Honkai: Star Railhas achieved astounding success during the launch, being downloaded over 20 million times in a single day. The title is also getting rave reviews online from both critics and players, makingHonkai: Star Railone of the biggest hits of 2023 so far.
Developed by HoYoverse, the Chinese developer who took the world by storm withGenshin Impact, aZelda-inspired open-world RPG with cute anime characters and a sprawling world,Honkai: Star Railwas eagerly awaited by most gamers.Star Railis the sequel toHonkai 3rd Impact, released in 2016, using the same setting. This sci-fi RPG retains the anime aesthetics and the gacha elements that made the previous title so profitable (and sometimes infamous), but it completely shakes gameplay around with turn-based battles. Also,Honkai: Star Railemploys a new elemental system, which focuses on finding the right elemental weakness in an enemy to break their defenses and give them more damage.
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By all metrics,Honkai: Star Railis already a huge hit after its launchonly two days ago. Not only does information from the developer show that the game was downloaded over 20 million times within a single day, but it’s also getting pretty good reviews from several major outlets. Some reviews highlighted the cool visual style of the game, as well as its story, lore, and tight turn-based battle mechanics. Others commented on how the game is working very well on mobile right now, something that also helpedGenshin Impactto stand out among gamers who don’t own consoles.
While many downloads are to be expected when a popular developer releases a free-to-play title, the numbers are still very impressive. The video game analyst Daniel Ahmad, who looked into the data from the launch, affirmed thatHonkaigot higher numbers thanGenshinat the launch, and it broke records by being the number one iOS game downloaded in many countries. The player count is expected to keep increasing quickly, as over 30 million people werepre-registered to playHonkaibefore the official launch. Further console releases for PS4 and PS5 will keep adding to its player base, too.
CurrentGenshin Impactplayers who want to try outHonkai: Star Railmay need to learn the ropesand temper their expectations if they were expecting more of the same, as it’s a widely different game. It ditches the open world to focus on more linear scenarios, and it uses turn-based combat. While it’s not hard to see how HoYoverse learned a lot fromGenshinand put this experience to create the new game, it will certainly appease more traditional JRPG gamers than players who love open worlds.
Honkai: Star Railis available for PC and mobile devices. PS4 and PS5 versions are in development.
