Genshin Impact: Official Art Book Vol. 1 Review

For those who somehow don’t know, Genshin Impact is a free-to-play open-world action-adventure from MiHoYo, with some multiplayer aspects, but it’s mainly a single-player experience. You take on the role of Traveler, a being from another world who is looking for their lost sibling. I’ve played it in the past, but I honestly didn’t stick with it for more than a couple of months. However, I’ve always enjoyed looking at the various artwork that’s been released, and that’s where Genshin Impact: Official Art Book Vol. 1 comes in!

Published by Expanse, a HarperCollins label, it collects artwork from, you guessed it, the first year and a bit of the game’s history. It’s a three-year-old game, after all, and still going strong, so of course, this is just the first volume; there will always be plenty more artwork.

A book is a curious thing to review when you’re used to playing a bunch of hours in a game and writing about the experience. What makes this a bit more unique is that it’s an art book, so I can’t even write about the prose! Art is subjective, too, so what if I don’t like it?

Well, Genshin Impact: Official Art Book Vol. 1 is a hardcover book presented in a slipcase. However, I use the term “hardcover” loosely as the covers are more “stiff” than “hard”, but at the same time it’s definitely not a paperback, and it has a dust cover.

The art includes all the way from early beta stages through to v1.6 (Midsummer Island Adventure), which came out in June 2021. It starts with character art which takes up the first part of the book, and they have a little bit of information about each one, most of them also including a quote. Then it goes on to show off the teasers, key artworks, and celebratory images released for every little thing. Finishing the book are the congratulatory images for things like White Day, bringing the page count to over 170 pages.

The presentation is lovely, and the printing quality is top notch. The paper stock is a good choice, too, as some art books can feel too stiff to turn the page. Of course, the artwork itself is also fantastic.

My only gripe is that despite me taking the book out of plastic wrap and the slipcase, the dust jacket had some damage on the corners. It’s a minor thing, but I take care of my books. I’ve never even liked cracking a book spine, so it coming from the warehouse, this condition was disappointing.

Overall, if you’re a fan of Genshin Impact, then you’ve probably already ordered Genshin Impact: Official Art Book Vol. 1. And rightly so, it’s fantastic for fans of the game and art book aficionados.