A look through her mirror.
The massive success of Genshin Impact since its launch in September 2020 made the title synonymous with the title’s game developer, HoYoverse (formerly miHoYo).
Now they are here to offer more – a brand new turn-based RPG game called Honkai Star Rail.
At present, it’s impossible to talk about Genshin Impact without mentioning how HoYoverse managed to build an entire universe in Teyvat with rich lore, which in turn has created a global fandom in real life, fueled through cosplay, merchandise, festivals and more celebrated.
With such a large active player base and more than 10 million pre-registered users, everyone’s question is, will Star Rail attract Genshin Impact’s massive fan base? What can players expect from this tandem game title?
ONE Esports got the chance to ask HoYoverse exactly that question in an exclusive interview to learn more about how the developers view the relationship between the two.
There is a common thread between Honkai Star Rail, Genshin Impact and other HoYoverse titles. Screenshot by Joseph Asuncion/ONE Esports
You’ll find that Honkai Star Rail features a cel-shaded artistic style, something the developers have adopted for all of their titles. Colloquially known as “anime style,” it’s a visual art form that gives 3D characters a hand-drawn 2D look.
The result is a highly stylized visual effect often used in video games and Japanese anime films. While it’s extremely popular in those industries, Adobe says it’s only been around for a little over 30 years.
In addition to using similar art styles, HoYoverse also put “an emphasis on the character creation, storytelling, and layered gameplay that Genshin Impact players are familiar with.”
However, the environment is completely different from Genshin’s fantasy world. Honkai Star Rail marks the first time HoYoverse explores a sci-fi universe based on the concept of “interstellar travel”.
They hope players will enjoy traversing the galaxy, exploring numerous distinctive planets, and “solving conflicts with the assistance of unique companions.”
Screenshot by Amanda Tan/ONE Esports
“In addition to the sci-fi concept, we incorporated fantasy and mythological elements [Aeon] And [Stellaron] to create an inclusive and fatalistic narrative,” they said.
Honkai Star Rail, adding to their “firsts” list, is also their first foray into the turn-based genre. Instead of hacking and smashing through mobs or using quick elemental reactions, you can now hone your strategic skills in any space fantasy battle.
The game developers believe that Honkai Star Rail truly reflects the vision and philosophy of their development and content creation – namely to produce content in different genres to give global players more variety and options.
“We want to thank our fans around the world for their unwavering support, which allows HoYoverse to continue to develop new projects,” they said.
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READ MORE: 3 compelling reasons Honkai Star Rail is the next best RPG for Genshin players
