Honkai: Star Railhas taken quite a few cues fromGenshin Impact. This shouldn’t come as a surprise, considering games developed by HoYoverse have always shared a deep-rooted connection with one another.Honkai: Star Railtakes this connection to the next level, however, with the influence ofGenshin Impacton full display with its characters.
Honkai: Star Railtakes many character design cues fromGenshin Impact. There are even some characters inStar Railwho are directly based onGenshin Impactcharacters, such asBoothill and Arlecchinorespectively. With all the clear similarities between the sister series,Genshin Impactcould potentially pick up one trend recently started by its successor.
Genshin Impact Using Honkai: Star Rail’s Unique Approach to 5-Star Characters Could Be a Double-Edged Sword
Genshin ImpactandHonkai: Star Railalike are classified as live-service gacha games. Any game in this genre typically lives and dies based on the appeal of its characters and gameplay. Gacha games usually cycle through their roster of diverse characters in order to induce a bit of FOMO, with some characters remaining out of access for a very extended period of time.
Honkai: Star Railrecently began a practice that is somewhat unorthodox by comparison.Starting with March 7th, one of the game’s de facto main characters,Star Railhas released new versions of old characters. These do not function as skins or costumes and are in fact a wholly new slot on the roster.Genshin Impactcould very well experiment with something similar, but there are some pros and cons to such an approach.
Genshin Impact Could Reinvent Classic Characters
There are a few upsides toGenshin Impactadopting this approach. Of course, this is the reason it has been discussed in the community at all. First and foremost,Genshin Impacthas a massive roster of playable charactersunder its belt, with the total number rapidly approaching 100. These re-releases tend to focus on 4-Star characters, which are then revamped into new 5-Star versions,
Re-releasing older characters could allow developers to revamp both their design and their kit. This would help them stay more relevant inGenshin Impact’s meta, and potentially even in its story as well. Although these are not skins, they carry many of the same benefits, being that they both allow fans to see a certain character in a new light.
Genshin Impact Could Risk Becoming Stale
However, this distinction from skins is exactly what may make this feature seem unappealing to somefans ofGenshin Impact. Re-releasing old characters always runs the risk of feeling repetitive. Likewise, if a given re-release seems to be retreading unnecessary ground, players may quickly wonder if the spot on the roster could have gone to a more deserving character. There is still one factor that appears to overshadow all other arguments, both the good and the bad.
Simply put,Genshin Impactalready includes skinsas a way of refreshing its characters. The game wouldn’t have to worry so much about individual re-release characters feeling repetitive, as the feature itself is somewhat redundant. These re-release characters work perfectly well as an alternative to skins, but placing them alongside skins could be another beast entirely.Genshin Impactcould find a way to strike the balance, but until then, one can only hope that developers maintain a focus on keeping the game fresh late into its lifespan.
WHERE TO PLAY
Step into Teyvat, a vast world teeming with life and flowing with elemental energy.You and your sibling arrived here from another world. Separated by an unknown god, stripped of your powers, and cast into a deep slumber, you now awake to a world very different from when you first arrived.Thus begins your journey across Teyvat to seek answers from The Seven — the gods of each element. Along the way, prepare to explore every inch of this wondrous world, join forces with a diverse range of characters, and unravel the countless mysteries that Teyvat holds…
