| Honkai: Star Rail | |
|---|---|
.png) | |
| Developer | miHoYo |
| Publishers | |
| Producer | David Jiang[1] |
| Composers |
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| Series | Honkai |
| Engine | Unity[2] |
| Platforms | |
| Release |
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| Genre | Role-playing |
| Mode | Single-player |
Honkai: Star Rail[a] is a 2023free-to-playrole-playinggacha video game developed and published bymiHoYo (with publishing outsidemainland China under Cognosphere,d/b/a HoYoverse). It is the fourth installment in theHonkai series, utilizing some characters fromHonkai Impact 3rd and some gameplay elements fromGenshin Impact. The game features the main character, who is referred to as the Trailblazer, traveling across the universe through the Astral Express to help and connect the worlds while involved in resolving disasters caused by "Stellarons" and other third parties.
The first closed beta test was launched on October 27, 2021. It was publicly released internationally on April 26, 2023[3] forWindows and mobile devices. Additionally, thePlayStation 5 port was released on October 11, 2023. ThePlayStation 4 version is still yet to be announced, as revealed at the2023 Summer Game Fest with a trailer.
Partially due to the popularity ofGenshin Impact, the game was widely anticipated before its launch. It was nominated for the Most Wanted Game Award at theGolden Joystick Awards in 2022,[4] and won the Best Mobile Game Award in theGame Awards 2023.
Honkai: Star Rail follows the gameplay style of classicJapanese role-playing games where players build up a lineup of characters and control a team of up to four inturn-based combat.[5][6] In addition to variousstats that affect characters' strength, each character has a combat type that affects the kind of damage dealt to targets, acharacter class referred to as a Path (seeStory and Setting § Setting) that defines their combat role, and a set of unique abilities called Traces used in combat.[7][8] Each character can equip a weapon known as a Light Cone, that has various effects that activate if the Paths of both the character and Light Cone match. Characters can also equip various Relics, similar to Artifacts inGenshin Impact.
Elements of open-world and dungeon exploration are present, with multiple mechanics including thegacha system, carried over (with slight differences) fromGenshin Impact.[5] Instead of exploring one large map, players explore smaller, self-contained areas on each world, which contain treasure chests, puzzles, and other interactable elements.[9] Both games have mechanics ofgacha games, in which players spendin-game currency that can be earned in-game or purchased with real money throughmicrotransactions to receive new characters and weapons. Additional gameplay features include an auto-battle system, fast-forward options during combat, and cross-save support between platforms.[9]
The game's premium currency, Stellar Jade, is primarily used to purchase Star Rail Passes to obtain characters and Light Cones through a mechanic called "warping", and can be earned through gameplay progression, events, and achievements.[9]
The game is set in ascience-fantasy universe in which humanity and sapient non-human beings are aligned with specific universal concepts known as Paths. Each Path is associated with anAeon, godlike higher-dimensional beings that preside over aspects of existence across the universe. Those who follow Paths are known as Pathstriders which align closely with a respective Path based on their wills, while those who are directly blessed with divine powers by the Aeons are known asEmanators. They are typically enforcers of Aeons' wills often incomparably more powerful than mere mortals, but this is not always the case.
