Roguelites are so universally popular these days that you’re beginning to see the genre bolted on to cinematic action games, like God of War Ragnarok’s recent Valhalla expansion or the upcoming No Return mode being added to The Last of Us: Part 2 Remastered. While both great examples of the formula, I want to talk about Honkai: Star Rail, which in my opinion is one of the better roguelites you can play on PS5 right now.
Those who’ve made it through the free-to-play gacha game’s wordy introduction will have happened upon the Simulated Universe on Herta Space Station, which is where the roguelite mechanics come into play. There’s a whole bunch of lore which explains exactly what the Simulated Universe represents in the fiction – honestly, we’d argue probably a little too much text at times – but for the purposes of this article, all you need to know is that it’s the release’s own attempt at a roguelite.
And as the headline’s probably already given away, I think it’s superb. In its default mode, there are multiple different worlds, each composing of random zones which include enemies, resources, and more. Each battle you win rewards you with Blessings which buff your team in a unique way. You’ll also choose a Path at the start of each run, which will likely shape your tactical approach.
Honkai: Star Rail, like Genshin Impact, is all about character compositions: you need to think about the type of elements your units use, how they can effectively support each other, and whether you have the right mix of offence and defence to overcome impossible odds. Obviously, this aspect is further accentuated by the roguelite aspect, where the buffs you select can markedly improve your squad.
As a live service game, developer HoYoverse incentivises weekly engagement with a rotating rewards track which resets every week. This enables you to earn in-game currency and other important items, which you can then spend on new characters et al. It’s also the only way to earn specific Relics, which are crucial to character building.
However, in recent months, the developer has layered in new content, which it describes as DLC. It’s important to stress that this is an in-universe term, so it doesn’t actually mean downloadable content in the premium sense – in fact, it’s free content that’s available to everyone. But what it does do is expand upon the existing systems outlined above to incorporate more variables.
In the latest version, Gears and Gold, you’re able to unlock dice face pieces. This dice is rolled at the end of each zone you complete, and it includes a unique outcome. These can range from simple buffs – like entering the next area with 10% more health – to more complicated gameplay concepts, like changing the gameplay type of upcoming zones. Phases adopt a grid-like format in this mode, so you can choose whether you want to get more health or take on a tough enemy, for example.
There’s always jeopardy, though. A countdown means you need to reach the final boss in a certain number of turns, otherwise the strength of the enemies you encounter will get progressively more difficult. All of this is offset by the inclusion of persistent upgrades, which you can purchase using currency you unlock in-game.
It’s a fantastic experience that really elevates the already excellent team-building aspect of Honkai: Star Rail, and gives you tons of incentive to try out different teams. There are times where you’ll find yourself hilariously overpowered thanks to some good strategic thinking, and that’s rewarding; other times things won’t work out so well, so you’ll either rue your luck or be forced to adapt your strategy moving forward.
Like all HoYoverse’s games, there’s a bit too much backstory for the mode’s own good, but a quick tap of the DualSense's face buttons will get you through the text. All that aside, though, Honkai: Star Rail isn’t really a roguelite by trade, so it’s perhaps testament to how well the Simulated Universe is executed that it feels like it can stand side-by-side with some of the best the genre has to offer.
Have you tried out Honkai: Star Rail and its Simulated Universe mode yet? Pick your Blessings carefully in the comments section below.
Comments 23
“ Herta Space Station “
Read that as Hentai Space Station and you almost had me. 🤪
I played a little Genshin and the 1 that came after that but before this and it’s all just too much for me these days. Too much of what it’s hard to say exactly but basically everything. Just gonna keep wasting my time with Disney Speedstorm and a little Fortnite here and there.
"Too much of what it’s hard to say exactly but basically everything."
I'm with you on that statement. And I'd use it to describe a lot of recent games. The main menu screen of games like The Crew Motorfest, Lego 2K drive, Battlefront 2 are so full of elements that it's tiring even before starting the game.
A main menu should be :
Continue
New Game
Load Game
Options
That's it... more than this and you've already lost me... Even worse scenario : no main menu, you're injected directly in the game with options and settings to the wazoo in all kind of different menus and windows, like Genshin Impact.
I know, I sound like an old man on his porch, and maybe I am.
@get2sammyb Great article I'm making my way through G&G but Lv3 final bosses are impossible for me at the mo. You're right that it's probably my blessings and curio setups. Lots of ruing thus far but I am hopeful.
