HoYoverse's RPG titles feature diverse gameplay styles that cater to all kinds of gamers. One of those titles is Honkai: Star Rail, a popular sci-fi fantasy gacha game with turn-based gameplay and deep lore that interconnects with other HoYoverse games. Soon, fans may get to enjoy a new HoYoverse game that brings together characters from Honkai: Star Rail, Honkai Impact 3rd, and, potentially, other titles.

It was recently confirmed, through a teaser, that HoYoverse is coming out with a Pokemon-like game. This confirmation comes after reports that HoYoverse filed a trademark for "Honkai: Nexus Anima," and fans have spotted multiple Twitter accounts that use that name. The teaser, which premiered at the end of a Star Rail Live broadcast, showed Honkai Impact 3rd's protagonist, Kiana Kaslana, with a loaf-like creature. It also showed Honkai: Star Rail's Blade with a mechanical wolf. It seems that HoYoverse is going in a completely different direction with this game, and the developer may have found the secret formula for yet another successful project.

honkai star rail mydei battle in-game screenshot
Honkai: Star Rail's Leaked Buffs for Old Units Are a Logical Progression

Honkai: Star Rail is rumored to be buffing older characters' stats, and it may be the solution to one of its glaring problems.

The Rumored Honkai: Nexus Anima Could Bring Together Gacha and Monster Collecting

While official information about Honkai: Nexus Anima is still scarce, the teaser does confirm the presence of different HoYoverse characters and monster companions. This configuration, which is certainly reminiscent of Pokemon, looks like it will give longtime fans the crossover that they've been waiting for. However, the mechanics that will be at the center of the game are still not officially confirmed, and they have only been touched on by leaks and speculations about Honkai: Nexus Anima.

Since this is a HoYoverse, many people believe it's going to have gacha mechanics, possibly for the characters and their assigned monsters. This approach could be similar to Persona 5: The Phantom X's gacha system, which gives players access to both the characters and their Personas with different star levels. As mentioned, it seems like Honkai: Nexus Anima will include multiple characters from Honkai: Star Rail, Honkai Impact 3rd, and possibly even Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero. It also appears that the game will feature adorable and fearsome creatures, and it would be interesting to see how those monsters are assigned to characters if Honkai: Nexus Anima ultimately takes a fixed approach to pairing them.

On the other hand, there's the possibility that Honkai: Nexus Anima will go full Pokemon with its gameplay, allowing players to obtain random monsters through exploration and gacha pulls. Players could then make their monsters more powerful by sending them into battle, which could be either PvP or against an AI opponent, depending on their preferred mode. Honkai: Star Rail fans experienced something like this during 2023's Aetherium Wars event, which was also likened to Pokemon because of its monster collection and team-building mechanics, and it's possible that HoYoverse will adopt and improve upon that event's offering for Honkai: Nexus Anima.

Gacha and Monster-Collecting Gameplay Could Be a Perfect Match

Both gacha and monster-collecting gameplay are popular among many gamers because they have an element of surprise to them, giving players the thrill of not knowing exactly which character(s) they'll encounter. This is especially true with Pokemon, where players find and catch Pokemon in the wild. These types of games also encourage gamers to be strategic when forming their teams for battles and when providing their monsters with items that will buff their stats. A game with a combination of gacha mechanics and monster-collecting could definitely be a unique experience, and, hopefully, Honkai: Nexus Anima will deliver on this exciting prospect.

Likewise, bringing together characters from different HoYoverse titles will make Honkai: Nexus Anima the developer's first true crossover game. After all, HoYoverse has been working on a multiverse, but the developer has only introduced alternate versions of its characters and concepts that exist in each of its games. With Honkai: Nexus Anima, perhaps fans will finally see their favorite characters interact with each other, while also recruiting strong monsters for their teams.

Rating block community and brand ratings Image
Honkai: Star Rail Tag Page Cover Art
Display card tags widget
RPG
Turn-Based RPG
Display card system widget
Systems
Display card community and brand rating widget Display card open critics widget
Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 90%
Display card main info widget
Released
April 26, 2023
ESRB
Teen / Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
Display card main info widget end Display card media widget start
Honkai: Star Rail Detailing Anomaly Arbitration Game Mode
Display card media widget end

WHERE TO PLAY

DIGITAL
Checkbox: control the expandable behavior of the extra info

Engine
Unity
Genre(s)
RPG, Turn-Based RPG