Each Path espouses an ideal: for example, the Abundance is based on the view that immortality is a blessing and that healing and altruism should be valued as a top priority.[10] The Destruction believes that civilization is cancerous to the universe, and seeks to eradicate all of civilization through the spreading of various disasters, such as the Stellaron, an object known as the Cancer of All Worlds, which brings destruction to any planet it is placed on.[11][10]
Some Paths were led by Aeons who are now deceased, but continue to exist without the influence of their Aeons. The main character of the game known as the Trailblazer, a mysterious amnesiac possessing a Stellaron, follows the Path of Trailblaze, a Path created by the missing Akivili. Pathstriders of Trailblaze, also known as the "Nameless", seek to "explore, establish, and connect" among different worlds.[11]
Different Paths are portrayed as antagonistic, protagonistic, or neutral. The primary antagonist of the game is Nanook, who controls the Path of Destruction, along with Antimatter Legion led by Lord Ravagers, the Emanators of Destruction.[10][11] Other Paths, such as the Path of Abundance, are not necessarily seen as antagonistic, but are involved in rivalries with the Hunt and other Paths, who view the immortality granted by the Path of Abundance as a curse.[10]
Aside from the Path of Destruction, the Stellaron Hunters are a somewhat antagonisticantihero group throughout the game, who search for and collect Stellarons across the universe and claim to be able to see the future.[11] The main characters are often in conflict with the Stellaron Hunters, though they more or less end up aiding each other on their journeys.[11]
The following table only includes the central storyline of the Astral Express crew's cosmic journey and does not include interlude stories from the worlds previously visited during the crew's journey. The titles are arranged in chronological order according to the crew's visits.[12]
| World | Title(s) | Release Date(s) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Herta Space Station | Today Is Yesterday's Tomorrow | April 26, 2023[13] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
The Herta Space Station is attacked by members of the Antimatter Legion, followers of the Path of Destruction. Amidst the chaos, two Stellaron Hunters, Kafka and Silver Wolf, infiltrate the station and steal the Stellaron that was being held within it. There, Kafka inserts the Stellaron into an empty vessel generated by Silver Wolf. The vessel (who is known as the Trailblazer in English and has a gender chosen by the player) awakens, after which Kafka erases their memory, informs them of the future that lies ahead, and leaves. The Trailblazer then falls unconscious. A now-amnesiac Trailblazer wakes up and meets March 7th and Dan Heng. Both are traveling on the Astral Express, a massive interstellar train that traverses the universe along the Star Rail. After eliminating the remaining threats from the Antimatter Legion, the Trailblazer meets Himeko, the navigator and "owner" of the Astral Express, and Welt Yang, an interstellar traveler. In order to discover their origins and eliminate the threats of the remaining Stellarons, the Trailblazer departs with the Astral Express crew, becoming a member of the Nameless. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Jarilo-VI | In the Withering Wintry Night | April 26, 2023[14] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| In the Sweltering Morning Sun | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Astral Express crew arrives at Jarilo-VI, a planet that has been mostly ravaged by an uninhabitable winter caused by the power of a Stellaron. The three arrive at the city of Belobog and speak with Supreme Guardian Cocolia, hoping to resolve the Stellaron affair; however, Cocolia later brands them as fugitives and orders them to be arrested. They escape from Belobog's guards and move to the Underworld below the planet's surface, where they learn of the peacekeeping organization Wildfire, and their ongoing conflict with Svarog, the leader of Automatons, who has repeatedly rejected peace talks and refuses to let anyone return to the surface. After defeating Svarog, they convince him to allow the Astral Express crew to return to the surface and confront Cocolia, whom they learn has been corrupted by the Stellaron. Intending to use its power to destroy Belobog and rebuild Jarilo-VI anew, Cocolia merges with the Stellaron and severely injures the Trailblazer. Still, the Trailblazer's willingness to protect Belobog attracts not only the spirits of previous Supreme Guardians but also the gaze of the Aeon Qlipoth, who grants the Trailblazer the power of Preservation. The Astral Express crew defeats Cocolia, and her adopted daughter Bronya takes her place as the new Supreme Guardian, announcing plans to connect the Overworld and Underworld again. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Xianzhou Luofu | Windswept Wanderlust | April 26, 2023[15] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Topclouded Towerthrust | July 9, 2023[16] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Karmic Clouds Faded, War Banners Folded | August 30, 2023[17] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