Are the images in the article from your account?(If so very nice) And how far have you gotten in G&G? At the moment i'm enjoying the new erudition path. Which path do you prefer?
As soon as those simulated universe rewards reset I just spend most of my play time there. It's really fun. And not to diss the main combat itself but I feel it and some of the events (like the fiendfire mechanic from the ghost event) adds a level of depth thats missing from regular combat. Like it was pretty satisfying choosing the right moment when to use your ults and which ult to even use to get the fire on your side or when to use your path of resonance in the simulated universe
I haven't played this yet, but was planning to. However, I absolutely do not care for roguelites/likes. To clarify, is this a separate mode or area within the game? Or is the whole game a roguelite?
@Judal27 Fiend fire was a great mechanic. Sacrificing an ult to ensure the enemy did not get the buff was a nice twist.
@RicebinBernacky It's a totally separate mode. The main game is a more traditional turnbased RPG. That said, some items are linked with this mode, so you'll probably have to engage with it a little bit.
I do find myself enjoying the simulated universe stuff quite a bit. I think what I like the most about it though is simply the fact that it's just one of the ways to engage with the greater whole of Honkai Star Rail.
Rogue-likes/lites (whatever) aren't generally my thing. I need something else to do in a game or I just get bored of it. It works in Honkai because there are other things to do instead if I don't feel like going through a run.
That's I believe Honkai's greatest strength. You can really just kind of do whatever your in the mood for and it all feeds into a cohesive whole. I always feel like I'm making progress.
@z0d15g0d Yeah, they're my screenshots. Bit of a stealth brag! Haha!
@get2sammyb thanks! that's a relief
@get2sammyb I'm emerald with jealousy... I bet you've got all their signature LC's too.
It would appeal if it wasn’t live service. The idea of having to devote so much time to one game in order to get weekly rewards seems like hell. And that’s from someone who will commonly never play more that 2-3 games at once maximum. Sometimes I can’t play a game for a few days and I’d constantly feel like I was falling behind.
@z0d15g0d Some of them! But not all! (I'm not that crazy!)
@get2sammyb - While I agree the Sim Universe is a great roguelite this article makes out it's something to just jump into.
It gets introduced early enough but takes dozens of hours outside of the mode to get a team capable of beating anything besides the gimme worlds and hundreds of hours to get into the weeds of it all. You should make a point of that.
@z0d15g0d it was, I really hope it makes like a permanent side mode return somewhere someday lol
@Olmaz oh my goodness are we really overwhelmed by menus now? I promise you will be ok.
This stuff is like crack! Its so appealing I know not to start 🤣
Ive sunk several £k and slavishly done daily tasks for 5 years on a gatcha, I learnt the hard way.
You have to admire the careful balancing it takes to keep the player invested and coming back everyday - it takes a great deal of skillfull design.
Regretfully, I wont get to see this one!
@Judal27 It just might do. I hope all the people selected for the beta request it's return in their feedback. If you've completed the current TB continuance mission it seems the Heliobi are going to be a mainstay type enemy/ antagonist/ pawn so fiend fire just might make it back
Thank you, Sammy for continuing to spread the good word of HSR.
As long as you don’t have a gambling problem, the game is fantastic. If you do, please stay as far away from this game as you can.
@DestructionAllstars Fair enough, I'll take the hit! : )
@get2sammyb it’s a good mode at times but it has some glaring flaws especially for F2P/low spend. It’s far too pay to win, much easier if you have signature light cones or a wider roster of highly invested characters.
Currently I cruise through the floors only to be beaten easily by the bosses, similar to @z0d15g0d. That’s not fun or balanced for all players who don’t have these things. Doubly frustrating as it makes you feel you have wasted your time by seeming to be doable only to put a final enemy in front of you that just isn’t beatable at our character, investment level or luck. It’s frequently frustrating.
Really this mode is only there to try and tempt us to spend to have better invested DPS, supports, light cones, relics and a wider roster to cover every situation.
Plus there are just so many modes: standard Simulated universe, Swarm Disaster, Gold & Gears (plus MoC and Pure fiction coming). Each seems designed to specifically require different characters/teams. (E.g. Erudition for groups in PF, or specific elements in MoC). Solution = spend. (Edited)
@Shigurui hundreds of hours to start pushing the higher floors.
@themightyant - Exactly that. I love roguelite games but SU is not like Isaac or Hades where you can just jump into it. Those games are still a time sink but just playing them gets you deeper. SU requires you to play an awful lot of everything that isn't SU, something this article completely fails to mention.
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