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Geek Review – Honkai: Star Rail

Geek Review – Honkai: Star Rail

Walk around and do stuff. That’s the premise of video games a plenty and when you mix the core pillar of area exploration into the open-world role-playing experience, you get HoYoverse’s action role-playing hit Genshin Impact, a 2020 game that continues to take the gaming world by storm. Quests aside, players can scale cliffs, glide in the air, solve puzzles, sprint in populated cities and interact with various characters – playable or otherwise – as they traverse both familiar and new, yet-to-be-discovered regions.

Geek Review – Honkai: Star Rail (2)

With the upcoming Honkai: Star Rail, the company has preserved some elements of the formula, while diving boldly into uncharted waters. The space-fantasy role-playing game (RPG) is set in the parallel universe of Honkai Impact 3rd, another action-RPG title from HoYoverse, and features alternate versions of several beloved characters from the latter, but bears enough distinct flavour to stand on its own. What awaits at the end of the road (or temporary end, considering its live service nature) is a gripping adventure that is bound to have players excited to traverse the stars.

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As the game starts, players will find themselves on a deserted spacecraft, which later transforms into their home base. The main character that players control is referred to as the Trailblazer, an artificial humanoid who discovers that they have been implanted with a seed of ruin by the god of destruction. Here, they are recruited as part of a team of daring adventurers who embark on thrilling expeditions to different planets aboard the magnificent Astral Express.

Alongside the Astral Express voyagers, two other significant groups exist – the Stellaron hunters, and the crew of the Herta Space Station, where the Astral Express voyagers trade their artefacts. Fun fact: “Stellaron” is the name for the seed of ruin by the god of destruction. The Herta Space Station is also where the Trailblazer’s epic journey begins, and as the story unfolds, more terrains will become available for exploration, from the icy dangers and hidden conflicts on Jarilo-VI to the Eastern fantasy-inspired silk-punk world of Xianzhou Luofu, where the pursuit of immortality drives both progress and discord.

Geek Review – Honkai: Star Rail (3)

Since the story of Honkai: Star Rail is ongoing, much of the Trailblazer’s backstory remains shrouded in mystery. The review build didn’t delve deep into the details, setting the perfect stage for secrets to be uncovered, and questions to be answered in due time. This veil, however, works to the game’s advantage here – not only does the seemingly well-crafted world-building (for now, at least) adds some alluring intrigue to the overall story, a handful of the characters have interesting pasts that cultivate a vested interest in their growth over time.

Take for instance, the development of Bronya and Seele, who should be familiar names for Honkai Impact 3rd enthusiasts. Without spoiling too much, both characters have their own time to shine in one of the opening acts, which introduces a layer of depth and maturity to their portrayal and dynamics. The show of thoughtful characterisation, coupled with the cast’s colourful personalities, makes all the undertaking worth it, especially when an emotional payoff is concerned. Despite the references and nods to Honkai Impact 3rd, an understanding of the game’s events isn’t required to enjoy HoYoverse’s latest adventure, so accessibility will be the least of your worries. 

Geek Review – Honkai: Star Rail (4)

Breaking away from the mould of previous HoYoverse titles, Honkai: Star Rail brings a fresh gameplay experience to the table, complete with a turn-based combat system and modern upgrades. These enhancements, such as auto-battle (unlocked after advancing in the game) and fast-forwarding during combat make it less tedious for players who are new to this gameplay, but the flexible option to turn them on or off anytime also offers control for veterans who prefer to do things their way manually. Leading the frontline is a team of up to four characters, who players can control during dungeon exploration or strategic turn-based combat encounters.

The combat system is simple yet effective, featuring a three-tiered attack approach for each party member: basic, skill, and ultimate attacks. Basic attacks generate skill points, which fuel skill attacks, and landing enough hits allows the characters to unleash their ultimate attacks, dealing massive damage or boosting the team’s abilities. Players can even enjoy an epic, character-specific cutscene whenever an ultimate attack is unleashed, leaving them in awe at how much work HoYoVerse has put into every character.

Geek Review – Honkai: Star Rail (5)

Party diversity is key, as enemies showcase a variety of elemental strengths and weaknesses that can be exploited to diminish their break bar. Depleting an enemy’s break bar renders them inactive, providing an opportunity for you to inflict further damage.

While the streamlined combat system is a welcome for genre newbies, it does come at a cost. Healing items, for instance, can only be used outside of battle, and fallen party members can’t be swapped out. However, there is an option to escape tough battles by selecting “retreat”, allowing players to respawn right before their previous encounter. Having played through the preview beta and review build, it’s always recommended to add a healer to your team.

On mobile, the user interface in Honkai: Star Rail shares similarities with Genshin Impact, which eases the transition from one game to another. As there’s a helpful tutorial that guides players to the right buttons and areas to tap on, newcomers will be able to quickly learn their way around. Topping off the experience is the intuitive and user-friendly design, allowing for smooth and enjoyable gameplay. 

Honkai: Star Rail varies from open-world games like Genshin Impact, as the map is divided into smaller sections that players can explore in search of riches, puzzles, and other items. While the level design is linear, there are times when you can deviate from the main path and find hidden chests or strong adversaries defending precious loot.

As you make your way through each stage, keep an eye out for destructible objects, like metallic cylinders or health-restoring canisters, which could hold some in-game currency or valuable crafting materials. Don’t forget to take advantage of the handy mini-map tucked away in the bottom right corner of the screen as it’ll help you navigate those twisting and turning passageways.