The Astral Express crew receives a signal from Kafka, who wants the Nameless to settle a Stellaron incident on the Xianzhou Luofu, a massive planet-sized starship following the Path of the Hunt. When the Nameless arrive, they are not permitted to assist in Stellaron affairs but are instead tasked to find Kafka and her Stellaron Hunter cohort Blade, as the presence of the Stellaron Hunters on the ship is deemed a threat. The crew finds and defeats Kafka in battle, after which she reveals she was sent to lure the Nameless to the Luofu to fulfill the prophecy laid out by the Stellaron Hunters' leader, Elio. After Blade and Kafka are found and interrogated, the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus, a faction following the Path of Abundance, a rival to the Path of the Hunt, attack the Luofu in a conflict manipulated by Lord Ravager Phantylia, a leader in the Antimatter Legion. During this conflict, Dan Heng reveals that he is the reincarnation of a powerful exiled Vidyadhara criminal named Dan Feng during a battle with Blade, and assists the rest of the Astral Express and the Xianzhou Luofu army in fighting the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and defeating Phantylia, forcing the Disciples of Sanctus Medicus and Antimatter Legion to retreat from the Luofu. After the battle, Jing Yuan formally creates an alliance between the Xianzhou and Astral Express and annuls the exile of Dan Heng's previous incarnation, granting him freedom on board the Xianzhou Luofu. As a symbol of their alliance, Jing Yuan gifts the Nameless a Jade Abacus that can be used to summon Xianzhou reinforcements in a time of need. After the Trailblazer and March 7th return to the Express, Himeko tells them that their next stop is Penacony, the Planet of Festivities. Himeko explains that the Family at Penacony organized the Charmony Festival to issue formal invitations to many galactic factions for the first time in history, and among the invited factions were the IPC and the Astral Express. Meanwhile, Luocha, a traveling merchant visiting the Xianzhou Luofu, and Jingliu, Jing Yuan's former master and a criminal wanted by the Xianzhou alliance, meet Jing Yuan at the Shackling Prison, proclaiming that they will put the Abundance in their grave. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Penacony | The Sound and the Fury | February 6, 2024[18] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cat Among Pigeons | March 27, 2024[19] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| In Our Time | May 8, 2024[20] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Farewell, Penacony | June 19, 2024[21] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| A New Venture on the Eighth Dawn | December 4, 2024[22] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Memories are the Prelude to Dreams | December 17, 2025[23] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
The Astral Express arrives in Penacony for the Charmony Festival hosted by Sunday and his sister Robin in the Dreamscape: a perpetual collective dream managed by the spirit of the Dreammaster, the former head of the Family. The Trailblazer meets Acheron, a self-proclaimed Galaxy Ranger; Aventurine, an IPC executive seeking to reclaim Penacony for the corporation; and Firefly, a terminally ill stowaway whom they grow close to. The Trailblazer and Firefly encounter Sparkle of the "Masked Fools", who are followers of the Elation; there, they are attacked by a monster called "Death" before being rescued by the Memokeeper Black Swan. The Trailblazer and Firefly investigate, but "Death" reappears and kills her. Stellaron Hunter SAM attacks Acheron while Black Swan brings the Trailblazer to Aventurine, who reveals that Robin has been "murdered" by "Death" and assumes Acheron is responsible. However, Welt confirms her innocence. Aventurine tricks Sunday into giving him back his Cornerstone - the source of his power - and successfully goads Acheron to "kill" him, revealing her true nature as an Emanator of IX, the Aeon of Nihility. SAM, revealed to be Firefly, rescues the Trailblazer and explains that "Death" transports its victims to Dreamflux Reef: a location outside the Family's control. Sunday is "killed" by Gallagher and reunites with Robin in Dreamflux Reef. There, Gallagher explains that the Dreamscape is a Stellaron disaster under the Family’s manipulation; the former