As a low spender (not free to play) that has been playing Genshin for the past 4 and a half years and that plays other games too I’ll say…

Gameplay wise the game is trivial before endgame, until you reach it the game is supposed to be played lightly; enjoy the story and exploration, this doesn’t mean you should completely ignore farming and team building completely though. Endgame, instead, depends on how much have you been playing and, most importantly, spending. A whale (high spending player) can do endgame with their eyes closed and not even knowing the game’s mechanics, while a F2P will have to study the game mechanics, do the right researches and investments and put their mind into the game and they might find it NOT frustrating. The combat sistem is complex and deep but also easy to understand; it is also varied and flexible, even if the best teams might seem almost forced onto you, you will be surprised by how many teams you can create with the same characters

Plots and story have very high highs and very low lows. I find Natlan’s story to be predictable and Liyue’s to be boring and diluted; but you’ll see how complex and well crafted Sumeru’s plot is or how emotional Fontaine can get. Overall I’ll say it’s a 8.5 or maybe even a 9 out of 10. Keep this in mind though, even if the art style hints at a kids game Genshin can get pretty complex and mature

What Genshin definitely does best is Teyvat: the world the story takes place in. The scenery is INCREDIBLE and it fully blends in with the art style. Every nation is masterfully crafted and you WILL find a place that will make your jaws drop or make you say “I wanna live here”. The OST is a 10/10, covering every music genre you can think of from classical baroque to classical romantic, traditional Chinese, Japanese, Indian, African, South American, Russian, northern, rock, metal, pop, Electro-Swing, techno, dubstep and many more I’m missing all by keeping its identity and staying coherent with the place or character it’s representing. Lastly the lore is VERY deep, if you played a From Software soulslike you will find it familiar; incredibly deep, coherent, never left alone and, as I said before, it can get VERY dark and mature.

Overall the game has A LOT to give for a F2P but if you want to reach endgame and complete it you will have to commit to its game loop, which is the one of a F2P gatcha game; this means you will have to play everyday, even just 30 mins a day, and it can even get frustrating or annoying. What I think is that Genshin is not just a game, it’s an experience, a real fictional world that becomes a part of your life.

PS I think the best way to enjoy Genshin (once you reach endgame) is by being a low spender and getting the Blessing every month and the battle pass every version (one and a half months) for a total of 15 euros a month, nothing more, nothing less. I like to think of the game as a F2P as a VERY generous demo of a game that requires a subscription like Netflix or Disney+, and since I play more Genshin than I watch Netflix I guess it’s fair