in its own right. Although Tales of Arise has some similarities to Genshin Impact, it has its own unique identity. The game has an open world where players can explore, fight enemies, and level up their characters. Because of the real-time combat, you spend a lot of time chaining attacks together and trying to make combos one after another. Once you get used to the combat changes, Tales of Arise is actually a great competitor to Genshin Impact.
Many players consider the storyline of Tales of Arise superior to that of Genshin Impact, which is fair. Genshin Impact has a larger-than-life story, but it’s harder to relate to than Tales of Arise.
2. The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genshin Impact was heavily influenced by The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. In fact, that used to be a big issue of contention; however, as Genshin Impact neared release, fans realized how different it was from Breath of the Wild. Even if you don’t like the similarities, this game is in its own league. Breath of the Wild is often referred to as one of the greatest games ever made.
Breath of the Wild is a huge game that combines survival and RPG elements. This Legend of Zelda game is one of the best ever made, giving players a wonderful open world to explore. In addition, it borrows from Soulslike games, providing a less difficult version of the genre to a younger audience. Despite its accessibility for younger players, Breath of the Wild is a great game for players of all ages and can make for a great alternative to Genshin Impact.
1. Honkai Impact 3rd
The game MiHoYo made before Genshin Impact was Honkai Impact 3rd. Honkai Impact 3rd clearly influenced Genshin Impact, as the two games are very similar. Genshin Impact has better controls than Honkai Impact 3rd, but you may prefer Honkai Impact 3rd‘s faster pace.
Honkai Impact 3rd‘s main difference is its combat, however. Attacks are much faster, and it is much easier to make combos. The biggest drawback of Honkai Impact 3rd is that it emphasizes solo combat more than Genshin Impact. Only one Valkyrie can be controlled at a time in Honkai Impact 3rd, while teamwork is the key to unleashing devastating attacks in Genshin Impact. The fighting style of Honkai Impact matches Genshin Impact closely. The two games are eerily similar, and you should choose this if you’re tired of Genshin Impact, but not its Gacha.