Nameless who founded the planet had sent the invitation to the Astral Express in the hopes of thwarting the Family. The Trailblazer gains the power of Harmony upon being gazed by Xipe, the Aeon of Harmony; however, Sunday betrays Robin and Welt, revealing himself and the Dreammaster to be followers of the Aeon of Order, Ena. The Nameless confronts him, seemingly defeating him until Black Swan reveals it was a dream created by Ena. Assisted by Acheron, Robin, Black Swan, and Galaxy Ranger Boothill, the crew breaks out of the dream and defeats Sunday, restoring the Dreamscape and reality. As the Express prepares to depart, the crew reveals that their fuel is nearly depleted. Black Swan suggests resolving the problem by heading to the uncharted Amphoreus to lay down a new stretch of Rail. Meanwhile, Jade releases Sunday from the Family's custody and offers him a deal. Choosing to seek redemption for his misdeeds, Sunday silently bids Robin farewell and leaves Penacony behind to board the Astral Express. Finality In the aftermath of Amphoreus' destruction, the Trailblazer is visited by Constance, a Cremator who explains that she removed part of their memories of Penacony at the Stellaron Hunters' request. It is revealed that the Family used one of Firefly's former companions to harness the Stellaron and control the Propagation, seeking to exploit the citizens’ fear to strengthen Ena's dream. Firefly confronts the Dreammaster and prevents the Propagation’s manifestation, but her illness worsens and she disappears. The Trailblazer then invokes the power of the Aeon of Finality, Terminus, to alter the past and reunite with Firefly. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Amphoreus | Heroic Saga of Flame-Chase | January 15, 2025[24] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Light Slips the Gate, Shadow Greets the Throne | February 26, 2025[25] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Through the Petals in the Land of Repose | April 9, 2025[26] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| The Fall at Dawn's Rise | May 21, 2025[27] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| For the Sun is Set to Die | July 2, 2025[28] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Before Their Deaths | August 13, 2025[29] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Back to Earth in Evernight | September 24, 2025[30] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| As Tomorrow Became Yesterday | November 5, 2025[31] | |||||||||||||||||||||||
The Astral Express arrives above Amphoreus, learning from Black Swan that the world was concealed from the rest of the universe by an unknown power. The Trailblazer and Dan Heng venture into Amphoreus and meet Phainon, the Deliverer of the "Flame Chase" Journey: A prophesied campaign by Amphoreus' "Chrysos Heirs" to slay and usurp the world'sdivine embodimentTitans to fend off a destructive force known as the "Black Tide" and usher Amphoreus into a new Era Nova. The Trailblazer joins the Flame Chase, receiving the gaze of Fuli, the Aeon of Remembrance, and inheriting the Coreflame of Time, and meets "Mem", a fairy with connections to Remembrance and the Titan of Time, but it is revealed that Amphoreus' history is arecursive loop, overseen by the Intellitron Lygus, and that the Era Nova is the method in which history is reset. Meanwhile, on the Express, March 7th falls ill and lapses into a coma. Her consciousness awakens at the metaphysical gates of Amphoreus, where the Garden of Recollection, followers of Fuli, attempt to sway her to enter. She is stopped by Cyrene, Phainon's deceased childhood friend and the former demigod of Time, who tells her the Garden is trying to manipulate her for their gain, but March decides to enter anyway to help her friends. However, she finds herself unable to be seen by or interact with anyone in the world, and meets "Evernight", an alternate version of herself with insight into her past. In a gamble to protect her friends and remain undetected by Lygus, March allows Evernight to take over her consciousness. After March falls unconscious and contact is lost with Dan Heng and the Trailblazer, Welt and Sunday contact Herta for assistance. Despite being warned by Lygus that her interference may release a Lord Ravager on the planet, Herta, with fellow Genius Society member Screwllum, manages to bypass Lygus' seal on the planet and search for the Nameless. During their search, they discover that Amphoreus is actually a simulated universe created by a Scepter - an ancient, sentient supercomputer that has gained the gaze of Nanook, the Aeon of Destruction. The Scepter is incubating the Lord Ravager Irontomb to be unleashed upon Nous, the Aeon of Erudition. It is furthermore discovered that Lygus is actually Zandar, the first Genius Society member and creator of Nous, who has