Summary
The seas are usually restricted to featuring as traversal methods in games, occasionally used for fishing and treasure retrieval missions, with player characters holding their breaths for extended periods or using snorkels to breathe underwater. For many development reasons, prolonged underwater gameplay is often infeasible, butGenshin Impacthas a few answers to this problem to keep players swimming in its upcoming Fontaine update. Given the new region is surrounded by a giant waterfall, underwater gameplay may be essential to accomplishing missions inGenshin Impact’s4.0 Update.
HoYoverse is constantly shaking up the traditional operations of its action RPG flagship by introducing new characters, features, and abilities. The Fontaine region is the latest in a long line of updates, taking players on a fresh fantasy journey after the Sumeru arc. In alivestream event forGenshin Impact3.8, fans glimpsed the Traveler exploring submerged areas of Teyvat, sparking questions about how the developer intended to incorporate this mechanic. As is often the case, leakers have come to the rescue ahead of Fontaine’s release, and players are getting details concerning HoYoverse’s new diving feature.
RELATED:The Case for Genshin Impact’s Limited-Time Locations to be Permanent Additions
Underwater Gameplay in Fontaine Has Combat Ramifications
Going swimming in the game isn’t all that different from other RPGs, but a tweak in the movement mechanics now letsGenshin Impact’s Travelersurvive unhindered in the fantasy title. At the moment,Genshin Impactplayers can only swim for limited periods before their stamina runs out, causing their character to drown – just like most games. The 4.0 Update, however, introduces a new blue-colored stamina bar specific to diving, which can be spent to navigate through waters faster. Contrary to the previous status quo, exhausting this bar will not result in death, as players can stay still to replenish their meters.
Regaining Aquatic Stamina isn’t limited to staying still, as players can recharge the meter by collecting Recovery Orbs, so a continuous supply can let players swim for hours on end. Speedy swimming doesn’t always have to consume the stamina bar either, as carefully guiding the Traveler into Turbulent Bubbles increases gamers' speed. These changes in mechanics eliminate the need to resurface for air after short periods, allowing for a deeper and more detailed exploration ofTeyvat’s latest region. However, this new feature will be exclusive to the Fontaine region for the foreseeable future, so players can’t go for extended dips in bodies of water elsewhere in Teyvat.
Additionally, only a few parts ofFontaine’s mapcan be dived into, as not all areas of the region’s waters are open for exploration. Players can swim with any character in their roster in the nation of Justice, although only one skill is available underwater for combat purposes, as individual Elemental Skills and Bursts are disabled. However, absorbing the abilities of surrounding aquatic creatures can overcome this limitation, with defensive applications to thwart traps and collect treasures stuck in seaweed.
Diving below the water’s surface is an intriguing experience in any RPG, and is often cut short before gamers explore an area to their hearts' content.Genshin Impact’s 4.0 Update’s diving mechanics are the first step to remedying this issue, adding much-needed depth to sea exploration and unique combat situations. While diving is still restricted to specific areas of Fontaine’s map, there is hope for future expansion, and the mechanism is a breath of fresh air inGenshin Impact’s gameplay.
Genshin Impactis available now for PC, PS4, PS5, and mobile devices. A Switch version is in development.
