There once was a time when gacha games were seen as nearly taboo to play. Between their low production values, overt predatory monetization, and perceived lack of gameplay depth, playing a gacha game used to be synonymous with wasting your time and money. In time, though, a certain high-budget AAA gacha showed the world that the gacha game can be more than just a fancy slot machine with anime art. The genre began shedding its stigma, and with that shedding, the proper AAA gacha has become the norm. We’ve identified five strong titles that are worth your time and investment.
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Genshin Impact
Genshin Impact, developed by Hoyoverse, was the first of the genre to break through the negative gacha game stereotype, boasting console-quality visuals, a fully explorable open world, and a rich narrative experience. The gameplay is simplistic enough for anyone to pick and play, but it contains a considerable amount of depth through its signature Elemental Reaction system for those looking to sink their teeth into it.
Ruled by numerous astral gods and mysterious unknown deities, Genshin Impact takes place in the fantastical world of Teyvat. Governed by seven district nations, Teyvat is under siege from the evil forces of the Abyss, and as the Traveler, your journey’s goal is to find your astray sibling and discover the truth behind the Abyss’ intentions.
Since its release back in 2020, Genshin Impact has had a significant number of updates, including content that has greatly expanded its explorable game world alongside new playable characters and a plethora of general quality-of-life improvements.
Wuthering Waves
After Genshin Impact‘s release, many titles in the Gacha genre sought to capture the same success. Wuthering Waves is one such title, and while it is derivative of the source material, the gacha game puts more extensive focus on its moment-to-moment, mechanical gameplay and is generally seen as more action-intensive.
Developed by Kuro Games, Wuthering Waves casts you as the Rover, a mysterious protagonist with little to no memory of previous events. You’re tasked with exploring the gacha’s large open world and completing variously crafted quests, all the while collecting new characters along the way. Despite only releasing last year, the title has had several gameplay expansions that add more of the abovementioned, with more to come in the near future.
What helps Wuthering Waves stand out even further is its unique setting. Wuthering Waves explores a science fiction world filled with advanced technology, mysterious ruins, and strange energy sources. Set on the planet Solaris-3, the game has you face off against powerful enemies and uncover the remnants of a post-apocalyptic world trying to rebuild after the disaster known as the Lament.
Zenless Zone Zero
Zenless Zone Zero stands out as a stylish, urban-action title that blends high-brow combat with a slightly futuristic aesthetic. It builds its own identity through fast-paced, arcade-like battles and a modern sci-fi presentation that leans into sleek visuals and a pleasing hyper-animated flow.
Developed by HoYoverse, Zenless Zone Zero places you in the role of a Proxy, an individual who guides others through supernatural disasters known as Hollows. Unlike other games on this list, you get to choose between two distinct characters as the protagonist: Belle, a quirky girl with a big heart, or Wise, a calm and collected man who’s a little awkward. Regardless of which Proxy you choose at the start of the game, the other will still play a big role in the storyline. As one of the Proxies, it’s your job to help various factions, agents, and clients navigate Hollows safely, all the while uncovering the truth behind Hollow Zero, the apex Hollow disaster.
What gives Zenless Zone Zero its most distinct flair is its unique setting and overall tone. Unlike other gacha games that focus on fantasy or post-apocalyptic elements, Zenless Zone Zero unfolds in a clean, modern urban aesthetic city called New Eridu, the last remaining bastion of humanity. Despite the morbidity of the setting, Zenless Zone Zero hardly takes itself seriously and is more like a parody of your standard apocalyptic story. You’ll still be hunting for characters and completing quests, but Zenless Zone Zero offers a unique urban setting to explore, not unlike that of the Persona franchise.
Honkai Star Rail
Honkai: Star Rail is a turn-based gacha RPG that blends the allure of cosmo-faring adventure with large-than-life storytelling as the fuel for its lore. It sets itself apart with its own special take on the turn-based, tactical combat genre and cosmic overtheme that feels both high-stakes and a little overly dramatic. Its worldbuilding is vast, and its sense of scale is matched only by the game’s theatrical flair.
Developed by HoYoverse, Honkai: Star Rail casts you as the Trailblazer, a protagonist who boards the Astral Express, a literal space train that somehow feels both majestic and suspiciously efficient, due to a mysterious cosmic object called a Stellaron being placed inside of you. Stellaron are known to bring ruin, and it is up to the crew of the Astral Express to brave the Trailblaze and hunt them down, all the while uncovering the mystery of the one within you. Between dealing with the occasional talking trash can or listening to the dramatic monologue from an omnipotent immortal being, events that can surprisingly occur mere moments between each other, you’ll be collecting and gathering allies to help you along with the adventure.
What stands out most about Honkai Star Rail is its exceptional blend of interstellar fantasy and grounded, character-driven drama. While most gacha titles stay tethered to a single world or tonal theme, Star Rail rockets across the universe, allowing for all variants of misadventure to occur. It balances cosmic stakes with witty dialogue and the kind of quiet, personal moments that stick with you if you’re interested in understanding the depths behind a character’s pretty face.
Punishing: Gray Raven
As the only gacha title released prior to Genshin Impact on this list, Punishing: Gray Raven is uniquely positioned as a game that existed before the genre began its dramatic shift to the norm of being an AAA title. As such, Punishing: Gray Raven, developed by Kuro Games, has lower production values than any other title on this list. Yet, despite this shortcoming, Punishing: Gray Raven is one of the few pre-Genshin-era gacha games that is worth your consideration. It places a significant amount of focus on both its over-the-top action combat and its deep (and dark) narrative.
Combat in Punishing: Gray Raven is fast-paced and relentless, rewarding personal execution. Each character brings a unique playstyle that blends combo-based mechanics with a puzzle-like, color-coded orb system for utilizing character skills. This unique blend intentionally divides your attention in combat, driving up this title’s difficulty beyond every other gacha game present here. While it lacks a full 3D open world to explore, Punishing: Gray Raven more than makes up for this with its refined mechanics and challenging gameplay.
The narrative takes place in a grim future where humanity’s end is near. Driven to the brink by a mysterious ‘Punishing Virus’, Punishing: Gray Raven explores bleak themes of shattered loss and ultimate sacrifice. The story is filled with humanistic undertones and makes harrowing use of its morbid setting on a consistent basis. If you’re looking for a title that focuses heavily on grim-dark themes set in a futuristic dystopian setting, Punishing: Gray Raven is one of the best options on the market.
Despite their controversial history, gacha games have become a staple in the gaming sphere. While there are still games in the genre struggling to offer good value, the five titles highlighted here stand out on their own merits. All of these games are free-to-play and accessible across multiple platforms, making them worth your time exploring.
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Image Courtesy of Big Finish Productions.
