Genshin Impact Version 2.1 Characters: Are They Any Good?

Well, it’s practically a custom at this time. Every time we get a Version Update, we are bound to get tons of new characters, and the Version 2.1 Update is nothing new. So today, we will be talking about all the characters released in both the Version 2.0 and 2.1 updates.

Four new characters were added to Genshin Impact in this Version Update. In this article, we will be talking about three of them. The first of which being the Electro Archon, Raiden Shogun herself. She wields a Polearm and can grant a unique ability to allies even when she’s absent from the field. After using her ability, she’ll summon a thunder circle behind your character. Then, as you hit the enemies, the circle will occasionally assist you with an Electro DMG slash to the enemy. This is really good, as this can help players perform interesting elemental reactions that require the Electro element, such as Overload and Electro-Charged.

Her only negative point, and is also one that has made some interesting memes in the Genshin Impact community, is the fact “Raiden Shogun cannot cook.” This, of course, means she does not have a special enhanced dish. Still, this amusing detail made waves in social media, and I find it hilarious that the Electro Archon, a being that’s akin to a God, cannot cook. Maybe MiHoYo included this for the laughs? Who can say?

Next, we have Kujou Sara. A character that might seem to work similarly to Fischl but fundamentally different. While I was unable to summon her, I’ve tested her out in her Test Run stage, and she seems to be a pretty interesting character combat-wise, although her teleport skill appears to need some working, as it didn’t work half the time for me. But all in all, she’s a pretty good character if your aim is to aggressively cover a wide area with Electro.

And lastly, the character I’m sure everyone is curious about: Aloy. If players log in into Genshin Impact using a PlayStation 4 or PlayStation 5 system, and if their Adventure Rank is 20 or higher, you can obtain Aloy and her bow, Predator, right now. If you don’t have a PS4/PS5 system, she will be distributed to everyone when Version 2.2 rolls around. However, if you have your PC data linked to a PlayStation console, you can just login using your console, then resume your playthrough on the PC, with the only drawback being that her Predator bow has its effects rendered null and void outside the PlayStation platform.

As a Cryo Bow, Aloy might at first seem like a competent character, but she has a multitude of problems that make her unviable for players that are not caught up with the game. I can name various issues, but she requires Crystal Marrow to ascend and reach a higher level cap is already a massive nail in the coffin.

You see, Crystal Marrow is a material only found in Inazuma. This makes her quite difficult to ascend, as Inazuma cannot be unlocked till Adventure Rank 20. Furthermore, even after you open the region, Crystal Marrow is only found in the later islands, and considering there are lots to explore in Narukami Island (the first island players discover upon their arrival in Inazuma), this means Aloy will be perpetually stuck at level 20, limiting her power severely unless you’re already caught up with the story. Which at that point, it’s actually better if players begin saving their Primogems and wishes for Ganyu or build Diona, a 4-star Cryo bow that is extremely easy to build around and might be able to outperform Aloy without much effort.

Now, this is where I would talk about one of the key events that were hyped in the Special Program, the Moonchase Festival, but…according to the official in-game notices, the event will only begin on September 20th. In other words, aside from what we already know from the Livestream, players will still have to wait a little longer to enjoy the festivities of Moonchase, which makes sense, seeing as the event’s entire theme is based around the upcoming Autumn Equinox.

The fourth and last new character is Sangonomiya Kokomi, but just like the Moonchase Festival, her banner should only be available later in September, after Raiden Shogun’s banner ends. The 1st-anniversary celebrations are also slated to begin later this month, and we will discuss those in another article. Still, this update already offers many side quests, world quests, and mechanics players can explore as we wait for those events to begin.