Summary
Honkai: Star RailandGenshin Impact’s weapon system differences putHonkai: Star Railin a weird spot. There is no overbearing issue with the light cones inHonkai: Star Railversus weapons fromGenshin Impact, but the present differences do take away from the player experience in small ways. Indeed, the customization thatGenshin Impactoffers with different passives and different weapon types is arguably better than its sister game.
Honkai: Star Raillimits light cone configuration to the element type of the unit, and they are more akin to memories or stories than weapons. There is no visual change in the character when swapping a light cone in favor of another. The fun matching thatGenshin Impactweaponsoffer—though they are locked by weapon type for the characters—is something that the sister game misses out on.
The Difference Between Light Cones and Weapons in Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact
Ultimate Customization for Players
For a lot of players, no matter what kind of game it is, customization is something that players look forward to and want to encounter. When character customization is included, many players sit down for hours to decorate their persona however they desire (takeThe Sims 4customization, for example.) When it comes to games likeHonkai: Star RailandGenshin Impactthat do not have that, players only have weapons and light cones and need to be able to create their own makeshift design combinations.
Weapons inGenshin Impactoffer a lot more of that aesthetic appeal thanHonkai: Star Raillight conesdo, at least in terms of how aesthetics can come together. It scratches a certain itch to be able to choose between a weapon that is arguably good for a character’s kit and a weapon that matches the design of the character. Some examples of matching weapons are:
The Fun of Swapping and Testing Weapons and Light Cones
When battling inHonkai: Star Rail, players do not see light cones, but rather their unique weapon. And though it is in itself fun to see what weapons each character uses and what that says about the unit, it isn’t as fun as swapping around, for example, catalysts onGenshin Impact’s Yanfeito see what fits best. Knowing that Gepard uses his sister’s guitar case as a weapon is silly and fun, but that’s all players will ever see.
The light cones do not add any physical fun to the game the way weapons do inGenshin Impact. The backstory behind the light cone may be enticing or entertaining, but it isn’t too different from the readable loreeach weapon inGenshin Impacthas. It also limits the number of fun combat challenges players can give themselves. It isn’t possible to do a challenge such as only using a weapon that matches the character design in battle inHonkai: Star Rail, for instance.
Again, this is not an inherent fault of the developer, nor should it be considered an oversight. The lack of customization in this way may be upsetting, but it is no deal-breaker by any means. Not every game, especiallyRPGs likeHonkai: Star RailandGenshin Impact,can be as customizable as games that actively include it as a part of the game’s very structure, such as:
