Hoyoverse has done it again with a game that players may never let go of. Here is our review of Honkai: Star Rail, a look at its gameplay and story.
Honkai: Star Rail is a turn-based role-playing gacha game available on iOS, Android, and PC via the official launcher and the Epic Games Store. It was released back on April 26, 2023, and has already garnered so much hype and attention. We will be going through the game's story and gameplay, while also comparing it to games from the same company, as well as the same genre.
Without further ado, let's get into our review of Honkai: Star Rail.
Honkai: Star Rail Background
If you've played games like Pokemon, Final Fantasy (the older ones), or Persona, then you're probably familiar already with how this game works. You control a party of up to four characters and must explore the game's world, solving problems and completing quests that you might encounter. Additionally, as it is a gacha game, you can also use premium currency to try and get new characters and Light Cones (or weapons) to make your team stronger. Of course, you won't just be constantly fighting. In your exploration, you will take part in various stories, learning more about the world and those who live in it.
We will be diving into each of these in turn, starting with the gameplay.
Honkai: Star Rail Gameplay
As mentioned above, this game is primarily a turn-based role-playing game. You create a team of up to four characters, each with their own Skills, Ultimates, Talents, and Techniques, Players must create a team that synergizes well with each other, so as to take on the game's various battles. Because of the variety of characters, players can create numerous types of teams. For example, some can create teams that specialize in applying shields, making them unkillable. Others can make hyper-carry teams, stacking buffs upon buffs on one character that will deal huge amounts of damage. Players can even make a follow-up or counter teams, which specialize in attacking multiple times in a row when conditions are met.
I personally like the amount of flexibility the developers gave us players. Unlike in Genshin, where most team compositions rely on having that "perfect and meta" team to clear all of its content, players are free to experiment in Star Rail. I personally have brought into fights teams that do not have the recommended character elements in them. Although it took a while to do, I was still able to do the fight. Not only that, but I had a lot of fun as well.
A qualm that players had with this game was that all of the characters only had two active abilities: their Skill and their Ultimate. They compared it to games like Persona and Pokemon where players could fine-tune their character's abilities, allowing them to make unstoppable teams that could face everything. Personally, I don't think Star Rail needs that feature. By simplifying the kit of the characters, they made the game approachable to everyone. From players who have been playing turn-based games since they were kids, to newbies who got interested when they saw Kafka and found out that her banner was coming in the future. HoyoVerse has succeeded in making a somewhat complex genre of games more approachable to everyone.
Another thing that I think this game does well, in my opinion, is making its game very much accessible on mobile. This is not the first game that HoyoVerse has released on mobile. I personally have sunk multiple hours into Honkai Impact 3rd and Genshin Impact on my phone. Although they were fun to play, I always felt that there was something off whenever I played. Honkai Impact 3rd was very reflex-based, something I couldn't properly do on mobile. Genshin Impact, on the other hand, felt sluggish for me. Not only that, but it was difficult to do the combos and dodges I needed to do.
This isn't the case with Honkai Star Rail. As it was a turn-based game, I could take my time with it. I didn't have to constantly be on guard to avoid an incoming attack. I don't have to painstakingly maneuver to get those crystalflies. The best part is that I didn't even need to be constantly pressing buttons on the screen. I just had to do a few taps at a time, watch the animations go, and repeat. I could even put it on auto-battle, making Relics and material farming even easier.
HoyoVerse was able to get the good gameplay bits of Genshin and Honkai Impact and place them in Star Rail. From the simplified exploration to the easy yet still complex battles, Honkai Star Rail's gameplay makes sure you will play the game for a very long time. They were even able to implement a weekly roguelike game, so I will definitely be playing this game even if I'm caught up with the story.
Of course, it's not just the gameplay that this game excels. It's a Hoyoverse game, after all, so let's talk about its story.
Honkai Star Rail Story
The premise of Honkai Star Rail is very simple. You are a Trailblazer, a part of the group known as The Nameless. It is the job of The Nameless to travel the universe and take part in various adventures. Along the way, they will encounter planets or locations in need of dire help. It is up to them to help those in need, and to keep on adventuring.
Of course, this is a very oversimplified premise. There's more to Honkai Star Rail than just that. You are not an ordinary Trailblazer, after all. Inside you resides a Stellaron, an object nicknamed the Cancer of All Worlds. These Stellarons are capable of causing cataclysmic harm to those around them. For example, the Stellaron caused the Eternal Freeze that covered the entirety of Jarilo-VI. Why then, is such a powerful object inside you? Why did the Stellaron Hunters implant one in you instead of taking it with them like they normally do? Although these questions do not have answers right now, they like will have answers in the future.
What I love about this game is that you can feel the care, love, and experience that HoyoVerse has in their story writing. As someone who played Honkai Impact 3rd and Genshin Impact, I can say that writing is one of HoyoVerse's strong points. Their ability to write fleshed-out stories, all of which are connected in one way or another, is something you don't normally see in video games. The last game that made me feel awe in its story was Final Fantasy XIV, with its Shadowbringers and Endwalker expansions. If I hadn't played that game, I would have ranked Honkai Star Rail's story as one of the best I have ever seen in video games so far.
There's really just something with how HoyoVerse writes its stories that makes it so interesting. They're not scared of writing about complex plots or putting the player in a very emotional situation. They don't treat the player like a child who has to have thrilling adventures all the time to keep their attention. HoyoVerse just focuses on writing a good story, and they are almost always successful in doing so.
What's even better is their ability to partner their storytelling with music. Long time players of HoyoVerse games have seen it before. Honkai Impact 3rd's Final Lesson, Meteoric Salvation, and Everlasting Flames, as well as Genshin Impact's various boss fights and cinematic trailers. They are able to complement the scenes so easily with their music, that it just amplifies all of the emotions. When that beat dropped during the final boss fight in Jarilo-VI, it only served to cement in my mind that HoyoVerse is one of the best game development studios in existence right now. If they're able to maintain this quality all throughout Honkai Star Rail, then we will have a live-service game that will entertain us for a long time.
Honkai Star Rail Review Summary
Honkai Star Rail has something for everyone, with its wonderful cast of characters, beautiful music, gorgeous sceneries, and captivating story. The gameplay is easy enough that newbies can get into it, yet complex enough that veterans will always have something to challenge them. Although players are basically calling this Genshin Impact, it has plenty to make it stand out from its predecessors. Also, if you get Himeko, make sure to never let her go.
Score: 9/10
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