Editor Reviews

Honkai: Star Rail slows things down in a good way. It’s a turn-based RPG from HoYoverse where every battle is a round of chess, not a race. You’re not button-mashing — you’re thinking, watching enemy patterns, and matching the right skills at the right time. The story kicks off with your character waking up on a space station, memory wiped, with a strange energy inside you. From there, it’s all aboard the Astral Express — a train that hops across planets — pulling you through abandoned cities, frozen wastelands, and industrial ruins.

What makes the game easy to get into is its clean interface and tight pacing. Conversations don’t drag. Quests don’t sprawl endlessly. Cutscenes come in, do their job, and leave. Voice acting feels like it fits the characters instead of sounding like someone reading a script. Combat animations are bold without being drawn out. There’s energy in every hit, but it never slows you down.

Character design leans hard into sci-fi anime style. Outfits are sharp, colors pop, and special moves land with weight. And underneath the flash, there’s smart team-building. You’re always adjusting your lineup — swapping in a healer here, a shield-breaker there, or setting up combos between fighters and support units. It feels fluid. Nothing is locked into one way of playing.

The game gives just enough freedom. Want to stick to story missions? That's fine. Need tougher challenges? You've got Simulated Universe and other high-difficulty zones. They're optional, but they reward smart planning. There's no pressure to rush or grind endlessly. You progress at your own pace. And between battles, there are calm moments where you chat with teammates, open hidden chests, or just wander and absorb the world.

Honkai: Star Rail doesn't flip the genre upside down. What it does is refine it. It strips out the bloat found in some mobile RPGs and gives you something focused, playable, and polished. It respects your time while still letting you go deep if you want to. And that’s rare.

How to Play?

Step 1: Open the app or PC client and sign in with your HoYoverse account. Tap “Start Game” and watch the short intro sequence.

Step 2: Use the movement controls — WASD on PC or tap-to-move on mobile — to walk through early zones. You’ll be guided with quest markers and hints.

Step 3: In combat, each character takes turns. Pick a skill or normal attack, then select a target. Turns are shown on a bar, so you can see who's up next.

Step 4: Look for elemental weaknesses. Every enemy is weak to something. Using the right element will break their shield and open them up to extra damage.

Step 5: After fights, collect loot and level up your characters. Go into the menu to equip gear (Relics), Light Cones (weapons), and raise stats.

Step 6: Follow the blue markers on the map for side missions. These boost your Trailblaze Rank, unlocking more content.

Step 7: Balance your team. Use a mix of damage dealers, support units, and healers to handle different challenges.

Step 8: Explore every zone. Chests, warp points, and bonus gear are hidden all over. The more you find, the stronger your squad becomes.