Honkai Star Rail is a role-playing game (RPG) developed by miHoYo – a Chinese company. The Star Rail is its fourth game in the Honkai series, and it uses characters from Honkai Impact 3rd. The game is about a hero, the “Trailblazer,” who travels to different worlds to fix problems.
The game has turn-based fights, and each character has special abilities. They can also use a weapon called the Light Cone (which we will explain in the article). The game has an open-world element and uses a Gacha system.
The story is set in a universe where humans and other beings follow the Paths of powerful entities called Aeons. Those who follow these Paths are known as Pathstriders.
So, that was the detailed overview of this RPG game.
However, different gamers use different platforms to play games. For instance, some will be using PlayStation (4 or 5), while some will be using mobile phones, and the remaining will be using computers. They aren’t very aware of different things related to Honkai Star Rail, like its release date, several characters, and many other things.
So, I have written this article for the only purpose of making you aware of these things.
Release Information
As a part-time gamer, if I have to share my experience, then I’m always looking for new games that get released, so that I can play them. Similarly, just like me, some of you will also be waiting for the Honkai Star Rail release date.
So, I have created a list of different platforms where you can play this game and also mentioned their release dates.
Also read: Lilith in Diablo 4: Her Identity, Role, and Age
PlayStation 5 Release
Honkai Star Rail was officially released on PlayStation 5 on October 11, 2023. The game is available for free on the PlayStation Store.
PlayStation 4 Release
As for PlayStation 4, there are conflicting reports. Some sources suggest that Honkai Star Rail is available on PS4, while others state that there’s no PS4 version, and the developers haven’t confirmed it. There’s also a source stating that the PS4 version would have likely been released at the same time as the PS5 version if there were plans for it.
PC Release
Honkai Star Rail was publicly released internationally on April 26, 2023, for Windows. The game is available for free and can be downloaded from the official Honkai Star Rail website.
Mobile Release
The game was also released on mobile platforms (Android and iOS) on the same day as the PC release, April 06, 2023. It is available for free on both the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store.
Xbox Release
As far as I know and research, there’s no official confirmation about Honkai Star Rail being available on Xbox. However, let’s see in the future. Until then, Xbox users should wait to play this game.
Gameplay and Features
Now, here I’m going to talk about the gameplay of Honkai Star Rail, like how you can play it. Not only that, but I’ll shed light on its key features and tier list.
Gameplay on Different Platforms
First, let’s talk about the gameplay on different platforms.
PlayStation Gameplay
If talk about the Honkai Star Rail Gameplay on PlayStation, it is very smooth and crisp. On PlayStation, the game supports both PS4 and PS5 controllers. The controls are intuitive and easy to get used to.
Controls:
Here are some basic controls:
- Left Analog Stick: Character movement
- Right Analog Stick: Camera control
- Face Buttons (X, Circle, Square, Triangle): Various attack and skill actions
- L1/R1 Buttons: Switch between characters
- Options Button: Open the menu
Please note that the exact button assignments may vary and can often be customized in the game settings.
PC Gameplay
On PC, the gameplay demonstration shows that the combat works well, and the game includes several missions and puzzles. On PC, you can play Honkai Star Rail using a keyboard and mouse.
Controls:
Here are some basic keyboard controls:
- WASD: Character movement
- Mouse: Camera control
- Number Keys (1, 2, 3, 4): Cast the character’s ultimate ability
- Q/E: Switch to Basic ATK/Skill
- Space: Cast Ability
- Tab: Open Shortcut Wheel
- Esc: Open the menu
Mobile Gameplay
On mobile platforms, the gameplay is similar to the PC version. The game includes several missions and puzzles, and the combat system works well. On mobile platforms, the game uses touch controls.
Controls:
Here are some basic touch controls:
- Virtual Joystick (left side of the screen): Character movement
- Swipe (right side of the screen): Camera control
- Buttons (right side of the screen): Various attack and skill actions
- Character Portraits: Switch between characters
- Menu Icon: Open the menu
Xbox Gameplay
As I have previously mentioned that, currently, there is no official confirmation about Honkai Star Rail being available on Xbox.
