While many might have begun their journey with Genshin Impact, some of us were part of HoYoverse way before it, and that was thanks to Honkai Impact 3rd. Its characters, story, and gorgeously animated cutscenes still hold a place in our hearts to this day. Yet, the Honkai universe didn’t end there, as the Trailblazers soon joined the fray with one of the most beloved turn-based RPGs of recent times. And now, Honkai: Nexus Anima is on its way, and besides delivering what is pure fan service for Honkai fans, it also establishes itself as a remarkable creature collector with fantastic new systems and an intriguing narrative that will make all Herrschers and Trailblazers feel right at home.
Building Bonds, One Thread at a Time
I got extremely lucky to join the beta of Honkai: Nexus Anima, and as a fan of the aforementioned universe, I was elated. As soon as I fired up the game, I picked up my protagonist and jumped into what is a true Honkai narrative, but with so many added things that make this one of the games with the most potential in the whole HoYoverse pantheon.
When creating my character, I realized I could pick my starting attributes, just like an RPG. I went with a strength-focused one, as I usually pick brain over brawn, but thought a strong protagonist would be fun to play—it was indeed.
The story starts with a quick introduction to a companion when it suddenly shifts into a mysterious plot where Blade, alongside other shady characters, is looking for someone they call the World-Ender, which might not be a great label to have. In any case, you eventually land on a world where two new allies, Nanafey and Otto (yes, that Otto), and here is where your plane-hopping journey officially begins.
Now, I don’t want to reach spoiler territory, but the truth is that Honkai: Nexus Anima features one of the most “Honkai” narratives ever. In other words, it nails the mystery, the world-building, the terms that might seem alien at first only for them to make sense in the next scene, and excellent characters that are as memorable as those we saw in Impact and Star Rail. Yet, my favorite part of the story is how you actually shape it.
One thing that has always bugged me in many games with dialogue options is how most are cookie-cutter. Sadly, that happens often in Honkai: Star Rail, so I was glad to see Honkai: Nexus Anima going for a true player-driven approach.
The stats I mentioned at the beginning aren’t just for how. They unlock conversation options, and at times, some of these options will actually alter the story. For instance, since my Strength was high enough, I was able to solve several issues during one instance just by picking the Strength-related choices. Yet, choices aren’t tied to stats only.
My favorite part of the whole demo was a section in a school. I had to find a way out, and to do so, I had several options. I could get the necessary points to exit or keep racking up points to unlock doors and meet new characters. Naturally, my Trailblazing spirit made me do the latter, and I noticed how some of the options I picked opened new dialogue options with NPCs, and in some cases, locked me out of learning more about them. Fortunately, there’s a mechanic that lets you relive some of these stories to get all outcomes, which is something I appreciate, as I always end up with a “what if” question after picking a dialogue option.
Even if it’s an early look, I believe that Honkai: Nexus Anima is showing the next step in HoYoverse storytelling, and making the player’s actions so relevant to the plot is a welcome addition and one of my favorites. I only hope that the launch version and its following updates will keep this level of quality and freedom, as it makes the narrative much more memorable.
Honkai at Its Best
The other big parts of Honkai: Nexus Anima are its combat and, well, Anima, of course. Now, I need to come clean and say that when I looked at the combat footage, I was not convinced. It reminded me a bit of Team Fight Tactics, and while I like that game, it didn’t feel right for a Honkai game—but I was wrong.
While it does have idle battling, so to speak, there are several strategy layers in it. You assemble your party of Anima, whose limit increases depending on how much you level up your characters, and send them to an automatic battle, where they use their skills and attack foes on their own. You can, however, use some of your character’s abilities, called Eidos Skills. These skills, shaped like cards on the fighting board, are tied to a cooldown, which restarts after using the ability.
At first, I only had one ability that dropped loaves of bread on enemies, but I quickly unlocked a multi-target shield and Kiana’s buff for a single Anima. The options just get better and more varied as you progress through the story, and while this system might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I really liked it, as it doesn’t feel monotonous at all, even after several encounters.
Collecting Anima plays a huge role in terms of how combat will go. You can find these colorful creatures on the map or by going to the Bonds system, which is akin to banners we’ve seen in other HoYoverse titles. So far, this looks pretty familiar to what we’ve seen in Honkai: Star Rail, Genshin Impact, and Zenless Zone Zero, so that’s a bonus for me, as familiar systems always go a long way.
As I’ve said in other previews, I won’t dive into pull economy, meta, or other aspects, as this beta is a work-in-progress version, and I can’t judge this as it is. But frankly, I’m not worried, as it seems balanced in a way that you can get grat Anima and characters from pulls, but also build an excellent team by Bonding with Anima. My only minor concern is the amount of Nexus Skein we’ll get during the live version. While the ones I got during the beta were more than enough, I’m curious to see just how easy or grindy it will be to get them when the game launches.
Another Stellar HoYoverse Experience
Overall, I think Honkai: Nexus Anima is a step up in how HoYoverse approaches its new projects. It feels more refined than some other titles under the studio’s belt, while also introducing several new aspects that make it stand out on its own. Plus, the fact that player agency is such a key aspect of storytelling truly enhances the journey and makes an already intriguing plot even better.
Now, it’s all a matter of waiting for the game’s official release, but just like other new HoYoverse arrivals, I’m sure this one will be great for new fans and for those longing to see some Khaslana family members in a new and cozy environment.
