The adventurer’s guidebook

Free-to-play open-world RPG Genshin Impact can be intimidating, but Oscar Taylor-Kent’s on hand to crack open his journal and give you some tips

The all-encompassing nature of HoYoverse’s open-world RPG means things can feel a bit complicated whether you’re a newcomer or already on your travels across Teyvat. It can be easy to miss vital mechanics that’ll make your questing a lot easier… but miss no more! We’re here to help.

01 Focus on Adventure Rank Your Traveler and the rest of your party gain XP and level up, but you really want to focus on your Adventure Rank, awarded for most activities. You need it for story progression, but also to unlock key features and to increase your World Level for better rewards.

02 Do the daily commissions Once you hit Adventure Rank 12, four new quests appear each day. The rewards are slight, but add up quickly, and the quests can be finished fast (in the region of your choice). They also award keys used to access character quests, which you’ll want to stack up early.

03 Artefacts are key These five slots are each character’s core equipment, with bonuses for two- or four-piece sets of the same type. They might seem cursory at first, but feeding weaker artefacts to your faves to power them up is vital, giving huge stat boosts.

04 Book worm While you earn character XP for fighting, it’s pitiful. XP books are the consumables you’ll actually use to level up, awarded for completing quests, opening chests, or after you’ve completed special ley line challenges. Get low? Track some down, or your levelling will stall out.