Honkai Star Rail platforms, gameplay details & more
Written by
Published
13th Oct 2023 02:43
Honkai: Star Rail is the latest title in the Honkai franchise from HoYoverse, bringing its chaotic blend of anime visuals and different game genres to space in a tactical role-playing game.
First revealed back in October 2021 to a strong fan reception from players who enjoyed the similarities to HoYoverse's other title Genshin Impact, it features an open-world design, dungeon-crawling gameplay, and turn-based combat.
As an eclectic experience as per miHoYo's usual philosophy on design, here's everything you need to know about Honkai: Star Rail, including the platforms you can play it on and what its gameplay is like.
What platforms is Honkai Star Rail available on?
Click to enlargeCurrently, you can play Honkai Star Rail on Android, iOS, PC, and PlayStation 5 platforms.
Originally, the game launched simultaneously on iOS, Android, and PC in April 2023. Honkai Star Rail features crossplay and cross-progression, so you can pick up the game on any platform and continue on another with the same characters. This is an especially useful feature, given it's also free to play.
In October 2023, the game also finally arrived on PlayStation 5. Notably, the last generation console, the PlayStation 4 has been left behind - so you'll need the newer generation to play Honkai Star Rail on a console.
There is currently no information on whether Honkai Star Rail ever come to Xbox or Nintendo Switch platforms. We will update this article if that changes.
- Here's the full voice cast list of Honkai: Star Rail
Honkai Star Rail gameplay details
Click to enlargeWhile the game has some similarities with Genshin Impact, there is enough here to set itself apart. Firstly, it does have open-world zones, dungeon exploration, and a vibrant art style of something like Genshin. However, the combat and setting are very different.
Honkai: Star Rail is ostensibly sci-fi: spaceships, planet-killing lasers, and even mechs are all here, but there's still a regal and almost Dune-like appearance to the characters and environments. It's set in the same universe as the Honaki Impact 3rd game, but it has its standalone story, and fans of the previous game will recognise some returning characters.
The game also features a turn-based combat system in the vein of classic Final Fantasy. During gameplay, you can control up to four different characters to make up your team, using their different abilities and weaponry together in combat to gain victory. It comes with all the typical aspects you would expect, with moves to directly attack the enemies, and supporting abilities such as heals and buffs.
Each character has their own basic attack (based on their main weapon), a skill, an ultimate, a talent, and a technique. Over the course of the story, you can customise these for the different characters as they level up, and you acquire new gear from shops or by scouring dungeons. Characters also have an elemental type: Physical, Fire, Ice, Lightning, Wind, Imaginary, or Quantum.
The story sees you taking on the role of someone who has been implanted with a Stellaron, a.k.a. 'the seed of ruin.' The person who did this to you is aptly named Destruction, who is an Aeon, a type of god creature in the Honkai universe, so you will set out with allies to stop him from destroying all civilisation.
What's more, Honkai Star Rail is constantly updated with new content, so there's always something worth checking back in for. That's everything you need to know about the Honkai Star Rail, including what its gameplay entails, and the platforms you can play it on.
For additional Honkai: Star Rail guides, give our homepage a visit. We also have a guide about how much storage space the game takes up on your PC and mobile device.
