Developer miHoYo (now HoYoverse) gave fans a sneak peek into two of its upcoming games — Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero. Both trailers were featured at this year’s Summer Game Fest, drawing the attention of HonkaiImpact and Genshin Impact fans.
Not much has been announced regarding the miHoYo games’ release dates or general gameplay mechanics. However, their introductions in the Summer Game Fest 2022 reveal much about each title’s genre.
Honkai: Star Rail
Honkai: Star Rail is an open-world space RPG with gacha elements. What sets it apart from HoYoverse’s other games, however, is that it features turn-based gameplay, similar to the classic Final Fantasy titles or mainline Persona games. Thus, Honkai: Star Rail will likely have a mix of large, open-world locations and meticulously crafted dungeon levels.
Set in the universe of its predecessor Honkai Impact 3rd, Star Rail will also feature a wide cast of characters, many of whom were already showcased in the trailer. Some are even returning characters, like Bronya and Welt. So, it’s no surprise that Honkai Impact 3rd fans are excited about this new gacha game.
The release date for Honkai: Star Rail has yet to be announced, but it already has active social media accounts and a dedicated website where players can sign up for closed beta sessions. Unfortunately, the second round of closed beta is already underway, so fans will have to wait if they want to sign up for the next. There are also plenty of gameplay videos available online for fans who are curious about the new style of gameplay.
Zenless Zone Zero
Zenless Zone Zero is a futuristic urban action game and HoYoverse’s newest IP. Much like the developer’s previous titles, players expect this game to also have gacha elements. Set in a fictional city known as New Eridu, players will supposedly live dual lives, acting as Proxies in the game’s “warped reality.” There have also been rumors that Zenless Zone Zero will feature roguelike gameplay, particularly through dungeon-crawling and procedurally generated stages.
Since Zenless Zone Zero takes place in a new universe, it’ll feature a completely new cast of characters, divided into different factions. Many of these characters were already featured in the gameplay trailer, and they sport different designs, setting them apart from HoYoverse’s other IPs. Though their character models clearly belong to HoYoverse, their clothes and weapons certainly fit the title’s more urban and futuristic setting.
HoYoverse has yet to announce a release date for Zenless Zone Zero as well. Although, like Honkai: Star Rail, it’s promoting new content on social media and its website. Last month, Zenless Zone Zero concluded its first beta testing session, but HoYoverse has yet to announce when the next round will be. There are also no gameplay videos available online since this is HoYoverse’s newest known title in development.
With more content on both Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero entering the mainstream, fans of the gacha game giant are eager to get their hands on the new titles. However, this means more pressure for HoYoverse. After releasing Genshin Impact — one of the biggest free-to-play games in the past years — expectations are high. And what fans don’t want is another clone of it, copy-pasted onto new assets. Perhaps this is why HoYoverse is branching out to new genres.
That said, some fans have also expressed their concern over the developer taking on multiple projects. After all, mismanagement of resources could lead to a drop in the quality of HoYoverse’s many IPs. Still, fans will have to wait and see. Until then, the community can stick to Genshin Impact and Honkai Impact 3rd.
Honkai: Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero are currently in development.