Honkai: Star Rail replaced traditional weapons with Light Cones and reshaped gear into something far more specialized and polarizing in the process. Instead of an open system where players can experiment across weapon types or mix gear by stat priority, Light Cones are path-locked, purpose-built, and brutally narrow in scope. While that design works well for Star Rail because its combat is slow, surgical, and turn-based, and while the mechanic has the potential to translate well beyond Star Rail’s format, things could go either way for other titles.
The direction, at the end, comes down to what kind of experience the studio is chasing. Light Cones trim the fat and eliminate inventory bloat, but they also trade away a player’s creative freedom. In Honkai: Star Rail, this trade-off works because the game thrives on rigid team roles, predictable turn order, and precision-tuned strategy. In other formats, like real-time combat or open-world action, such rigidity could feel suffocating.
Rumor: Honkai Star Rail Leak Teases Saber's Element
Leaks from Honkai: Star Rail are hinting at the in-game element for Fate/Stay Night crossover character Saber, set to debut later this year.
Why Light Cones in Future Titles Could Work in Favor
Light Cones in Honkai: Star Rail impose structure, but that structure breeds clarity, identity, and balance. In games where character roles are tightly defined, having role-specific gear reduces bloat and directs players toward meaningful decisions. Therefore, instead of wasting resources gambling on universal weapons or patching mismatched stats, players get gear that’s made for their unit’s job. That opens up room for the developers to design deeper character kits, because the gear is no longer a wild card and is a known variable.
If future HoYoverse titles lean into tighter class systems or small-squad formats, Light Cones could act as the stabilizer that lets everything else evolve more aggressively. There’s also long-term value in reducing gear noise. In most gacha systems, power creep is driven by gear confusion: too many random stats, too many what-ifs. Light Cones cut that off early, and in the process, create a healthier meta. The game isn’t constantly reinventing the wheel to sell power; it’s iterating within a framework that players understand.
Light Cones Can Only Work in a Certain Type of Game
Light Cones only work because the rest of Star Rail is built to support them, as the combat is structured and the teams are small. The pace is slow enough to let role-locking shine. But if this same gear system is brought into a faster, open-world game like Genshin Impact or another real-time title, the cracks would immediately start to show. In games where improvisation and sandbox play are core pillars, locking gear behind rigid paths kills the joy of exploration.
The Case Against Leveraging Light Cones
Weapon systems in other HoYoverse titles serve a broader role. In Genshin, part of the thrill is mismatching a bow or catalyst just to see if it works. There’s room for experimentation, for meta-breaking oddities, for accidental synergy that the devs didn’t foresee. Light Cones, by contrast, crush that space. They’re optimized before the player even begins, and while that’s efficient, it’s also restrictive. It creates a flat-build culture where there’s one best answer and a handful of bad ones, without much room in between.
The Cones also lean heavily on FOMO as well since Signature Cones are often locked behind premium banners, and without them, some characters feel half-baked. In a system this rigid, not having the right Cone isn't a mild inconvenience, but a direct nerf. That creates friction in free-to-play ecosystems and undermines the sense of ownership and individuality that sandbox gear systems deliver. The point is — what works in a rail-thin turn-based loop doesn’t always scale to broader, more fluid games. If future HoYoverse titles are meant to feel dynamic, flexible, and personal, Light Cones might be the wrong blueprint.
-
OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 83 /100 Critics Rec: 90%
- Released
- April 26, 2023
- ESRB
- Teen / Fantasy Violence, Mild Suggestive Themes, Simulated Gambling, In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items), Users Interact
- Developer(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
- Publisher(s)
- HoYoverse (Formerly miHoYo)
WHERE TO PLAY
They call them, "Aeons" in this galaxy. They construct reality, erase stars, and leave their marks on countless worlds. Together with your companions you'll travel across the galaxy on the Astral Express, following the path once traveled by the Aeons. From here, you will explore new civilizations, meet new comrades, and begin new adventures among countless fantastical worlds. All the answers you seek will be uncovered among the stars.
Well what're you waiting for? Are you ready to begin this trailblazing journey?
Honkai: Star Rail is a new HoYoverse space fantasy RPG. Hop aboard the Astral Express and experience the galaxy's infinite wonders filled with adventure and thrills.
Players will meet new companions across various worlds and maybe even run into some familiar faces. Overcome the struggles together caused by Stellaron and unravel the hidden truths behind it! May this journey lead us starward!
- Engine
- Unity
- Genre(s)
- RPG, Turn-Based RPG
