Best Games Like Genshin Impact

It’s hard not to get hooked by Mihoyo’s latest and most popular open-world RPG Genshin Impact considering the appeal of the game’s free-to-play structure, satisfying combat, and compelling story.

Whether you’re a fan of Genshin’s roster of unique characters, vibrant art style, or just well-designed RPGs, at some point you’ll find yourself looking for a new game that scratches the same itch.

In this list, we’ll highlight the best games like Genshin Impact to play in 2023, including the top games like Genshin Impact and best open-world games like Genshin Impact.

We’ll be updating this list in the future with new titles, so make sure to check back and let us know if we missed any of your favorite games like Genshin!

Related:Genshin Impact Tier ListGenshin Impact F2P Primogems GuideBest Artifacts For Each Character In Genshin Impact

Our first recommendation to Genshin fans is Mihoyo’s previous title Honkai Impact 3^rd, another free-to-play action RPG that in many ways laid the foundation that Genshin Impact was built upon.

In it, you’re tasked with guiding a team of Valkyrie with distinct skills and playstyles through fast-paced action-combat scenarios.

Each Valkyrie can be leveled up using in-game purchases and traditional RPG leveling to improve their stats and damage-dealing potential.

As a bonus for Genshin fans, Honkai Impact 3^rd has held special events featuring fan-favorite Genshin Impact characters including Fischl and Keqing.

Scarlet Nexus is another great choice for anyone who loves anime-inspired action RPGs with unique cel-shaded graphics similar to Genshin Impact.

In it, you take on the role of a member of a supernatural task force dispatched to fight evil mutants that plan to invade and consume human brains in a futuristic setting.

Story-wise, the game is a bit all over the place but does manage to do an excellent job building up its sci-fi-inspired world with atmospheric environments and plenty of eye-catching visual effects.

Additionally, characters can learn new abilities via a skill tree, unlocking new over-the-top combos that look and feel just as satisfying as those in Genshin Impact.

For better or worse, players have been comparing Breath of the Wild and Genshin Impact ever since Genshin was first announced.

Controversies aside, the two do have some striking similarities, with Mihoyo’s going as far as to model Genshin’s combat system after BOTW.

Related:Best Nintendo Exclusives 2023

There’s also the matter of both games having eerily similar cel-shaded graphics, though that’s more of a nitpick considering countless games have employed a similar art style.

With that said, if you enjoy exploring sprawling open worlds and defeating enemies using fast-paced combat, you’ll definitely have fun playing BOTW.

Immortals Fenyx Rising is another free-roaming open-world game that’s elicited its own share of BOTW comparisons.

In it, you play as a hero who gets called upon by the Greek gods to defeat Typhon, a mighty Titan that has unleashed an army of mythological monsters on the world.

Gameplay primarily focuses on free-roaming exploration via horseback and a pair of magical wings that let you traverse environments with ease.

Like Genshin Impact, Immortals manages to draw inspiration from Nintendo’s best-selling title and adapt it in a way that feels wholly unique without overstaying its welcome.

If you’re a fan of stylish JRPGs with interesting characters, then you’ll like Persona 5 Royal, which expands upon the original by introducing a new party member, story cutscenes, and other content.

The game casts you as a rebellious teen codenamed Joker as he attends high school in Tokyo and becomes tangled in a supernatural world occupied by twisted villains and companions called Personas.

Gameplay is split between turn-based dungeon-crawling and daily activities such as attending school, working part-time, shopping, and hanging out with friends.

Like Genshin Impact, Persona 5 features a well-designed leveling system that offers tons of room for personalized playstyles and unique strategies.

Unless you’re already a diehard Ys fan, there’s a good chance Monstrum Nox wasn’t previously on your radar considering the series’ historically niche appeal.

However, this latest entry offers a new take on the franchise’s action RPG formula that openly borrows some ideas from other popular games in the genre.

Related:Best Fantasy Games 2023

This includes refinements to Ys IX’s combat that result in more frantic and exciting battles reminiscent of Genshin Impact.

