Being a game produced by Hoyoverse, Honkai: Star Rail has been one of the most anticipated games releasing in 2023. Over 10 Million people have registered thus far, excited for the game to drop on the 26th of April.
You may be interested and have thought to yourself: “What is the game about?” or “Is it any different from Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd?” Well, you have come to the right place!
Let’s dive into all you need to know about the game before its official release.
Where does the game take place?
Honkai: Star Rail is set in a universe where travelling across space to different worlds is possible and the norm. With little information at hand, the story starts with the context of a Stellaron, which has the ability to destroy the world, being implanted into the Trailblazer’s (main character) body. In order to remove the Stellaron, the Trailblazer boarded the Astral Express in hopes of exploring and saving different worlds across space. Of course, the Trailblazers will not be doing this alone. Companions such as March 7th, Dan Heng, and many others will aid the Trailblazer along his/her journey.
We can’t say much else about the story since the game has yet to be released, but many will undoubtedly have high expectations following Hoyoverse’s amazing delivery in their other titles.
What is the gameplay?
As mentioned previously, players will be exploring different worlds throughout the game experience. However, unlike Hoyoverse’s previous titles, Honkai: Star Rail will be purely turn-based with a mix of RPG and strategy. Like many turn-based games out there, players will be commanding a team of four heroes to conduct most in-game activities like open-world exploration and combat.
To activate combat, players can either initiate it by interacting with enemies directly, or sometimes, the enemy may spot the player and a battle will occur automatically. But do note that the enemies will have the starting-hand if they discover the player first.
Upon entering combat mode, both parties will take turns to initiate an action. Players can unleash their powers to defeat the opponents through basic attacks, skill, ultimate abilities or even passive talents.
If you are a Genshin impact player, you can expect familiar user-interfaces and features in Honkai: Star Rail, like the relics system (artifacts), NPC models, resin, etc. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing, as this might be an advantage for said players to quickly get a grasp of the game.
How does the gacha work?
If you are familiar with Hoyoverse games, you will know that gacha is a prominent feature, and this is no exception in Honkai: Star Rail. The game has a gacha system similar to Genshin Impact, where there are the standard banners and the limited banners. On both banners, players will be guaranteed a 5-star at 90 pulls, along with a 4-star guaranteed every 10 pulls.
However, unlike Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail offers a free redemption of your desired standard 5-star unit at 300 pulls on the standard banner (including Himeko, Welt, Bronya, Gepard, Clara, Yanqing and Bailu).
Besides, players will also get a discount banner upon starting a fresh account, where a 5-star unit is guaranteed within 50 pulls. Limited 5-star characters Seele and Jing Yuan will also be available for wishing after the game has launched.
Are there other game modes?
Aside from the main storyline, Honkai: Star Rail also offers a few permanent game modes or challenges where players can complete to obtain extra rewards. These modes include the “Forgotten Hall”, which is similar to Genshin Impact’s Spiral Abyss, where players will form teams to to complete stages with certain requirements and restrictions. There is also the “Simulated Universe”, where players can obtain a free copy of 4-star Herta and other rewards by challenging different worlds.
What are the limited-time events?
Not forgetting limited events! Honkai: Star Rail will offer tons of limited-time content that players get to experience outside of the main storyline. This includes login rewards and missions that players get to complete overtime to receive some in-game rewards.
Besides, players who pre-register before the release of the game can enjoy extra in-game rewards like free gacha pulls and a special avatar.
So, what platforms does the game support?
As of now, players are able to preinstall Honkai: Star Rail on both PC and mobile platforms. But do expect the space requirement to be more than your average turn-based game, as there is still the open-world exploration and 3D animation element incorporated in this action-packed adventure.
What are you waiting for? Mark your calendars for Honkai: Star Rail’s official release on 26 April 2023! Let us know if you’re excited for the game in the comments!
For more information visit Hoyolab and Honkai: Star Rail’s official pages on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Discord, Reddit, TikTok and YouTube.