Once you’ve unlocked the fast-travel ability, you’ll be able to revisit previously explored areas with ease. The only drawback is the lack of jumping and climbing mechanics, which may make exploration within the 2D plane feel a tad restrictive. That said, Honkai: Star Rail‘s high-speed, quick mobility mechanics will have you zipping around, delivering a thrilling and satisfying exploration experience.

The environmental design offers an idea of the variety players can expect from the game, too. For instance, the first two destinations that are open for exploration, Jarilo-VI and Herta Space Station, both showcase very distinct aesthetics that tease a diverse and rich world at large. Where the former is an ice-cold realm dominated by vast snow plains and harsh, unforgiving weather conditions, the latter embodies a futuristic and technologically advanced setting. Even without access to the entire world (once again, attributed to its live service nature), these two regions do seem to promise more visually-different sights in store, much like the various regions and cultures in Genshin Impact.

Following in the footsteps of other beloved HoYoverse games and those targeted at gamers looking for quick rewards, Honkai: Star Rail is centered around the gacha system, a lottery-style mechanic where players spend real money for a shot at scoring new characters and weapons. This isn’t a pay-once-and-play for every game as there is a pay-to-play incentive if you want to get big rewards. Be warned, though, that the luck of the draw rules here, and you may not always snag the characters or weapons you’re after. Although free to play, those looking to amass a complete collection of characters and weapons will need to dig into their wallets for the gacha system.

However, it is worth noting that not everything requires real money, as some things, such as additional characters, are unlocked as players progress through the story. Fortunately, the game allows you to save up and buy 5-star weapons by partaking in extra activities such as the Simulated Universe, an independent virtual space that generates enemies.

Stellar Jade, the game’s currency, is utilised to engage in the gacha system known as “Warping” in-game, fitting with the game’s sci-fi premise. Players can convert their Stellar Jade into Rail Passes, the in-game reward to snag new characters from the banners. You can even save up to 300 Rail Passes to obtain a permanent 5-star character of your choice on the Regular Warp banner.

Fans of Welt Yang, Himeko, Seele, and Bronya from Honkai Impact 3rd will not be disappointed by their debut here. Welt, Himeko, and Bronya will be part of the permanent Regular Warp banner, and joining them will be fresh faces Gepard, Clara, Yanqing, and Bailu. For Version 1.0, players will be able to obtain limited characters Seele in Phase One, and Jingyuan in Phase Two, accompanied by their respective weapons.

The character designs are truly a feast for the eyes, offering players a delightful array of stunning waifus and dashing husbandos to choose from. One standout example is the charming Jingyuan, whose striking good looks have already captured the hearts of many fans.

Beginning the game requires unlocking new characters, which players can achieve by completing specific quests. The initial roster includes the Trailblazer, March 7th, Dan Heng, and Asta, offering players a diverse range of abilities from the get-go. As the game progresses, players can expand their character lineup with the likes of Herta, Natasha, and Qingque by successfully completing designated quests or challenges.

Light Cones, another gacha item, can be equipped to characters based on their “Path” – essentially the role or archetype a character assumes within a group. By equipping a Light Cone, you’ll boost a character’s attributes and unlock a passive ability, like enhanced attack damage or defense. You can earn these goodies through various in-game tasks or activities and level them up to crank up their stat bonuses. Got duplicates? No problem. Use them to overlay and strengthen the benefits of passive abilities or level up other Light Cones. This engaging gameplay ensures a constant sense of achievement and anticipation as players work to unlock their favourite characters and potentially their weapons.

Now, about the Simulated Universe, an independent virtual space that generates randomised maps and enemies in the form of code. With each encounter, players have the opportunity to earn Aeons’ Blessings, powerful buffs that can significantly enhance their party’s performance. Helmed by the android Herta, the true mastermind behind the Herta Space Station, these compact, handpicked dungeons seem to be randomly assembled and showcase Trial characters with preset levels and skills. As you embark on the Simulated Universe quest, you’ll encounter random buffs that grant various bonuses, like boosting critical hit rates or equipping all party members with shields right off the bat.

For Genshin Impact fans, the experience is similar to the Spiral Abyss, but there’s more of an incentive here. While the battle grind can get repetitive over time, every run unlocks a new piece of lore relating to the Simulated Universe, which serves as a bonus treat for the resident lore-hunting fanatic. 

Completing the stages will earn players Herta Bonds, which can be exchanged for rare treasures in the space station’s Trade Shop. Keep an eye out for weekly events known as “Periodic Assignments” that refresh the content and shower players with extra rewards to maintain engagement. 

Overall, Honkai: Star Rail, with its amazing visual design, fascinating characters, and well-balanced combat and pacing, spells an exciting start to a highly-anticipated space-faring adventure. As with most live service titles, fans can expect more updates and narrative progress along the way, but for now, the RPG looks to be brimming with vast characterisation and world-building potential. 

Honkai: Star Rail is now available for PC and mobile platforms, including Android and iOS devices, with a PlayStation version planned for sometime in the future.

GEEK REVIEW SCORE

Summary

With stunning graphics, engaging gameplay, and a captivating storyline, Honkai: Star Rail is a must-play for fans of the previous Honkai games and newcomers alike.

Overall
8.3/10
8.3/10
  • Gameplay - 8.5/10
    8.5/10
  • Story - 8/10
    8/10
  • Presentation - 8/10
    8/10
  • Geek Satisfaction - 8.5/10
    8.5/10