Yaksha : Genshin Impact

I took a break from Genshin Impact during May,  so when the new update rolled out, I jumped back in!

I got really lucky both on my main account and on my side account... Got Keqing AND Yelan on main with about ~30 pulls overall. Now I have every standard banner 5-star character and I have Yelan. I am glad I got her on main - she is fun to use and synergizes well with my other units. Also she's a cool character and very beautiful. :P

I got Yelan and Diluc on my side account, which means I got a guarantee on next banner, but I am a bit burnt out on grinding my side account - I am terribly behind in content but I kinda don't want to do it anyways. At least I have good units sitting and waiting for me if I ever feel like going back and returning to the grind. 

That said - the update came with a new Archon quest so I will be talking about that and Yelan's story quest!

Leave it to Itto to start a fight the moment he visits a strange, new land. :D I loved all the character interactions in this, everyone meshed so well and had some fun banter.

Itto being concerned for Xiao was really cute, and a bit funny, considering the fact Itto is an oni (Japanese demon) and Xiao is the conqueror of demons.

The dynamic between Shinobu and Itto was funny as well - he is just being a doofus and she is trying her best to keep him in line. 

So, despite there being a lot of fun conversations... The quest itself was another Liyue masterpiece. It touched upon the history of Yakshas, so of course Xiao was the true main character of this story. It's the sort of story that's so good you have to experience it yourself, so I am only vaguely touching upon some details regarding all the dialogue. The final cutscene was absolutely phenomenal, as always - Liyue stories and cutscenes bring out the best of Genshin Impact storytelling.

I would implore you to watch this only after having played the quest yourself. Then again if you are reading this you either don't care about spoilers or know what I'm talking about!

Xiao is warming up to us at a glacier pace (heh) but still, I am glad he got some closure and a heroic moment. If there is a ship tease in this game, then Xiao/Traveler definitely is one. It is obvious the two have a special connection and he cares about us the way he hasn't cared about anyone in a long time, if ever.

Speaking of connections...

If there is one Deus Ex Machina I approve, it's Zhongli stepping up to save Xiao. The golden Geo symbol lighting up as Xiao was falling down the abyss had me yell at the screen. And of course old man Zhongli is acting innocent. Despite his retirement being abrupt, he still looks over his people and the Adepti.

In conclusion, Liyue quests never disappoint, this is not a 10/10, this is a 11/10!

Another quest I played through was Yelan's character story quest.

I can see that Hoyoverse's new style is to have the playable character act as a side character while the story itself focuses on something else. I was wondering if I I'd like the quest, but worry not - I did!

I have to say - Yelan is a better schemer than Ayato and that is because we actually see her scheming in action. Ayato's quest and actions in general are more of a tell-not-show: whenever something mysterious happens, Ayato simply takes the credit for it, citing his connections. It seems too contrived and convenient, whereas Yelan takes you through the spying process herself so you see how all the puzzle pieces fall in place.

Zhiyi double-crossing the Fatui was a really great twist and he was a very compelling side character. I am a bit sad that he simply got thrown in the slammer instead of striking a deal with Yelan.

Imagine Zhiyi becoming part of Yelan's entourage! Alas, he got written out of the story quickly and efficiently.

Nevertheless, it was a very fun quest and I give it a solid 9/10

In other news, the game being updated meant that we finally got the teapot, so I spent some time and resources on decorating the Inazuma layout.

My biggest enemy is "Load" - all it takes is creating a wall or a road and you have expended like 70% of capacity, add a companion character and you're toast. Now I understand why most teapot decoration screenshots are very zoomed in - the way the load limits you, you basically have to focus on one corner if you want something that doesn't look empty or half-done.

Oh well, I managed to decorate every island and create a little sanctuary for different characters, as well as create a cozy interior inside the main building. Stuffed some junk in the other layouts and got my achievement for 3 layouts with 20k Adeptal Energy.

Teapot - complete!

Last but not least - the current event is a rhythm game! Which I like a lot, even if I am not the best at it. ^^; However I tried my all to get a high score for one of my favorite Genshin tracks. :P

Right now I am waiting for Itto's rerun so I can maybe get a constellation and Kuki Shinobu. Also looking forward to more events, since Warframe is now low-key until Tennocon so I need something to distract me when I'm not drawing or working. :D