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HoYoverse has put out some fantastic games these past years. While Honkai Impact 3rd was one of their first, this company became widely known thanks to Genshin Impact. The latter introduced many players to gacha-gaming and popularized the genre. Now, after a couple of years, the developers have launched their next title, and it is normal for players to start making comparisons. Since both are gacha games, it is normal to see everyone asking Honkai Star Rail vs. Genshin Impact: which is better? If you want to know our answer and personal opinion, read on! We might help you decide between the two.
Honkai Star Rail vs. Genshin Impact: Which One Is Better?
1. Story
We’ll be breaking down some of the key elements for both games. We decided to rank these for the Honkai Star Rail vs. Genshin Impact bout to decide which one is better. Yet, this is only our opinion, and we hope it helps players choose one of the two games.
When it comes to the story, both have fantastic plots. One has a lot of sci-fi elements with a more modern take, and the other relies on high-fantasy and epic stories. Genshin Impact launched almost three years ago, and its story took a while to pick up. The first nations were tedious, and some players wanted something else. Yet, once Inazuma arrived, things got a lot better. With this in mind, Honkai Star Rail is already using the whole strength of the writing team, making the plot great.
In our opinion, Genshin Impact has had more time to establish its lore, characters, and stories, and it has created a fantastic universe that many love to dive into. For this reason, Genshin Impact wins this round.
2. Characters
Regarding characters, Genshin Impact has a massive cast due to its two-plus years on the market. Yet, quantity doesn’t equal quality. Since Honkai Star Rail just launched, many people are trying to compare everything to the abovementioned game. One of the most obvious ones is the starter companions.
Geshin Impact gave you Amber, Kaeya, and Lisa, which was great to get you started. Yet, some of them clicked slower with some players. On the other hand, Honkai Star Rail introduces March 7th, Dan Heng, Himeko, and Welt Yang as some of our companions throughout our journey. So, if it comes down to starter companions, the point goes to Honkai Star Rail.
All of the free characters are useful in combat and have likable personalities. Also, while we love Paimon in Genshin Impact, she sometimes overshadows the main character, and her exposition can get annoying. Honkai Star Rail has done a terrific job at writing the protagonist, and they have a personality we can all relate to. Honkai Star Rail wins this round.
3. Combat
This one is hard in the Honkai Star Rail vs. Genshin Impact fight, yet we’re adamant about seeing which one is better. In terms of combat, they are entirely different. Genshin Impact is all about action and elemental reaction in real-time. Honkai Star Rail is a turn-based RPG with dynamic elements during a fight.
This comes down to personal preference, but we prefer Genshin Impact’s combat more. It requires you to plan your elemental reactions ahead of time, and depending on your builds, you can make some crazy combinations. While Honkai Star Rail has a great system, too, it is still a bit simple if we compare it to Genshin’s, though it has room to grow. It is great for casual players and simple for those who have yet to play a turn-based RPG in the past.
For its dynamic combat, Genshin Impact takes the point.
4. Gacha Mechanics
This one is quite hard because it is difficult to see which one is better when people look at gacha features in Honkai Star Rail vs. Genshin Impact. Both have the same mechanics as they come from the same developers. Yet, there are some key differences.
Both games have the same type of currency but with different names. Genshin has Primogems, and Honkai has Stellar Jade. They work the same; you’ll be farming these currencies to pull for characters.
You have a normal and featured banner, which is the same in both games. Even if Honkai Star Rail is giving Stellar Jade like candy, we’re sure it’ll stay the same as Genshin once the launch is over. Yet, one thing is different and nets the point to one game—the animation. The animation of Honkai Star Rail when pulling for characters is fantastic, and we love to see Pom-Pom opening the doors to see what we earned.
For the abovementioned detail, Honkai Star Rail takes the point.
5. Quality-Of-Life Features
This one is also hard, but we must see which is better in the latest Honkai Star Rail vs. Genshin Impact duel. Both games have a great UI that is easy to learn and master. While explaining some things can be tedious, it is easy to grasp many things, yet, the latest game has improved upon many aspects.
Honkai Star Rail offers many things that have made a lot of players happy. Being able to cook and craft from a menu is excellent, and how daily expeditions are set is so easy. Plus, getting materials for characters is a lot easier, and we love how building characters in this game is way more enjoyable.
Both titles have fantastic things, but since Honkai Star Rail is the new kid on the block, it takes the point of this round.
Right now, in the legendary battle of Honkai Star Rail vs. Genshin Impact, we think the former is better. This might change in the future, but this game’s features are fantastic. How it handles its UI and systems is so easy to learn that it becomes enjoyable. The story and characters are lovable from the first moment, showing HoYoverse has put all of its resources into creating a great product.
Ultimately, both games are fantastic, and you should try them to see which one you prefer. The fact that Honkai Star Rail won for us doesn’t mean Genshin Impact is terrible. It just means the developers have learned much from Genshin and are avoiding any mistakes in this new game. Ultimately, we wish the best for both games and hope that our wallets won’t dry as we play them.
