Genshin Impact fans are in a bit of a pickle. A perplexed gamer No-Nail281, posted a simple, yet impassioned plea: “Dear Hoyo’s world exploration devs, I’ve got 1 word …… WHY ?!”. The post isn’t accompanied by any further explanations or arguments, rather it skillfully uses rhetorical devices to provoke reactions from other users, leading to revealing discussions.
Community Sentiments
- Torment and Resolution: Some players are grappling with internal crisis. As Mr_Creed puts it, “The hardest choices require the strongest wills.” (source)
- Resignation and Adaptation: Other players, such as LovelyPup358, have learned to prioritize gameplay rewards over moral questions. “After a while, you don’t feel anything. Nowadays, all I see is gems.”(source)
- Humor and Defiance: True_Motivati0n decides to lean into humor to express his defiance, “Too bad for them, I killed them all without any hesitation, and not just the men, the women, and the children too” (source)
Ethical Standoffs
There’s an inferred standoff between the world exploration developers and the game’s passionate community. Imagine being tasked to wreak havoc on a harmless family of sea creatures for some in-game currency. Some, like DRAGUNNYUOOOH find it “so messed up” while others like MiguelWolf have opted not to participate in such tasks, “Nah, I ran across this chest and it’s still locked, it’ll never unlock too, I’m not killing them.” (source)
Judgment and Consequences
Amidst the discussion revolving around the moral choices within the game, some users have begun to evaluate the game itself along ethical lines. For instance, MegaUltraChickeeeen’s comment suggests the need for a higher authority to adjudicate over the developers, “Cause they’re evil obviously. We need Neuvilette to judge them.” (source)
Despite sitting behind screens, each user is faced with an element of their humanity in a game that was supposed to be fantasy and escapism. The judgment of their actions in this digital realm has provoked a brilliantly encapsulated discussion on morality and ethics, showing that even in a fantastical world like Genshin Impact, real world sentiments can’t help but follow the gamers into their beloved escapism.