Combine this with the terrific character and storytelling the Ys games are known for and you have the recipe for a noteworthy action RPG Genshin fans won’t want to miss.

Dragon Quest XI is the latest entry in the extensive JRPG series created by Square Enix and has you playing as a young man who discovers he’s the reincarnation of an ancient legendary hero.

With this knowledge, the hero sets forth to explore strange new lands with a team of adventurers in order to uncover the mysteries of his past.

While the tale mainly centers on the protagonist’s adventure, gamers have the chance to enhance their team’s abilities, create equipment, and wear different outfits, just like in Genshin Impact.

There are also a large number of side quests, mini-games, and other content to extend the game’s already lengthy playtime.

Originally released for the Wii and later ported to the Nintendo 3DS, Xenoblade Chronicles is a universally acclaimed open-world JRPG that hits many of the same notes as Genshin Impact.

In it, you take on the role of a young hero named Shulk who bands with other characters to defeat an army of sci-fi alien robots known as the Mechon.

Like Genshin, combat allows you to combine different elements between heroes, and unlocking new weapons entails gacha-style mechanics reminiscent of Genshin’s Wish system.

For the best version of the game, we recommend picking up the Definitive Edition, which features updated graphics, remastered music tracks, and improvements to XC’s notoriously obtuse quest tracking system.

Final Fantasy XIV is often credited for reviving the MMO genre due to its balanced approach to storytelling, gameplay, and graphics.

Additional updates have continued to expand the game’s world while introducing new systems and events including fishing raids, city restoration projects, and new variants of existing raids and trials.

Related:Best Upcoming MMORPGs 2023 (And Beyond)

The latest Shadowbringers expansion also takes the story to another level with higher stakes and compelling characters you can’t help but root for.

While its endgame crafting can feel a bit tedious, that’s something Genshin Impact fans can definitely relate to, the amount of detail and variety in FFXIV’s world will keep you entertained.

Ni No Kuni II makes several refinements to its predecessor’s gameplay loop that brings it a lot closer to action RPGs like Genshin Impact.

You play as a young king who gets stripped of his title and must set out to build a new kingdom with help from a team of extraordinary companions.

The addition of real-time combat, expanded party customization, and new “Higgledies,” elemental creatures that cast spells and buff allies, make for more exciting and chaotic battles.

Additionally, combat lets you combine heroes’ abilities and combo off of each other’s attacks just like in Genshin Impact.

Fire Emblem is another popular Nintendo franchise that shares similarities with Genshin Impact, more so the spin-off Fire Emblem Warriors than the mainline strategy games.

It combines elements of Koei Tecmo’s hack and slash series Dynasty Warriors with Fire Emblem’s high-fantasy storytelling and extensive roster of beloved characters.

What you end up with is a frenetic action RPG with a robust combat system that allows you to perform insane, over-the-top combos with series staples like Marth, Rowan, and Chrom.

Like Genshin Impact, each hero has a distinct playstyle that can be further defined by leveling up and acquiring new skills.

Currently in Steam Early Access, Craftopia is a new open-world survival crafting game from Japanese developer Pocketpair that draws inspiration from Genshin in several areas.

For one, it features bright and colorful cel-shaded graphics and a fantasy-themed setting filled with wonder and mystery.

Related:Best Upcoming Survival Games 2023

Additionally, combat is very much hack and slash-based, with players able to wield an assortment of blades, bows, etc. as they explore dungeons and battle bosses.

It’s a great alternative for anyone who’s already sunk in a lot of time in Genshin and wants something new that still feels familiar.

Probably the most different game on this list, Warframe is a popular free-to-play sci-fi looter shooter that shares a few but notable similarities with Genshin Impact.  

Aside from the fact both games can be played for no cost, they’re both extremely grindy and feature robust character customization in the form of weapons, armor, and outfits.

Like Genshin, each character, or “Warframe,” possesses unique abilities that can be further defined by equipping certain weapons and modifiers.

Lastly, Warframe’s movement and combat systems allow you to move at insanely high speeds and pull off dazzling feats while clearing rooms of enemies.