Dragonspine: An Unforgiving, Desolate Tundra

When I found out that the new update for Genshin Impact would be out before Christmas, the excitement I felt was immeasurable.

This is a game my girlfriend (wait, she's fiancee now) and I have invested quite a lot of time in, and it has been quite a ride from the very beginning. I understand that there are a lot of people that seem to have a few problems with Genshin Impact especially considering the gacha model, but maybe it's due to the fact that my fiancee and I 'share' the game, so I don't feel the same burnout that some other players have complained about.

That said, there's no one that loves exploration that wasn't excited at the prospect of diving into the new area, Dragonspine. Here are some of my initial thoughts on the area.

Finding Dragonspine

Dragonspine is located south of Springvale and not far from Dawn winery. It is a snow-covered wasteland that is incredibly unforgiving. Getting there for the first time was a treat as I stood with my Childe staring up a huge mountain of ice and frost. I ventured into the area and immediately felt the rush of excitement that came with a new area. I remember when I first discovered Liyue, and I was taken in by the breathtaking view, the rush of color, and the imposing mountain ranges situated in the area. Dragonspine is awe-inspiring but in a very different way as it is devoid of the color that is so prevalent in Liyue. Everything is stark white as you race from one point to the other, trying to warm yourself. Barely a few moments had passed from the time I stepped into Dragonspine when I started to feel the effect of the new mechanic, sub-zero climate. There is a sheer cold meter just above the life bar that shows just how affected by the elements your character is. If the bar fills up, your character starts to lose health. To open the Dragonspine region on the map, you need to find the statue of the seven and activate it. Once done, the map opens up.

Dealing with sheer cold

The sub-zero climate could be a bit of a pain to deal with, as I soon found out. I'm currently at adventure rank 38, and I have a world rank of level 3, which means a lot of the enemies I find hanging around are about level 59. This makes them pretty difficult to deal with, and fighting these creatures while trying to keep an eye on the sheer cold meter is a right pain in the ass. This is especially true if you face abyss mages or Fatui Cicin mages, as they take a bit more time to deal with. Therefore, you could find yourself fighting one of these creatures and having to leave the fight to reduce the effects of sheer cold.

Speaking on the effects of sheer cold and dealing with them, there are a number of ways to escape the effects of the new mechanic, with the most common one being the ruin braziers, which are located all over Dragonspine. Apart from that, there are the warming seelies which heat up your character while moving. Things could get tricky when these resources are unavailable or are far away, which is why your fire-wielding characters are of particular importance. For instance, I have Xiangling, and her Guoba fire attack is useful in kindling bonfires and wood, which can create fire and reduce the impact of sheer cold.

Apart from these techniques, there is also the Scarlet Quartz, which is a deep red stone that helps deal with the cold and also enables your character to pull of enhanced attacks that deal damage to the mysterious stones that are located all over Dragonspine.

Closing thoughts

I am still in the process of exploring the map and haven't even undertaken the main missions yet, but so far, I am having a tonne of fun. There is a new domain located in Dragonspine that promises to be a lot of fun and could be helpful in leveling up artifacts. I think Genshin Impact has done a great job of delivering more content for rabid fans such as myself, and with so many treasure chests to unlock and enemies to lay punishment on, I can wait to get further into the region. If I have any issues, it would be that the entire region hasn't been opened up for us, and we'll probably need to wait some more to get extra content.

You can find out more about the Genshin Impact update here, and I guess I'll get back to exploring Dragonspine.

Merry Christmas, everyone!