Honkai Star Rail: A Surprising Personal Hit

If you asked me at the start of 2023, if I would be hooked on a Hoyoverse game by the end of the year I’d have laughed in your face. Genshin Impact was enjoyable, but it overwhelmed me with the wealth of content and time investment that pulled me in multiple directions at once. On a whim after the urging of a few friends, I decided to check out Honkai Star Rail. Since then, I have found myself firing up the game for at least a few minutes a day.

I think the key to Honkai Star Rail’s appeal lies in its simplicity. It presents you with a mystery at the beginning of the game and gives you tiny clues as you progress. However, the story itself is wrapped in a style very similar to another favorite franchise of mine: Star Ocean. The Astral Express, and the Nameless who inhabit it, have no real goal other than to travel the stars and help people.

Much like in Star Ocean, the Nameless (your group) find themselves often intercepting worlds in crisis. Luckily enough though, Star Rail doesn’t bog you down in constant “fish out of water” plots. Instead, your character gets to experience cultures and new environments organically. They make friends with people who may (gacha be willing) become party members and enjoy everything from puzzles to fight clubs in the process.

That is another stroke of genius on MiHoYo’s part. They aren’t afraid to add mini-games inspired by your favorite single-player games. I’ve enjoyed events that were inspired by the Sembei rice cracker company mini-game from Like a Dragon, as well as a Pokemon-inspired mini-game throughout my time with Star Rail.

I think MiHoYo has learned from the overwhelming nature of Genshin Impact too. They bring things out organically and make sure that you have plenty of time to experience everything that an event has to offer if you want to. Nothing is required beyond the story and a bit of grinding if you want to have characters leveled enough to progress through some higher-tier content.

With that said, the colorful cast of characters and side stories with impressive detail make me want to experience everything an event has to offer. Even if I’m not entirely thrilled by the concept of a mini-game or event, the story often pulls me in and keeps me engaged. It also helps that every event offers a healthy amount of premium currency, so I can play relatively comfortably as a “free” player without emptying my bank account.

Of course, like any mobile game (though it is also on console and PC) it has its share of microtransactions and whatnot. However, I don’t find it to be quite as predatory as others I’ve found. The characters come back around eventually in other banners for starters. Additionally, the currency is plentiful if you put time into the main game, and you only have to engage in the “seasonal pass” if you want extra consumables and various other things that make your life a little easier.

Will I have the same feeling about Honkai Star Rail in a year? Who knows. Playing Final Fantasy Brave Exvius taught me that a good mobile game can turn sour in a very short period of time. For now, I am enjoying my journey among the stars and I can’t wait to see what comes next when the 1.6 update drops.