Each time a significant replace arrives in Honkai: Star Rail, it at all times brings with it tons of recent additions and gameplay options, and 4.0 is not any exception. Nonetheless, it looks like this model is increase with its first patch, and that we’d see the actual main advantages and modifications as soon as 4.1 and 4.2 arrive. Take note, 4.0 remains to be an enormous deal! Particularly with regards to Sparxie and Cosmicon Collective. However I get the impression we’ll see the total weight of Planarcadia’s Trailblaze Missions and Elation’s energy as soon as we get extra into it.
With the brand new Planarcadia Trailblaze Missions in Honkai: Star Rail 4.0, it jogs my memory extra of the early Xianzhou Luofu and Penacony storylines than one thing like Jarilo-VI and Amphoreus. We’re welcome friends to the planet, with Sparkle performing as a number. It’s a really vibrant house that feels trendy, with a lot of video games and actions. Now, there’s the setting for one thing extra and rising stakes, since there’s the Phantasmoon Video games competitors. The winner will get to fulfill Aha and wield the ability of an Aeon for a minute. Given Trailblazer, Sunday, Sparxie, and Silver Wolf are all competing, there’s quite a lot of potential for a way this all may go.
Nonetheless, I’m extra enthusiastic about 4.0 for an additional cause. That’s as a result of Himiko is tied to Planarcadia. We’ve seen current variations with members of the Astral Categorical tied to areas together with eventual revelations in regards to the characters. Dan Heng got here up in the course of the 1.0 Xianzhou Luofu storyline. March seventh ended up featured in 3.0 at Amphoreus. This seems like Himiko’s flip, and I’m excited by the preliminary teasers and hints we get to date.
Among the best components of Honkai: Star Rail 4.0 is the brand new Elation path, although I feel most individuals received’t get to actually respect it till Sparxie’s banner arrives on March 3, 2026. The brand new path may really feel a bit just like the DOTs in Nihility characters or Remembrance Memosprites since Aha may chime in for extra results and also you need to set issues up for Punchlines and Elation DMG. It’s most evident with Sparxie, who I acquired to check out, since her Increase! Sparxicle’s Poppin Ability enhances her Fundamental into Bloom! Winner Takes All for an assault with splash AOE injury and makes her Ability briefly Engagement Farming for a DMG multiplayer and extra Punchline factors. She will be able to do massive numbers even with out Yao Guang, particularly if Sparkle is on the identical time, although she is greatest when paired along with her fellow Elation character.
The factor is, Yao Guang herself isn’t as thrilling or helpful with out Sparxie. Her Decalight Unveils All Ability’s zone is greatest for Elation stat boosting, which solely applies to Sparxie for the time being. Whereas her Hexagram of Feathered Fortune is a extra generic one which helps get Aha performing once more and boosting Punchline, resulting from it serving to all-type Res Pen for the social gathering, she’s ideally a buffer for a sort of staff that most likely received’t be attainable till 4.2 or 4.3. I’m a bit stunned she’s the primary banner for Honkai: Star Rail 4.0, in reality, given the main focus Sparxie/Sparkle has within the story and the final usefulness of the opposite character.
What I particularly favored in regards to the 4.0 replace for Honkai: Star Rail is the Cosmicon Collective card recreation, which feels just like the equal of Genius Invokation in Genshin Affect. It’s after all its personal beast, with parts like climate influencing matches to supply boosts, and us utilizing Prismatic Cube and picked up character playing cards to combat matches. It’s commonplace TCG fare in some ways, with assault degree figuring out cube chosen and used, protection degree figuring out your protection primarily based on rolls, and us understanding what number of D6s and D4s could be used and if a Prismatic Die may very well be used. We roll cube, choose which of them to make use of to find out injury dealt and defenses set. It goes actually shortly, and there being the “Cosmicon, Roll On” occasion round at launch helps make it extra inviting.
The truth that Yao Guang received’t most likely be all that thrilling till her rerun apart, it seems like HoYoVerse is constructing one thing with Honkai: Star Rail 4.0. Planarcadia’s plot is leaving all types of threads to comply with and hints of issues to return, despite the fact that the preliminary quests are extra about getting acquainted with the premise. Sparxie seems like a fantastic instance of what Elation may very well be able to with the suitable helps. Cosmicon Collective is quite a lot of enjoyable. It’s like we’re on the basis now, and I’m excited for what’s subsequent.
Honkai: Star Rail is on the market for the PS5, PC, and cell units, and the 4.0 replace is reside now.
