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Due to its open-world design, one of the most important aspects of Genshin Impact is its areas. These new zones provide massive amounts of content and exploration, letting players take on so many new challenges. Also, with the recent release of Version 5.0 and the arrival of Natlan, the hype for this gacha game skyrocketed. However, this excitement level also invites a bit more scrutiny when looking at each new area. With one more region to go, the world of Teyvat got a lot of variety in its landscapes and designs. Plus, with more and more content being added to Genshin Impact, it’s much easier to criticize older and newer regions to make this rank.
[Updated September 1 – Added additional details]
6. Inazuma
Even at this nation’s premiere, it was obvious that HoYoverse really wanted to do something entirely in the gameplay for Inazuma. It was innovative to see how the developers made different islands, precisely inspired by Japan, such as the shrines, the Miko, or the Sacred Sakura. Also, its purple and stormy aura made Inazuma unique; even after finishing the World Missions, seeing the islands return to normal was spectacular.
The complicated thing about this area was its exploration since the islands are very distant from each other, even using the Waverider. In addition, each one had its own “problem to solve,” such as the “contaminated” zones with Electro. These quickly diminished the HP of the characters, as happened in Kannazuka and Yashiori. Or getting lost in the mist of Tsurumi Island, which could be a bit desperate since it made you go back to the start.
Inazuma is a nation I love, but without a doubt, as new areas and different gameplay came to Genshin Impact, they made the Electro region fall behind in this rank.
5. Liyue
This is a nation based in China and the region of the Geo Element, a characteristic reflected in its layout design. There are many mountains, villages, and cliffs with beautiful views. However, it has a lot of exploration with verticality; at the beginning of the adventure, the players had to go through the whole nation on foot. Also, climbing a lot when stamina was still low and there were no characters like Kirara or Wanderer to facilitate the process.
As the second nation of Genshin Impact, it came at the beginning almost stuck with Mondstadt and lacking many new mechanics. So, it seemed tedious at the beginning. However, Liyue is one of the nations that players frequently revisit and has received some upgrades, such as the addition of The Chasm or the Chenyu Vale. This brought improvements, more lore, and new exploration mechanics. So, we think that Liyue will continue to receive more content in the future.
4. Mondstadt
For many, the first region of Genshin Impact may seem simple and even boring. However, in the beginning, these features allowed new Travelers to become familiar with the open world and mechanics. Mondstadt once had a new area, Dragonspine, but after that, it mostly stayed the same since several versions ago.
Yet, after four years, Mondstadt holds unimaginable importance, especially for OG players. Because the Anemo nation is often called “home,” a place quite familiar and calm. In addition, it usually has many essential events from time to time, such as the Windblume Festival or some of the summer events. Not only that, but as the story progresses, it points more and more towards Mondstadt, as mentioned in Simulanka. Mondstadt still holds many secrets, such as the Venti Statue, the compass statue on Temple of Wolf, the Abyss island, and the unknown island. So, there might be something awaiting us in this nation in the future.
3. Sumeru
Sumeru is a nation in which HoYoverse has managed to renew itself. Although they had done an excellent job with the previous ones, the Dendro nation gave a complete turn in the direction of the gameplay. Sumeru added fauna to the whole map, which made it look more alive, especially in the forest part. It also got transportation with the Four Leaf Sigils, enemies locked in Dendro seals, puzzles with Elemental Reactions, and much more. Not to mention that in this region, the characters with Dendro Vision arrived for the first time.
However, opinions regarding exploring the desert and Arana’s mission are more polarized. I won’t even mention the Pari because almost nobody enjoyed the event or the quests. That’s why Sumeru, the fourth nation in Genshin Impact, is our fourth-ranked region.
2. Fontaine
Many were impressed with the first teaser showing the new swimming and diving mechanics, which became the most fun and beautiful part of Fontaine. Adding more animals, especially aquatic and Xenochromatic Creatures, for the puzzles also enhanced the gameplay. This was not only for the fauna but also for the new members of the Fatui and the Local legends.
Although the Archon quests are vital and loved by many, almost everybody was shocked and touched by the ending of Furina and Focalors and the story of Arlecchino and Childe’s involvement in much of Fontaine. Also, the characters from this region are some of the current favorites, featuring new mechanics such as Arkhe Energy and others that rely on HP. What makes Fontaine ranked in second place is that many players called it a second Mondstadt, a “quieter” nation that felt as familiar as the beginning of Genshin Impact.
1. Natlan
Natlan, like Sumeru, is another nation that sought to add many more mechanics and succeeded in doing so. Thanks to being able to use the Surians as “mounts” or the Nightsoul’s Blessing, exploring the sky, sea, and land in Natlan is a lot of fun. In addition, the area has a lot of verticality and many subway caves that can only be accessed through secret passages. The same thing happened for the characters, having a redesign in their gameplay, especially when moving around the Pyro Nation. Kinich can swing through the air, Mualani can surf on all terrain, and Kachina can move everywhere with her drill.
Besides, Natlan’s story is highly related to the Abyss and the imminent threat of Capitano with the Fatui. There is still much to discover, and for that, Natlan deserves the spot as Genshin Impact‘s best region in our rank.