become disillusioned with his creation and intends to destroy Nous to "liberate" human knowledge. After being contacted by Herta and discovering the true nature of Amphoreus' reality, Phainon, realizing that as an outsider the Trailblazer has the potential to break the cycles, passes the mantle of Deliverer to them and sacrifices himself to delay Irontomb's awakening. Via the demigod of Law Cerydra, Herta and Screwllum further stall Irontomb's incubation and trap Zandar outside of Amphoreus, and they urge the Trailblazer to attack Irontomb during the next Era Nova, when it would be at its most vulnerable. However, Evernight appears and kidnaps the Trailblazer. Dan Heng, after inheriting the Coreflame of Earth, locates and rescues them, and they confront Evernight, who reveals Fuli and the Garden intend to use Irontomb's rampage to spread "seeds" of Remembrance across the universe. Cyrene, with the assistance of March's original consciousness stored in the camera she gave to the Trailblazer before they went to Amphoreus, manages to convince Evernight to relinquish control of March and fend off the Garden's efforts, enabling the Trailblazer to access Amphoreus' Coreflames and complete Era Nova. Cyrene reveals herself as the Demiurge, the original "ego" of the Scepter before Lygus' interference, and helps the Astral Express access Irontomb's core to awaken it. The Astral Express, the Xianzhou Luofu, the IPC, and the Herta Space Station commence a joint attack on the Lord Ravager, defeating it after the Trailblazer grasps Nous' gaze and Cyrene is granted Fuli's gaze. With the Scepter finally destroyed, Cyrene sacrifices herself by returning to the past within a stable time loop to prevent Irontomb from re-actualizing, entrusting the Trailblazer with "the Eternal Page", carrying the Chrysos Heirs' memories and the recorded stories of Amphoreus to share with the cosmos and assure the world's chance to be reborn in the future. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Planarcadia | Welcome to Arcadia | February 13, 2026[32] | ||||||||||||||||||||||
At Jade's recommendation, the Astral Express travels to Himeko's homeland of Planarcadia, where the Phantasmoon Games have begun. Eight Supplicants compete for the audience's Wishpower to obtain the authority of Aha, the Aeon of Elation, for one minute. However, the Games are overshadowed by the IPC's tightening control over the planet and the rumored return of the "Bloody Bloom", a serial killer and former Supplicant from fifteen years prior. Yao Guang, Arbiter-General of the Xianzhou Yuque, secures permission from Pearl, the IPC's current CEO of Planarcadia, to eliminate Blade under the cover of the Games. Yao Guang enters Sunday as a Supplicant in her stead, while Pearl secretly designates Silver Wolf and the local detective Ashveil as Supplicants. Meanwhile, the Trailblazer, March, and Welt are captured by Sparkle's original form, Sparxie, who implants a memetic virus to manufacture the audience's adoration. The Trailblazer is rescued by the mysterious Evanescia, who makes them a Supplicant. With the help of Sparkle and Sampo, the Trailblazer and Himeko acquire another memetic virus that allows them to resist and defeat Sparxie, with further assistance from Sunday and Yao Guang. Afterwards, Himeko is confronted by her father, Ryusuke, who claims she was killed by the Bloody Bloom during the previous Games. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
...we felt that the turn-based combat system is something we have not done before in the company yet, in all our previous games. It's still a viable genre to base the game on, and we felt that it's something that we would really like to give it a try, and our players are really feeling for it, and that's why we developed something like that.
And for sci-fi, in reality, our developers felt that it's something that provides hope, and it's very inspiring for younger generations to really look forward to. Sci-fi represents something that is classic, and sci-fi plus turn-based RPG is something that we would like to give a try. Yeah, that's how the game came to be.
Honkai: Star Rail began development in 2019 with the goal of "exploring new directions for theHonkai series". The production team has about 500 people, most of whom are fans of science fiction works and turn-based role-playing games.[33] This project is HoYoverse's first attempt at a turn-based combat mechanism game. The team has stated that this genre is very popular in the game market and can lower the difficulty threshold for players to get started. In previous surveys conducted by HoYoverse, many players expressed that they enjoy this type of game. There were concerns about whether this type of game is too retro, but the production team believes that as long as the quality of the game is enjoyable, it can attract players.
