Genshin Impact Update 2.0 – Welcome to Inazuma

Genshin Impact is now on Version 2.0 to signal that the main story has now entered its second chapter. This is one of the biggest updates so far, and while there’s only more to expect during the next Version Updates, let us dive into the main offerings of Version 2.0: The Immovable God and the Eternal Euthymia.

The most significant inclusion in Version 2.0 is the brand-new region, Inazuma. Known as the Nation of Eternity, you’ll notice Inazuma’s under an intense lockdown as you go through the story quests. Not only are people not allowed to go in and out easily due to the shogunate’s decrees, but trade has been increasingly difficult to perform as well. This ties into why the nation is known as the “Nation of Eternity” and is just one of the key aspects you’ll encounter throughout the story.

This new region brings with it a lot to talk about. New World Quests, puzzles, enemies… Every island of Inazuma features a vast and uncharted territory for you to spend hours exploring every nook and cranny at your own pace. Dragonspine? Yeah, right. That pales in comparison to Inazuma, and that’s exactly what I’ve been waiting for. You know, something to explore that won’t vanish after a time period has passed.

According to the developer, the theme behind Inazuma is that it is based on Ancient Japan. This means you’ll certainly see many samurais, ronins, and people wearing kimonos and, of course, the traditional Japanese buildings and cherry blossoms. The soundtrack also reflects the theme, with the composer, Yu-Peng Chen, stating in the Special Program that most of the instruments utilized in Inazuma’s soundtrack are traditional Japanese instruments, such as the koto or the taiko drum.

Three new bosses were added to the nation of Inazuma, the Mechanical Array, Pyro Hypostasis (codenamed Ayin) and Maguu Kenki. Now, I know what you’re going to say. Maguu Kenki was in Version 1.6, wasn’t he? And yes, he was, but he was in the limited time area of the Golden Apple Archipelago. But now, he’s a permanent boss you can fight anytime.

The Pyro Hypostasis is just another member of the family of cube-shaped bosses. And like any Pyro boss, it will crumble if you throw a Hydro character team at it. As for the Mechanical Array, its main gimmick can be annoying at times. It will protect itself with a barrier where you must dispel it by defeating other enemies that spawn randomly, which prolongs the encounter. Although this update is not only bosses, new mini-bosses and enemies, in general, are present, such as the Fatui Mirror Maiden and the Wandering Ronins, who each have a sword that’s imbued in a peculiar element.

Two new features were added to the Serenitea Teapot. Now players can use realm coins to purchase a Waypoint that will allow them to travel to different points marked on your map, allowing for easy travel around the teapot. Additionally, players can also use the coins to buy tilled plots of land, which can be used to plant various items, such as Snapdragons, Windwheel Asters, and even Inazuma’s Naku Weed. (Yes, that is what it’s called). Each plot can hold up to 4 flowers, and they all take 3 real-time days to fully bloom.

Finally, let’s talk about the cross-platform saving feature, which players have been requesting for a long time. On paper, it sounds straightforward. You basically login into your account, sync your PlayStation, and everything works. Well, not quite. You see, the cross-saving system has some caveats to the feature.

If you played the PS4 or PS5 version with your PSN account at any point, regardless if you even got past the first cutscene or not, you can’t port your save from the PC release to the PS4 at all. Instead, you must log in to Genshin for the first time with a PSN profile that has never opened it. Now, I’m not saying it’s a bad feature. However, I think that this sort of thing could be better worded. Because if you attempt to follow the guide from the official website, you’ll certainly get lost on the conditions you’ll have to meet to seamlessly link your PC data without risking an account conflict.

Version 2.0 symbolizes a great turning point in Genshin Impact’s history. Not only is this the most expansive patch to date, but it also marks the continuation of the mysterious Traveler’s journey. I enjoyed exploring all of Inazuma with more on the horizon, and I certainly feel that miHoYo truly put a lot of time and care into the region’s design. However, it seems there’s still much of Inazuma that has yet to be discovered as the main story progresses, and I personally cannot wait for what’s to come.