Genshin Impact, A Zelda: Breath Of The Wild-Inspired RPG, Has A Release Date

Chinese developer Mihoyo has announced that Genshin Impact, an open-world hack-and-slash RPG, will launch on September 28 for PC and mobile. A release date for the PlayStation 4 version will be revealed at a later date.

Genshin Impact gained notoriety last year when it was revealed at the digital game expo ChinaJoy. With a cel-shaded art style, giant robot enemies that shoot laser beams, a stamina meter that governs your sprinting and climbing, and a familiar setting and story, many in China negatively pointed to the similarities between Genshin Impact and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.

The game was on display at Sony's booth during ChinaJoy, which led to one disgruntled Zelda fan smashing his PS4 because he felt it was shameless of Sony to promote a game with so many similarities to another. Other protests weren't as destructive but expressed the same sentiment, including dozens of middle fingers aimed directly at the game's display.

Abacus reported that many feel Genshin Impact reflects poorly on the Chinese game industry. Mihoyo, for its part, says it was inspired by Breath of the Wild and other open-world games like Grand Theft Auto and titles from Bethesda and Naughty Dog, but refutes claims that it plagiarised the Nintendo adventure.

Some of the similarities between the two games might hit a little too close, but with RPG progression, multiple characters, and elemental-based combat, Genshin Impact adds a few unique characteristics of its own. At the very least, it will bring Breath of the Wild-style action to non-Nintendo platforms when it launches in September.