Genshin Impact 7.0 Act 1 - Odette and Vodyanitsa! Who is Lelek?!

The much-awaited Patch 7.0 of Genshin Impact released today, along with Odette as the new character and the first part of the Snezhnaya map. It's a huge addition and, as usual, comes with a massive number of side stories, quests, chests, and everything else that goes with them. Probably weeks' worth of gameplay content.

Initially, I thought of doing the quest in one swoop and making a single post here, but after 5 hours I had only completed the first act, so I think it's a better idea to instead split the thing into two phases, one for each act. The first act introduces us to the new country of Snezhnaya, where Fae and humans live together, and sets up the focus of the exploration around discovering the truth behind the Stuzha project.

Cuteness victory definitely goes to Vodyanitsa, her voice is like the cutest thing I've heard in a while in Genshin Impact.

Tartaglia is like a fish out of water in this picture. Just how big is the difference in models? It's ridiculous at this point.

It's different from Nod Krai, where Fae are rare to see; here, you see them in droves in the middle of the streets. Nobody seems to bat an eye at something eccentric, be it a creature, a device, or even a huge modern train appearing out of nowhere. Yes, we get an actual train to use as a base during this patch, which is quite an interesting addition when combined with the AI assistant and the whole "Shadow Realm" thing. The moment Lumine pulled a gun out of thin air and started throwing grenades, I started to doubt that I actually was playing Genshin Impact.

The new zone is stunning, just like most of the newer zones have been, and the difference in quality is so evident, especially in the cutscenes. Why? Because every time they line up characters made in the past with newer characters, the difference is absolutely disastrous. Tartaglia feels so much like a user-made asset that he's of lower quality than everyone else.

Lots of new and old faces are appearing, but the focus of this first phase is mainly on two parties. One is the underground resistance group trying to resist the Tsarisa's plan (much like the one that was opposing the Shogun in Inazuma) and the other is Odette, one of the most famous ballerinas and a woman strictly connected to "La Signora" that we killed back in Inazuma.

The underground resistance is extremely independent, and the members don't all know each other; two of the members we met are Vodyanitsa and Alyosha, who are extremely friendly and collaborative. That doesn't mean that all of them will be the same way toward us in their quest to stop the Stuzha plan.

Odette is absolutely stunning, like her cold voice so much even if sometimes I wonder if they actually fit her looks...

Mitya seems to be a weird character, he knows that we're here and yet let all the information out. It's like he is planning something that goes outside of the Tsarisa ideas.

At the end of Act I, we're doubting if Odette is actually one of the most radical members of that underground resistance group going by the name of Lelek. We're going to investigate, but I think things will be more complicated than that. This plan is creating big friction in the population, which is exasperated by the continuous increase in the price of the energy necessary to heat their homes.

The Fatui Harbingers say that the Tsarisa is looking at the long term here, but that doesn't change the reality of people dying of the cold in the meantime. Are we sure she isn't just working out of revenge against the Heavenly Principles? I mean, they call her the "god with no love left for her people"...