Genshin Impact vs Wuthering Waves (Which One is Better?)

Wuthering Waves has gotten a lot of comparisons to Genshin Impact since even before its release, and it’s easy to understand why. Both are very similar games on the surface, but once you’ve properly gotten into both of them, their differences become more apparent. Here are all the similarities and differences between Genshin Impact and Wuthering Waves.

Genshin Impact vs Wuthering Waves: What’s Different?

• The setting:
  • Genshin Impact seems to take place in a fantasy world where the most technologically advanced locations are inspired by steampunk. Wuthering Waves has a lot of sci-fi elements and advanced technology.
• Combat:
  • Wuthering Waves has more complex dodging mechanics, Intro Attacks, and Outro Attacks. Genshin Impact does not.
• Teams:
  • Genshin Impact teams have four members, while Wuthering Waves currently only has three. This could change in future patches, but for now, it’s a trio team.
• Battle Elements:
  • Wuthering Waves has Havoc, Spectro, and Fusion character types, which do not exist in Genshin. Instead, Genshin Impact has Dendro, Pyro, Geo, and Hydro elements, which do not exist in Wuthering Waves.
• Level System:
  • Adventure Rank and Union Level are very similar, but Genshin Impact gives you rewards for every level, while Wuthering Waves has rewards for every few levels.
• Artifact System:
  • In Genshin Impact, players increase their character stats with Artifacts. Wuthering Waves instead has a Pokemon-like mechanic called Echoes, where you absorb enemies that you have defeated. You can then equip these enemies to your character to boost their stats.
• Weapons & Magic
  • Wuthering Waves has Pistols and Gauntlet weapon types but lacks bows. Rectifiers and Catalysts in WuWa are similar, but Rectifier characters have an entity that follows them around and helps them attack. Genshin Impact’s magic system is based on elements, while Wuthering Waves’ magic system is based on sound waves.

Genshin Impact vs Wuthering Waves: What’s The Same?

• Open-world exploration.
• The gacha system (Banner Wishes & Pulls are the same.)
• The Four-Star and Five-Star character rating system.
• A system of equipment that provides buffs (Artifacts and Echoes).
• A region based on China (Liyue and Jinzhou).
• Some of the elements in the games are basically the same: Anemo and Aero, Cryo and Glacio, and Electro for both etc.
• Both allow Co-op.
• Teleport Waypoints and Resonance Beacon.
• Statues of the Seven and Resonance Nexus.
• Pioneer Podcast and Gnostic Hymn.
• Waveplates and Resin.
• Anime-inspired art style.
• The mechanics around building characters. The materials you need to level and ascend them, level up their talents, and upgrade their weapons are the same.

Genshin Impact vs Wuthering Waves: Which One Is Better?

Wuthering Waves hasn’t been out for that long, so it’s a little too early to say who is definitively better or worse. At the current moment, Genshin Impact is the better game, mostly due to the fact that it has been around a lot longer, and Wuthering Waves hasn’t had the chance to address a lot of its problems.

Genshin Impact’s exploration is a lot more fun because of the varied locations and exploring mechanics. Wuthering Waves’ map isn’t as big, so they haven’t had the chance to build up a bunch of different locations yet. Genshin Impact’s mechanics also facilitate exploration better, making it more rewarding overall.

Wuthering Waves’ magic system also lacks in comparison to the HoYoverse RPG. Genshin Impact’s system is very intuitive in terms of how the elements interact with each other, and as a result, it’s fun to build teams to make use of elemental reactions. Wuthering Waves definitely lacks this, as it is unclear how to make the most out of character types.

At the moment, character roles in Genshin Impact are a lot more clear and a lot more varied. Wuthering Waves has a surplus of DPS and sub-DPS characters but lacks supports, healers, and shielders. Finally, Genshin Impact’s DPS characters tend to be the most popular, but they have lots of characters for every role. Even their free-to-play characters are more varied with the shielder Noelle, the healer Barbara, and supports such as some of the Traveler types and Collei.

Only time will tell whether Wuthering Waves will be able to sustain its popularity like Genshin Impact has. At the moment, though, WuWa isn’t as polished as the games HoYoverse has released. However, it’s important to remember that Genshin Impact wasn’t as complex as it is today when it originally launched in 2020. So, there is still time for Wuthering Waves to grow.

Genshin Impact is now available on iOS, Android, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, and PC. Wuthering Waves is available on iOS, Android, and PC.