Key Features of Honkai Star Rail
In addition to that, here are some key features of this game:
- Turn-Based Combat: The game follows the gameplay style of classic Japanese RPGs with turn-based combat.
- Character Lineup: Players can build up a lineup of characters and control a team of up to four.
- Unique Abilities: Each character has a set of unique abilities called Traces used in combat.
- Weapon System: Every character is equipped with a weapon known as a Light Cone that has various effects. It gets activated if the Paths of both the character and Light Cone match.
- Elemental Types: The game features seven different Elements, which are:
- Physical
- Fire
- Ice
- Lightning
- Wind
- Imaginary
- Quantum
- Tier List: The tier list in Honkai Star Rail rates all available characters by their performance in Memory of Chaos and Pure Fiction.
- Support Characters: Players can borrow a friend’s Support Character and use them in Calyxes and the Caverns of Corrosion.
These were some key features of this RPD game.
Honkai Star Rail Tier List – Lowest to Highest
The tier list in Honkai Star Rail rates all available characters by their performance in Memory of Chaos and Pure Fiction. Here is the tier list from lowest to highest:
- C-Tier: Trailblazer (Physical), Herta
- B-Tier: Asta, Dan Heng, Sampo, Hook, Serval, Yanqing, Natasha
- A-Tier: Himeko, Trailblazer (Fire), Gepard, Sushang, Pela, Welt, Clara, March 07
- S-Tier: Seele, Bailu, Bronya, Tingyun
- SS-Tier: Jingliu, Imbibitor Lunae, Ruan Mei, Fu Xuan, Luocha, Silver Wolf, Huohuo, Tingyun
Characters in Honkai Star Rail
Furthermore, here are some of the most popular and common characters in Honkai Star Rail:
Kafka in Honkai Star Rail
Kafka is a Lightning Element character in Honkai Star Rail. She is a Damage-over-Time (DoT) damage dealer who is best paired with another DoT character to maximize her utility. Kafka is a 5-star character, and her banner debuted on August 8, 2023.
Himeko in Honkai Star Rail
Himeko is an adventurous scientist who encountered and repaired a stranded train as a child. She is a 5-star Fire Element character in Honkai Star Rail. Himeko is a great Main DPS when fighting multiple enemies, but falls a bit behind when it comes to fighting bosses or in Single Target situations.
Jing Yuan in Honkai Star Rail
Jing Yuan is a 5-Star Lightning character of The Erudition Path. He is a top-tier AoE DPS character who’s still great even in single-target situations. Jing Yuan’s Lightning-Lord can damage each enemy up to 10 times, making it a devastating tool for applying Weakness Break on enemies vulnerable to Lightning.
Silver Wolf in Honkai Star Rail
Silver Wolf is a Quantum Element debuffer support character in Honkai Star Rail. She is a 5-star character and a limited-time hero. Silver Wolf is a great defensive unit that can provide shields for your party and take heavy hits.
Bronya in Honkai Star Rail
Bronya is one of the first few 5-star characters that came with the release of Honkai: Star Rail. She quickly found herself filling the AOE DPS niche. Bronya is a Wind Element character in Honkai Star Rail.
Gepard in Honkai Star Rail
Gepard is an Ice Element Tank character in Honkai Star Rail. He is a great defensive unit that can provide shields for your party and take heavy hits. Gepard is a 5-star character and is available in all the Character Event Warp Banners at a standard rate.
Final Words
In short, Honkai Star Rail is an exciting release for the RPG genre with a great gaming experience on various platforms. The attractive storyline, varied character roster, and tactical turn-based combat make the game suitable for all PlayStation, PC, and mobile gamer groups. Yet the availability of the game on Xbox remains rather questionable; the release dates and the main features bear witness to its global popularity among gamers. Since the game is fully immersive once players get to the worlds of Pathstriders and Aeons, Honkai Star Rail allows for joyous hours of excitement and exploration, so it’s a must-play for RPG fans.
