Top 3 HoYoverse Games You Must Try: Gensin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, More

HoYoverse creator miHoYo, with its many franchises, has established itself as a titan not just in the mobile gaming scene but also on other platforms like PC and PS5.

Most people might not be familiar with HoYoverse, but almost everyone in the gaming community has heard of at least one of their many prominent games. HoYoverse is the collective term used by fans of Shanghai-based miHoYo, whose games include the likes of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. 

The term ‘gacha game’ is usually used to describe a game which employs a system similar to Gachapon, in which players use money to get a capsule that could contain a random toy out of a predetermined set. Gacha games use this concept as their primary source of monetisation offering rare characters, items and weapons as rewards. 

Within the gacha game industry, few companies have achieved HoYoverse’s level of commercial success.

With its many franchises, HoYoverse has established itself as a titan not just in the mobile gaming scene but also on other platforms like PC and PS5.

So, let’s talk about some of the best HoYoverse games you can play right now. 

Zenless Zone Zero

Zenless Zone Zero, more commonly known as ZZZ, is HoYoverse’s latest addition its gacha lineup. The game strays from its predecessors by employing a very modernistic and colourful aesthetic accompanied by retro elements. 

ZZZ greatly innovates on the storytelling by incorporating and combining comic book panels and exciting animated cutscenes with the traditional visual novel formula. 

The combat is extremely fluid and enjoyable. Casual players will have a blast fighting enemies while utilising fun mechanic like parrying.

It lacks an open world, but to many people this is actually a part of the appeal. Some people just want a fun casual game where they are not required to explore a huge open world.

Zenless Zone Zero is available on platforms like Android, iOS, PS5 and PC. 

Honkai: Star Rail

Honkai: Star Rail launched in 2023. Prior to its release, several expectations had formed in the minds of people because it was HoYoverse’s first large-scale title after Genshin Impact. Well, it didn’t just meet expectations, it exceeded them. 

From the very start, an improvement in graphical quality can be observed in the game. Additionally, many players might actually prefer its turn-based combat system more than a typical real time combat system. As someone who personally enjoys franchises like Persona, Honkai: Star Rail’s expressive combat animations really appealed to me.

The game has a futuristic aesthetic with steampunk elements sprinkled in. The game employs a semi-open world with a very celestial feel. 

Honkai: Star Rail is available on platforms like Android, iOS, PS5 and PC. 

Genshin Impact

The launch of Genshin Impact in 2020 was a turning point in the gacha game industry. It’s vibrant open world, well designed characters and intricate element-based combat system made it an instant hit. 

Genshin Impact set a new benchmark and sent ripples across the entire game industry. Now, almost all major gacha titles from competitors try to replicate its success. Sadly, very few have succeeded in doing so. 

Genshin Impact is set in a medieval world with its roots deep in the realm of fantasy. The map is quite vast and contains several different regions. Each region is accompanied by new story chapters, characters, dungeons, bosses and more. Exploration is a major aspect of Genshin Impact, with a multitude of puzzles and collectable items sprinkled throughout the world. 

It’s element-based real time combat system greatly encourages players to try out a variety of different teams and play styles. 

Genshin Impact is available on platforms like Android, iOS, PS5, PS4 and PC.

(The author is a student of Vivekananda Institute of Professional Studies, Delhi)