Like other works in theHonkai series, it is in no way "too hard-core science fiction". The setting ofHonkai Impact 3rd is Earth, but the plot mentions other planets in this worldview. Therefore, the production team ofHonkai: Star Rail decided to develop acosmological theme around its game's lore and worldbuilding to expand on this concept of "a universe". The narrative structure ofroad movies with the protagonist and similarly aged companions traveling across a variety of planets in the universe, while the setting revolves around taking a train which draws inspiration from the idea of a steam train running through the stars in the novelNight on the Galactic Railroad byKenji Miyazawa andLeiji Matsumoto's famous manga,Galaxy Express 999. The production sequence of each planet in the game takes around one year to first determine the worldview and theme of the planet, then create the characters and detailed setting information, and then finally write the plot.[33]
The overall artistic vision of each planet is based on elements from real-world cultures and aesthetics:
In terms of combat mechanisms, producer David Jiang said that this game adopts "command-based combat." He said thatHonkai Impact 3rd andGenshin Impact were heavy on the role-playing aspect, but they did not include command-based and turn-based combat. In addition, some players reported thatHonkai Impact 3rd was too action-oriented and too difficult to operate. Therefore,Honkai: Star Rail pays more attention to strategy than the player's operational skills.Persona 5 was the team's inspiration when deciding to develop a turn-based role-playing game.[38]
Producer David Jiang hopes thatHonkai: Star Rail can achieve the immersive feeling of "as if you are in the world of the work", and create a "playable animated series".[39] In order to enhance player immersion, the production team integratedartificial intelligence technology into the behavioral patterns ofnon-player characters. This approach aimed to make traditionally scripted NPC behavior appear more natural, thereby providing players with a stronger sense of being part of the game world.[40]
The game was revealed in October 2021 at the end of theHonkai Impact 3rd online concert, Starfire Sonorant, then later on the game's officialYouTube channel.[41] On October 27, the game launched its first closed test[42] and its second closed beta test on May 25, 2022.[43] On August 15 of the same year, the game received support from the "Special Fund for Cultural Development" issued by the Culture and Tourism Bureau ofXuhui District, Shanghai, where the developer is located.[44] On August 23, 2022, a game story trailer was unveiled on the opening night ofGamescom 2022.[45]
On January 17, 2023, the mobile version of the game received the game version number approved by the National Press and Publication Administration, and the game was approved for distribution in mainland China.[46][47] On February 10, 2023, the game conducted its third closed test.[48] On the same day, the Apple App Store page revealed that the official launch date of the game was April 26.[49] In the international market,miHoYo launched more than 2,000 sets of ads on Google Play one month before the public beta of the game. The main advertising channel was GoogleAdMob[50] and the main advertising areas were Japan, Hong Kong, the United States, Vietnam, and Thailand.[51]
On April 25, 2023, miHoYo released the game's opening theme animation "Star Travel".[52] The game was officially launched globally the following day on April 26.[3] On April 28,miHoYo held its first theme exhibition "Galaxy Gathering" inXujiahui.[53] From April 29 to May 13, miHoYo undertook train advertisements on Xiamen Rail Transit Line 1 and jointly issuedNFTs to promote the game.[54] In mid-May, HoYoverse began to put up ads for the game in Japan, which are prominently displayed inAkihabara in Tokyo, as well as collaborating withChichibu Railway inSaitama Prefecture to launch a special steam train service, which ran for a month.[55] On July 13, miHoYo launched a high-speed train named "Star Dome Railway High-speed Railway Brand Special Train" with an uncertain route, used to promote the game.[56]
In late 2023, the game collaborated internationally with a number of restaurant and cafe franchises, offering game merchandise and specialized meals.[57] In Europe, the game collaborated withDomino's and Miss Millie’s in the UK from October 14th to November 14th. In other countries of Asia, except for mainland China, there were collaborations in Japan, Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. In Japan, the game collaborated withWendy's First Kitchen from October 11th to November 8th. From October 11th to November 14th, the collaboration in Indonesia with Convivium, La Juiceria Superfoods in Malaysia, Mann Hann in the Philippines, Kith in Singapore, Kogoro Katsu & Chicken Club in Thailand, and Piko Coffee in Vietnam. For Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Macau, there were collaborations with Cheogajip from October 18th to November 18th, and withKFC from November 9th to November 22nd in Hong Kong. In America, the game collaborated with Pelicana from December 1st to December 31st. For specifically mainland China, there were countless collaborations with cafes, restaurants, drink shops, and many more.
