Summary
- Honkai: Star Rail must carve its own path instead of mimicking Genshin Impact's world design to truly stand out in the gaming world.
- Genshin Impact offers a worldwide fantasy adventure, while Star Rail boasts a sci-fi journey across the universe.
- While Honkai: Star Rail has seen success by emulating Genshin Impact, it must embrace unique, out-of-this-world locations to avoid repetition.
Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact are practically two peas in a pod. Genshin Impact has paved the way for the success of other HoYoverse IPs, such as the newly released Zenless Zone Zero. Although it may serve as a blueprint for success in some areas, Honkai: Star Rail can't afford to follow in the footsteps of Genshin Impact's world design.
Despite their many similarities, Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact face some wildly different problems. Both games share a shell, with similar design philosophies guided by their joint status as live service gacha games, but it's what's housed inside that shell that requires two entirely different approaches. Genshin is a fantasy adventure around the world, while Star Rail is a sci-fi journey across the universe.
Honkai: Star Rail Can't Afford to Copy Genshin Impact's World Design
Genshin Impact Takes Players on an Adventure through Teyvat
Genshin Impact takes place in the world of Teyvat, which is divided among seven major regions. Each region serves as an expansion to the game that comes packed with a new story to unravel and new characters to interact with. This model has proven effective for Genshin Impact's success, and it's one that Honkai: Star Rail has roughly replicated with its planets. However, there is still one factor that completely separates the sister series on every level, and necessitates a change in approach to world design in particular.
Though Genshin Impact's character design has some catching up to do, the game is very much an international journey first and foremost. This intent permeates nearly every aspect of the game's design, and is especially apparent within the game's world design. While Honkai: Star Rail may seemingly share similar roots, even some of the same characters, the game's intent is entirely different. While Honkai: Star Rail may be a grand journey in its own right, the destination it sets reaches far beyond the stars.
Honkai: Star Rail Can't Always Reflect the Real World
Genshin Impact's setting wasn't invented out of thin air. Instead, the nations of Teyvat each take inspiration from a litany of real locations in the real world. This is meant to provide a degree of authenticity to the journey players go on in Genshin Impact, and this effort has succeeded for the most part. Despite this success, it is a formula that Honkai: Star Rail cannot keep pace with for much longer.
Every genre comes with certain expectations, and the sci-fi genre sets expectations for Honkai: Star Rail that are dramatically different from Genshin Impact. Genshin Impact is a globe-trotting fantasy odyssey, and it definitely provides that appropriate sense of wonder. Likewise, sci-fi opens endless possibilities for character and world design, possibilities that Honkai: Star Rail has yet to fully explore.
Most of Honkai: Star Rail's story takes place on planets that don't stretch the imagination very far. Of course, this is only true for the time being, and has every possibility of being upended by future updates. However, it's worth recognizing the mild disappointment that comes with Honkai: Star Rail's planets resembling real world cultures and locations. The Xianzhou Luofu is inspired by Chinese myths surrounding immortality, and as cool as that location was, it wasn't a place you couldn't potentially see in any other HoYoverse game.
This issue isn't restricted to a single location. Penacony has embraced plenty of sci-fi elements, but still bears a striking resemblance to Roaring Twenties America. There's nothing wrong with taking inspiration, and the game's regions have been enjoyable so far. It's simply necessary to admit the pattern that has formed, and change course to prevent future locations from feeling repetitive. Honkai: Star Rail has found plenty of success by following in the footsteps of Genshin Impact, but world design is one subject where the two must fully diverge.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 90%
- Released
- April 26, 2023
- ESRB
- Teen / Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Publisher(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
WHERE TO PLAY
They call them, "Aeons" in this galaxy. They construct reality, erase stars, and leave their marks on countless worlds. Together with your companions you'll travel across the galaxy on the Astral Express, following the path once traveled by the Aeons. From here, you will explore new civilizations, meet new comrades, and begin new adventures among countless fantastical worlds. All the answers you seek will be uncovered among the stars.
Well what're you waiting for? Are you ready to begin this trailblazing journey?
Honkai: Star Rail is a new HoYoverse space fantasy RPG. Hop aboard the Astral Express and experience the galaxy's infinite wonders filled with adventure and thrills.
Players will meet new companions across various worlds and maybe even run into some familiar faces. Overcome the struggles together caused by Stellaron and unravel the hidden truths behind it! May this journey lead us starward!
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, PC, Android, iOS
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Turn-Based RPG
