The Chemistry Engine Powering the Core Pillars of Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact is a f2p action RPG, developed and published by miHoYo, where players collect and build a team of diverse characters with their unique personalities, stories, equipment and abilities to explore and unravel the fantasy-based open-world of Teyvat.
The game builds upon the chemistry engine, a term popularised by the developers of Zelda: Breath of the Wild from which miHoYo takes ample inspiration, and uses it to power the game’s core pillars: combat, exploration and reinforcing the gacha based character collection.
The Chemistry Engine
Just like the physics engine that governs rigid body dynamics in games (movement and collision), the chemistry engine governs state dynamics that occur due to elemental reactions in the game. Genshin Impact currently features 7 elements: Cryo (Ice), Dendro (Nature), Pyro (Fire), Hydro (Water), Anemo (Wind), Electro (Lightning) and Geo (Earth).
Coming into contact with an element can cause the player, enemy or object to be afflicted by a state change. For example, coming into contact with fire induces ‘burning’ and damage over time, jumping in a…
