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I’ve been a fan of HoYoverse games ever since I stepped into Teyvat, but my one and true love has always been Honkai: Star Rail. As a fan of turn-based RPGs, in-depth storytelling with some unexpected and lighthearted moments, and characters with stunning visuals for their ultimates, this was just the perfect recipe for me. Naturally, I’ve followed every version of this interstellar journey. While the recent Amphoreus arc was fantastic in my opinion, I must say that Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.0 is already looking miles better than 3.0, mainly because it returns our beloved Astral Express crew to the Trailblazing basics.
Departing for Planarcadia
I was extremely lucky to preview Honkai: Star Rail Version 4.0 ahead of its release, and I was able to take the two new characters out for a spin, check some of the buffed characters as well, and experience the new plot, of which, I won’t spoil a lot, but I’ll go over some of the details I loved about it.
See, the last year-long adventure was not easy for the team at HoYoverse. Crafting a narrative to be cohesive for so much time and then delivering a proper finale is a monumental achievement, and also something we hadn’t seen before. At first, I was a bit skeptical of how it would work, but I must admit that the result was outstanding.
Now, we know that the 4.0 arc and beyond of Honkai: Star Rail is also aiming for another year-long adventure, and after Amphoreus, and experiencing this new introductory plot, I can confidently say that HoYoverse has taken all the feedback and vastly improved its narrative presentation.
As someone who was also there on Amphoreus’s departure day, I’ll compare some of the narrative of 4.0 to that of 3.0. Right off the bat, I can tell you that “No Aha at Full Moon” fixes one of the biggest issues the first Amphoreus update had: the pacing. Out of all the fantastic things we had in that Remembrance-fueled adventure, its initial patch dropped the ball with how it presented the story. It had some tedious puzzles and some over-the-top dialogue that, while very much in-universe, was extremely confusing, especially after coming from Penacony.
Planarcadia, on the other hand, feels like a “back to Trailblazing basics” type of adventure. For reasons I won’t spoil, the Astral Express ends up going to this planet ruled by Elation, and in true Trailblazing nature, ends up wrapped around the Phantasmoon Games. Since I won’t spoil what happens, I’ll go over my favorite part of this narrative, which is the return of the whole Astral Express crew in a not-so-convoluted adventure, for now.
One thing that worked against Amphoreus at times was the new cast of characters, a whole new planet with almost no ties to it, and other elements that ended up a bit confusing by the time we reached its midpoint. Honkai: Star Rail 4.0 instead revisits old plot points to create something new, yet somehow extremely familiar. For me, that’s the essence of the game, as it makes this journey feel interconnected with members following other Paths and several factions we’ve seen. Of course, there are plenty of new things around that we still need to learn, but so far, Planarcadia’s debut is looking way better than our last odyssey.
Let the Games Begin
Another big surprise of this update was Planarcadia, which somehow feels like the linear maps we’ve seen in previous updates, yet grander in many ways due to its urban style and several areas that reminded me of some places in Zenless Zone Zero.
Since the crew landed right when the Phantasmoon Games are kicking off, the whole planet is in “showtime” mode, which breathes life into this colorful locale. You have bustling streets, different NPCs ranging from familiar ones to brand-new ones, mini-games with 8-bit retro aesthetics that work as this map’s new puzzles and are way more engaging, and even a school that will please fans of slice-of-life anime. There’s even a trading card game that wasn’t on my bingo card, yet I spent quite a lot of time playing it.
While we all know this update was shrouded in mystery until a few days ago, I must say that everything the team has done for our new destination is beyond what I expected and feels like a step up from everything we saw in Amphoreus, at least in its initial version.
Gameplay-wise, we all know that the Path of Elation is finally entering the playable fray. I also had the opportunity to try out Yao Guang and Sparxie, both of which go together like peanut butter and jelly. I won’t go over some of the damage numbers or team options, as I prefer to try those in the live version. Yet, I was pretty surprised by how this new Path works. You start by accumulating Punchline until you trigger Aha Instant to make your Elation characters do damage.
For now, I can see Yao Guang as the more “future-proof” character due to her support capabilities, but Sparxie is a superb damage dealer with an excellent kit. Yet, since they are the first two Elation characters, you’ll want to pull for both if you want to have a good starter Elation team, as they sort of follow the “partner” meta, at least for now. Fortunately, you’ll have plenty of time to get Yao Guang and save for Sparxie once she lands during the second half.
Furthermore, I also tried the new buffed characters, and both Sparkle and Black Swan feel at the top of their game. The former, while already an excellent support, shines even more now with her adjustments, and Black Swan feels extremely relevant again, especially in the meta DoT team. As someone who didn’t pull for Sparkle, I now know which character I’m grabbing for free when the update goes live, and I’ll start dusting off my Black Swan to add her to my usual teams.
Overall, the gameplay additions, from updated game modes to character adjustments and the new Path of Elation, feel fantastic. I still think these initial updates should launch alongside a 4-star character of the new Path, mainly to let players try this new gameplay. However, the new additions to the roster often end up being Trial characters in some event, so at least that’s another way to try them out before using your pulls.
An Elation-Fueled Journey
Ultimately, and with the risk of making this sound like a pun, I’m elated. Honkai: Star Rail 4.0 feels like a return to the old Trailblazing days with a simpler story, but without abandoning those cryptic plot points that draw me in with every update. Also, the new Path, while a bit limited in terms of characters, looks terrific and introduces new gameplay combinations that will certainly shine as the roster grows. All in all, this is yet another excellent Trailblazing journey, and one I can’t wait to see unfold throughout the year.
