It is a free-roam virtual world where players can interact and go on quests without limits. It is different from other games as it lets the player work autonomously and choose how to approach every challenge available. Popular examples could be The Legend of Zelda (1986), Grand Theft Auto V (2013) and Minecraft (2011).
When it comes to hobbies, I have two main ones: manga drawing and videogames. I always envied manga artists who were able to bring their stories and characters to life through drawing. I preferred seeing combat in these manga panels and games with unique fighting styles. It just so happened that Open World/Combat is my favorite genre and that a game named Genshin Impact is uniquely in Anime-Style design.
The clothing matches the person’s personality and environment. For each character, their outfits are all stylish in their own way. To further explain this, there is a character named Bennet who is known for his bad luck. He is very clumsy, and it shows through his multiple scars and bandages. His goggles and many accessories as well as the large shorts seem to originate from a cyber steampunk style but with more vibrant colors. His overall look is a symbol of his many adventures, with every feature being a trophy.
For combat design, it is very interactive with its environment which makes it feel realistic and surpasses limits to gameplay. When using a pyro character, wooden shields and grass would burn around them when fighting enemies. Hydro can put out fires on enemy torches. Every character’s fighting style is also unique, with animations and abilities that originate from their element and background.
The creators took the lighting seriously as it is very precise. The fundamentals of light and shadow are visible through the day and night cycles, the weather conditions, the complexity of the environment and even the clouds in the sky. When a character is hidden by a tree, the darkness envelops them with a few rays casting leafy shapes on them, something you don’t see as often in open-world games.
Being that the characters are the prime interest of players, the developers put a lot of detail and effort into making them appeal to their audience. The anime style comes from their design style as their appearances are like those from Japanese comic. Designers of Genshin Impact hand-painted shadow masks for the faces and body that automatically blend in with any environment the character finds themselves in. Each character is unique as their movements, clothing and mannerisms are influenced by their individual backstories, element, and culture.
In Genshin Impact, there is no denying the art of mother nature. It immerses the player in the colorful world using the fauna and flora. If you are a fan of adventuring off in the wild, you will find different areas of lush forests, towering chains of mountains, crystal clear lakes that you can swim in, mystical ruins and more. There can also be a few critters wandering around, enjoying life in the free land.
The architecture of every city is inspired by ones that we find in real life. It perfectly captures different cultures present and blends it with the elements of fantasy. There are cities like Mondstadt inspired by European medieval architecture with towering cliffs and seas, Liyue Harbor using ancient Chinese architecture with elegant design and Inazuma with traditional Japanese culture and nature. Drawing inspiration from the real world makes the game come to life.
Looking at Genshin Impact's design, it is clear that they have set a pretty high standard for anime-style games. It will be pretty hard to get to that level so I definitely have to get some practice in if I want to be an illustrator for an adventure/fighting world such as this one.
In order to create 3D characters that will compell players to choose from, I have to improve my 3D Modeling. This kind of expertise is needed to make the weapons and clothes of the characters to create a smoother gameplay, making it fun for every player.
Without fluid animations, there will be less expressiveness for each character's experience. There would be a lack in realism and life. I also will need it to plan out combat methods, as every fighting style is accompanied by seemless technique and movement.
The physics of clothing and accessory material reacts with their environment. When a player is throw or is swimming, it will have to behave in a logical manner. Especially when faced with enemies, the cloths will fly around and compress. This skill is definitely needed.
All character models have different body types and poses. I will have to adapt to their mannerisms and create figures that are anatomically correct and visually appealing. Genshin Impact takes note of different camera angles which shows off perspective and distance of each part of the body. In order to understand how this works, I have to study this more.
Consistency and Repetition can cause improvement and habits.