Being a fan of Genshin Impact, I'd been keeping a keen eye on HoYoverse's Honkai: Star Rail. Now that I've spent a considerable amount of time playing, I can certainly say that HoYoverse still leans on aspects of its prior title, but it made Honkai: Star Rail unique in a lot of key areas.
For example, Honkai: Star Rail does not have an open world. Instead, the worlds are broken up into smaller zones that are open for the player to go back and explore to find Treasures and more. Here are some of the other similarities and differences I've noticed between the two titles.
How are Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail different?
A major difference between the two titles is that they have completely different combat systems. Genshin Impact is an action RPG, whereas Honkai: Star Rail is a turn-based RPG. This means that combat in Honkai: Star Rail is more dependent on player strategy than reaction time.
While all HoYovese titles tend to share the same multiverse, Genshin Impact's universe is a fantasy-inspired one that draws from the history of particular cultural regions. Honkai: Star Rail carries over some cultural inspirations, but it also has a science-fiction based universe, influenced by hopes for the future.
Honkai: Star Rail directly shares one character with Honkai Impact 3rd, Welt. He journeyed to this universe through a space portal. Honkai: Star Rail also houses more exported or "expy" characters from Honkai Impact 3rd than Genshin Impact. Some examples include Seele, Bronya, and Himeko. They are not the exact same characters from the prior game, but they feature similar designs and personalities. This is implied to be because each game takes place in another universe, and this would be their other worldly counterpart.
Related: Who is Seele in Honkai: Star Rail?
How are Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail alike?
Both games host a large cast of characters and frequently spend time examining their lives. In both games, most character units are pulled from a Gacha System, meaning that players spend in-game chances to be able to play as their favorite characters in battle. These chances can be earned via gameplay, or additional chances may be purchased with real currency.
While their combat systems are structured differently, they both feature an Elemental component. Characters are divided up into seven different elements. Using the correct characters against certain enemies will weaken shields and do extra damage.
Lastly, while Honkai: Star Rail does not have an open world, you will frequently find puzzles in the worlds that you explore. These puzzles can be very similar to those that are found scattered around the many regions in Genshin Impact. In both cases, you are generally rewarded with a treasure chest containing character building items when you solve these puzzles.
Looking for more of our comprehensive coverage of Honkai: Star Rail? Check out All Hexanexus Puzzle Solutions in Honkai Star Rail here at Pro Game Guides.
Michaela Schulte is a Mom, gamer, and Contributing writer for Pro Game Guides. She was hooked on fantasy lands in childhood, during her first trip through Hyrule. She's also been to Pallet Town, Whiterun, and Novigrad. Currently traveling through Sumeru. Her travel partners include her husband, two boys, and their dog, Ellie.