Sh-Ron Almeida
Asst. Arts & Entertainment Editor
“Genshin Impact”, developed by “Hoyoverse,” has become wildly popular for three years now. The game features an anime-style, open-world environment and an action-based battle system using elemental magic and character-switching. “Genshin Impact” is still under development, having introduced four out of seven nations to explore so far. For anyone who has ever played it, there’s a reason why so many players fell in love with the game three years ago. After seeing beautiful landscapes, hearing great music and meeting a likable roster of characters, “Genshin Impact” spoiled us with so much to see and do.
However, I can’t deny how frustratingly long the wait for more new story content and world areas can be at times. In fact, many of my friends online have talked about how they wanted a break from “Genshin Impact,” as they feel it’s getting repetitive and stale to play at some point. Luckily for us, “Hoyoverse” will be launching a brand new game.
“Honkai: Star Rail” is one of the most anticipated role-playing games (RPG) in 2023. In this game, you play as a Trailblazer who embarks on perilous adventures to seek answers about their origins. Along the way, you’ll meet many unique and colorful characters who can also join your party. Similar to any RPG, you can control one of up to four characters, which make up a team. “Honkai: Star Rail” consists of a large map with multiple planets. Players can also use the Astral Express, a space train, to go from one planet to another.
I am among many who are anticipating this game with a cautious mindset. You see, “Genshin Impact” and “Honkai: Star Rail” use a gacha system designed for players who are confined to a budget. But you can also continue to play these games for free. Various games that offer a gacha system, including mobile games “Fire Emblem Heroes” and “Final Fantasy Brave Exvius,” launch with a free-to-play base game, which provides the optional purchase of in-game currency. Similar to buying loot boxes, players can spend the in-game currency to “roll” for prizes, including weapons, beneficial items and additional characters.
I’ll admit that I have dabbled in this gacha system in “Gensin Impact” in order to pull for characters and weapons I really like. Of course, I’ve shown a little more restraint lately as well, only using in-game currency when I have disposable cash on me.
As soon as “Honkai: Star Rail” is released, I have decided to be as frugal as possible. It’s a free game and you don’t have to pay for anything. At the end of the day, it’s just a game not worth losing all of your money over. On the other hand, considering there are already over 10 million registered users, it’s more than likely that they’ve got some legitimate cash to burn.
“Honkai: Star Rail” is scheduled for a release on April 26, 2023. The game will be available on Windows, iOS and Android, with ports for the PlayStation 4 and 5 coming at a later date. May this journey lead us starward.