In the newest version update for Genshin Impact, HoYoverse released a new game mode called Miliastra Wonderland that was all about players being able to create their own games using HoYoverse’s materials such as mobs and elements. It also would allow players the ability to have a Manekin that can be used in open world with cosmetics. 

Now, I’ve been super excited for this game mode because of what it can entail for Genshin Impact. I want to see what kinds of cosmetics and skins the company has been holding back from releasing with characters that are now going to be available for the Manekin who don’t need to follow a story line or match an event. The current skin matches Halloween which has never been something Genshin Impact really celebrates in-game; in fact, a large majority of holidays in general are left out. 

For a long time, I have seen people create their own original characters that would be vision holders in the game and what kind of background they would have in Teyvat. This would be more possible with allowing the Manekin to appear in the open-world. But, the cosmetics have disappointed some players. The actual cosmetics shown off that appear on the limited banner has a currency that can only be earned by paying for it. 

Now, this is a disappointment in the fact that only some parts can be earned through completing quests and pulling for it using the in-game currency for the standard banner. I’m personally not too slighted by it. For Genshin Impact, the skins given to five-star characters are blocked by a paywall and the ones given to four-stars are available through playing through the event quest and completing tasks. However, if players miss out on the event, they have to pay for the skin of the four-stars as well. 

I agree that the limited banner itself shouldn’t be locked entirely behind a pay wall, but it’s not unusual. I think of other big games like Fortnite where a significant part of their cosmetics have to be purchased with real money. It’s not an unusual standard to hold, and it can definitely be predatory for players. 

But, the look of Manekins don’t pertain a lot to the game itself beyond cosmetics. Players can enjoy appearing as they like in games made in Miliastra Wonderland but it doesn’t improve or hinder their experience. Although Manekins can appear in the open-world, they can’t appear in cutscenes or in the main Archon Quest. It’s a similar process as when players don’t have the traveler in the party during a quest, the traveler will still appear in the scene anyway. 

At most, while exploring or doing smaller quests, players can utilize the Manekin with their own cosmetics. But, as someone who does not like the Manekin’s combat as much as others, I can’t see myself using them that often while exploring instead of characters who have better overworld travel skills and decent combat to defeat mobs. 

Besides the cosmetics, the main part of Miliastra Wonderland is the ability to create games and then post them, hopefully earning some commission if the game gains attention. The games currently available were made generically and before the release. A lot of the game modes seen are what closed beta players also had. They are more examples of what could be possible rather than polished games. 

As someone who has tried out the developer mode, I can say it’s not going to be easy for games to be produced. Game developers often take months if not years in order to make their games. I feel like it’s a bit of a stretch to expect players to be able take a shorter amount of time, even if the developer mode has shortcuts compared to coding the game. I’ve only seen a few games developed after the release, few of which have differed too far from the closed beta games. 

As it’s only been a week since its release, I’m surprised to see even that. As someone who has never developed a game, I spent a lot of time figuring out how to use the tools and then to make the general terrain of the area. That alone took me about five hours, trying to playtest it for any holes or inconsistencies on the map. And I’m still not done. I just have a basic template with some buildings and walls. I haven’t worked on any elevated platforms or on working out which building templates work for a game I’m thinking about and which ones are more for cosmetic purposes. I have so much empty space that needs to be filled out so that the game doesn’t feel curated but rather lived in or with obstacles to help with the gameplay.

That’s simply the terrain. I haven’t even touched character models, what they’re trying to achieve in the game mode, battle settings, or mobs that may or may not spawn. I set up a basic spawn and basic revive point for a character so that I could even explore the small street I made. To put it simply, a lot of work goes into developing games even with this game mode. Expecting great content right after its release is asking for a lot out of players. For me, I’ve seen people who greatly enjoy what is currently available or at the prospects of what is to come having seen what games there are. 

Now, although I do use Miliastra Wonderland, it’s not as much as going through Genshin Impact itself. Playing on PC, I don’t struggle for space for the game even with the added game mode. For players who have to work around storage, the additional game mode on top of what Genshin Impact requires already may be a bit much. If they don’t use Miliastra at all, it may feel like unnecessary space needed for the game. 

I can understand the upset in this case. But as a game that is ever expanding, the amount of space it’s going to demand is only going to increase. There’s still a whole known region that needs to be released and even more content for this year and the next. The amount of storage Miliastra Wonderland will take up is nothing compared to the needed space for future updates. The crux of this problem is not from the added gameplay mode but from the space management in general of the game which has been a long running problem for players. It’s a worthy argument but not simply for the Miliastra but for Genshin Impact itself. 

I’m excited to see where Miliastra Wonderland will go. I know it’s more a matter of time than anything else to see where the game mode will develop, relying on players who can create games from the developer and from HoYoverse releasing more cosmetics that may be earnable through real-world or in-game currency. I think it’s still too early to say if the inclusion of Miliastra Wonderland to Genshin Impact is a good or bad thing. It’s still very much in a hopes and dreams stage with its first release to the public in an ever-updating game. It has its good and bad parts that may change in the future. 

What are your thoughts about Miliastra Wonderland? What do you enjoy about it or hate about it? Share your thoughts in the comments below or in our Boss Rush Discord! 

Featured Image Source: HoYoverse

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Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games

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