Set off on an astral adventure

Honkai: Star Rail is a free-to-play strategy game from miHoYo. As the fourth installment of the globally popular Honkai series, it features a mix of old and new characters from other games such as Honkai Impact 3. However, it focuses on a 3D tactical role-playing approach, allowing you to build teams and fight monsters and other creatures.

As the latest miHoYo title, Honkai: Star Rail definitely meets expectations. It has top-tier graphics comparable to Genshin Impact, a familiar roster of characters from the Honkai series, plus a turn-based fighting mechanic all make it a title to watch out for.

Hop on the Star Rail

Like other Honkai entries, this game takes place in another universe, with the same ultimate destructive force serving as the main antagonist. However, the premise for this game combines sci-fi and fantasy elements, as seen in the set and character designs. The titular Star Rail is an interstellar transport system the players will be using to advance to new worlds as they progress through the story. 

As mentioned, it has top-tier graphics that allow its roster of characters to individually stand out. Players can build a team of up to four characters, then explore open worlds and dungeons to farm for resources and advance the story. Also, its turn-based strategy approach allows you to combine different character abilities for special combos, revealing additional animation and voice lines.

Also, like most gacha games, expect free-to-play players to be left at a disadvantage compared to those who make in-game microtransactions. Instead of grinding repeatedly, they can simply purchase the resources needed to roll characters. Still, all these things depend on luck as rolling characters or items are based on randomized events. Meanwhile, it allows you to pick your poison: hours of grinding or investing real-world money.

Hunt down enemies

With a handy enemy-tracking tool, players can easily keep an eye on opponents anywhere on the map. This will allow you to either avoid any sudden battles or look for specific enemies in order to collect materials that will help you level up your characters and their Light Cones. Players will now also be able to communicate with friends in the chat function. Previously, this feature was only used to communicate with the in-game characters. 

With new companion missions for characters like Silver Wolf, Luocha, Yanqing, and Bailu. Honkai Star Rail also has its own version of rate-up banners where players can obtain limited-edition characters within a certain period of time. There’s also a dedicated banner for you to obtain special Light Cones, which are cards that you can equip your characters with in order to boost their base stats.

Relive special events

With the 1.1 update, Honkai Star Rail now offers the Conventional Memoir feature which allows new players to access past events and obtain any special rewards. Take note, though, that Trailblazers who have already participated in these events and obtained all claimable rewards cannot redeem the same prizes a second time. However, you can still freely play the events as many times as you’d like.

In addition to this, players can look forward to a number of events both on the Herta Space Station and in the city of Belobog. Players will be able to act as a curator for the Belobog History and Culture Museum and entice residents to view the unique additions to its collection. Meanwhile, there are a number of special tasks from workers, as well as a game set up by Silver Wolf for you to look forward to back at the space station.

Soon to be available on new platforms

Developer studio miHoYo recently announced the upcoming release of Honkai: Star Rail on a new platform: PlayStation 5. At the same time, a PlayStation 4 version is also under negotiation.

A celestial adventure

Following the events of the “Xianzhou Luofu — A Dragon Gallant, Its Ocean Distant” Trailblaze Mission, players were left wondering about the future of the Xianzhou Luofu, as well as the character Jing Yuan. In Honkai Star Rail’s 1.3 update, players can continue on their journey while also helping out different characters both in the new Trailblaze Mission and the four new Companion Missions. This latest update will also introduce two new 5-star characters that players can obtain through the limited-time Event Warps. 

These new characters aren’t exactly new to players, though, as both Fu Xuan and Dan Heng as Imbibitor Lunae have played vital roles in the game’s overall storyline. However, one character that will be making their official debut is the 4-star character, Lynx, who you can obtain on Fu Xuan’s banner. Players will also have the opportunity to obtain the 5-star characters’ new signature Light Cones during their respective phases.

Don’t worry about not having enough passes to pull for your chosen characters, as the game will be providing up to 10 Star Rail Special Passes in the Daily Log-In Event. Otherwise, you can also earn Stellar Jades in the “Simulated Universe – The Swarm Disaster”, “Space Station Task Force,” and “Aurum Alley’s Hustle and Bustle” events. Best of all, Star Rail has increased the Trailblaze Power cap to 240 and will introduce an all-new Reserved Trailblaze Power system that allows you to accumulate Trailblaze Power once the cap has been reached.

A more strategic miHoYo game

Compared to its predecessors, which mostly rely on skillful play and fast reflexes, Honkai – Starrail focuses more on strategizing and planning to win battles. Its turn-based strategy approach instead of real-time action combat systems offers players a more relaxing gameplay alternative. With a premise of its own, all while borrowing characters from previous installments, the developers manage to create an equally enjoyable game as their other titles.