With stellar storytelling and satisfying progression that offer dozens of hours of content that newcomers and hardcore players can enjoy, Honkai: Star Rail is a free-to-play RPG that might hook you for months – without making you feel like you have to pay.
With Honkai Star Rail, Hoyoverse has shown that its luck is not simple and that the success of its productions is due to the ability of the teams to create experiences that are open to all, able to involve thanks to well-characterized characters and gameplay that keeps glued to the screen. Despite the unoriginal plot and maps with a very rigid structure, the free to play from the creators of Genshin Impact boasts a turn-based combat system that proved to be spot on and some endgame modes that convinced us. It is therefore an excellent starting point that we hope will be supported consistently through the publication of events, characters and missions that keep users interested in the long term.
It's hard not to fall for the charms of Honkai: Star Rail. The storyline, even if it draws on Japanese anime clichés, is extremely rich, populated by sparkling characters and written with a great deal of humor. The gameplay is addictive and extremely clever, and the monetization knows how to take a back seat to the gameplay experience. A real success story.
Honkai Star Rail is a highly polished turn-based RPG that builds off the Hoyoverse gacha machine, and while it certainly doesn’t reinvent the wheel, its colourful cast of characters and mercurial tone sets it on the right track.
Honkai Star Rail highlights the issues that Genshin Impact had despite how many issues have been addressed. The game's barebones RPG mechanics will definitely improve over time, but it still will take a lot to convince any enthusiast to pick this game over other turn-based RPG gacha games.
Beside the gacha problem, it's difficult to earn gem in late game, which makes it somewhat p2w. If only there's more guaranteed banner or ticket to get the character I want. Story, gameplay and character design all pretty good. Overall, the game is not bad. It's worth to try.
Ok, so I can't in good conscience recommend Honkai: Star Rail, which is kinda depressing because in many respects it's a fantastic game.
The core RPG here, is great, it's a fun space adventure, that breaks many of the tropes of the genre, you're a member **** of travelling explorers who essentially rock up to worlds, solve their problems, and leave. There's no BS about keeping your origins hidden, or non-interference, and it's refreshing to see. The characters are all fun, the dialogue while a bit excessive is light-hearted and witty, the plot has enough to get me hooked, and the combat is simple but fun. The game runs well, has some really great standout set piece moments, and has a really good soundtrack.
So why the low score? It's the free to play elements. Had they just charged me $60 for this game, I'd have given it a straight 8/10 and been on my way. But this game is absolutely drowning in horrible systems designed to get you to spend. Trailblazer levels gate your progress through the main story, an endless list of materials gate your character progress, exp items gate your character progression, energy gates your acquisition of these items, but you can pay for energy refills of course. There's not one but two season passes, both paid separately, one with a track and one for daily bonus currency. The worst part though, is the gacha. Rates for obtaining characters are an absolutely abysmal 0.3% for a five star character and that pool is grossly bloated by useless equipment items.
It's depressing in the extreme, that a game this good, with production values this high, is a vehicle for such trashy free2play mechanics.
Typical turn-based game with pretty much powercreep events and nonstop grinding in endgame. Not to mention the trashy gacha rate and mihoyo ridiculous pity system. That's why I never play other mihoyo games.
SummaryHonkai: Star Rail features a game world awaiting discovery with elements of myths and legends blended into the space sci-fi story.
Honkai: Star Rail invites players to board the Astral Express and travel across unique worlds, each filled with different adventures and surprises. During the whirlwind trip of a star-chasing ride, players...