Genshin Impact is getting a dating simulator mechanic - well, kind of. Actually, Mihoyo hasn’t used the term “date” to describe Hangout Events, but that hasn’t stopped half the internet from going wild over the new system coming to version 1.4, Invitation of Windblume. I’m also in that camp - the going wild over the Hangout Event group - as it speaks to just about every reason I play certain games. And by certain games, I really just mean the newer Fire Emblems.
Fire Emblem ticks just about every check box in my mental list of must-haves and wants for a game. Tactical strategy? Got it. A cast of angsty, attractive men and women trying to solve world peace? Also got it. Extremely cute date scenes that make me scream at whatever Nintendo device I have at the moment and throw it down? Check, check, and check. I have to admit, it’s that last one that’s a major pull, but all that other stuff is a great bonus.
I’ll spend hours grinding out relationships perfectly in Fire Emblem. I pour over guides and take care not to progress the story in games like Awakening so I can make sure that my fictional partner and I wind up together. In Three Houses, when things escalated to those adorable little outings with Tea Time - I was elated. They remind me the most of Mihoyo’s Hangout Events, and that was the first thing that came to mind while watching 1.4’s reveal.
And then there’s Genshin Impact. I don’t think it’s any secret that I’m a fan of characters like Zhongli or Rosaria, but my list of Genshin favorites doesn’t end there, either. Jean, Lisa, Diluc, and Kaeya? I’ll happily wander around Teyvat with you all, too. Can you imagine tavern dates with Diluc? Or I don’t know, literally anything with Zhongli?
Hangout Events with that first lineup of Barbara, Bennett, Noelle, and Chongyun sound pretty lackluster. I’m not super keen to pal around with the toddler-like party members, sorry. But for those more Fire Emblem-esque situations? I’m begging for Mihoyo to send me my favorites in the next round of these.
Unashamedly, I’ve really embraced my love for soap-opera-like visual novels, dating mechanics, and fanfiction as an adult. I get that plenty of folks see elements like Hangout Events and roll their eyes, and I’m not going to pretend like there’s some deep, underlying rationale for why I’m super into Mihoyo’s latest system. I just love it. I love the fan service, I love the tongue-in-cheek wink at players from the devs that acknowledges we’re all weirdly in love with some anime dude who’s also a god. It’s just my type of junk food.
Mihoyo’s Hangout Event system is probably the most excited I’ve been for Genshin Impact in a while. I do still enjoy cleaning up my daily quests, building characters, and all of your usual Genshin Impact chores. But a new system where I can go on a long, romantic walk with Rosaria? Sign me up. I’m ready, Mihoyo. Just please don’t make me wait too long for my favorites to be added.