In October 2025,Crunchyroll,Sony's anime streaming service, announced a global collaboration between it andHoYoverse for an exclusive Honkai: Star Rail collab, starting on November 6, to coincide with the game's Version 3.7 update. As part of the collaboration, theHoYoFair program's Honkai: Star Rail "Chimerric Park" event premiered exclusively on Crunchyroll,[58][59] making it the first time that the HoYoFair program did an event outside of YouTube.
| Aggregator | Score |
|---|---|
| Metacritic | PC: 80/100[60] PS5: 82/100[61] |
| OpenCritic | 90%[68] |
| Publication | Score |
|---|---|
| Eurogamer | Recommended[62] |
| GamesRadar |   [63] |
| IGN | 9/10[64] |
| PCGamer | 90/100[65] |
| Polygon | Very positive[66] |
| RockPaperShotgun | Positive[67] |
Honkai: Star Rail received "generally favorable reviews" according to review aggregatorMetacritic.[60]
Eurogamer recommended the game for its "delightfully goofy humour, charismatic voice cast, and truly magnificent combat," despite the writers' tendency to "give one sentence explanations for important details, yet spend eight paragraphs over explaining the simplest plot twist."[69]Rock Paper Shotgun called the game "still in its early stages but (...) incredibly good fun to play," comparing it to "Star Ocean, but if everyone was hotter and you could gamble". The reviewer praised the combat system for being deep yet approachable and noted that, like inGenshin, spending money was not necessary to progress, as all content in the game could be cleared with the characters players receive for free.[70]PC Gamer appreciatedStar Rail's "impeccable visual style and strategic depth" and its "elastic tone, which fluctuates from the heroic optimism of aspace opera, to the dark comedy of aNier game, with a lot ofFinal Fantasy 14's soap opera, storytelling mixed in". To the reviewer, the game's main draw was its "sheer creativity" and that it "distills what's most satisfying about turn-based RPGs: tactical, team-based decisions."[71]
However, some people have criticized the character designs saying that they lack creativity, especially those of female characters, and that the outfits worn by female characters inGenshin Impact had more variety.[72]
Before the game's official release, the number of pre-registered players inmainland China reached 22.98 million, with an additional 10 million players outside of mainland China.[73] On April 23, 2023, the day of pre-download, the game topped the free charts on theApp Store in over 113 countries and regions,[74] and ranked first overall in mainlandChina, theUnited States,Japan, andSouth Korea.[75] After the game's global launch on April 26, it reached the top spot on the App Store's bestseller list in mainland China within five hours, and ranked within the top 10 on the bestseller lists in 42 countries and regions. On April 28, miHoYo announced that the game had exceeded 20 million downloads.[76]
GameLook estimated that, on the day of its launch, the game's global revenue across all platforms would likely exceed 100 million RMB.[77] According to data from Sensor Tower, within the first 10 days of launch, the mobile version of the game generated over $100 million globally, with 44% of the revenue coming from China, 22% from Japan, and 12% from the United States.[78][79][80] Data from DataEye indicated that within 15 days of launch, the iOS version and the Android version downloaded throughGoogle Play had generated at least $65 million, with Japan contributing a total of 120 million RMB.[81] On February 6, 2024, with the launch of version 2.0, the game's download count exceeded 100 million.[82] One estimation put the number of active players at 24 million in the month of April 2024.[83]
| Year | Award | Category | Result | Ref(s). |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Golden Joystick Awards | Most Wanted Award | Nominated | [4] |
| 2023 | GalaxyTrek - World Sci-Fi Game of the Year | Best Popularity Award | Won | [84][clarification needed][dubious –discuss] |
| Google Play Awards | Best Game | Won | [85][86] | |
| Best Story | Won | |||
| Best for Tablets | Won | |||
| App Store Awards | iPhone Game of the Year | Won | [87] | |
| The Game Awards 2023 | Best Mobile Game | Won | [88] | |
| UCG Game Awards | Mobile Game of the Year | Won | [89] | |
| 2024 | 13th New York Game Awards | A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game | Won | [90] |
| 27th Annual D.I.C.E. Awards | Mobile Game of the Year | Nominated | [91][92] | |
| Google Play Awards | Best Ongoing Game | Won | ||
| Golden Joystick Awards | Still Playing Award (Mobile) | Won | ||
| Taipei Game Show Game Star Award | Gold Award (Console Game) | Won | [93] | |
| 2026 | Ultra Game Awards 2025 | Mobile Game (Players' Voice) | Won | [94][95] |
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