When a game franchise decides to ditch the concept of sequential sequels, either for stylistic or spin-off purposes, things can get a bit… chronologically confusing. Case in point, if you take a look at Honkai Star Rail, you’d probably immediately assume a relation to Honkai Impact 3rd. But is Honkai Star Rail a sequel or a spinoff?
Is Honkai Star Rail a Sequel or Spinoff? Answered
The answer to that question is “kind of both, but mostly a spinoff.” Honkai Star Rail takes place chronologically after A Post Honkai Odyssey, a self-contained open world map in Honkai Impact 3rd that’s set 8 years after that game’s story. In APHO, the majority of Honkai have been sealed away on the moon, but humanity then falls under invasion by an alien race called the Sky People.
Related: Honkai Impact Codes
Honkai Star Rail follows these events, focusing on mankind’s efforts to voyage into space and fight the Sky People on their own turf, protecting other worlds from them in the process. HoYoVerse released a brief prequel manga called Alien Space which goes into detail on this story.
Do You Need to Play Honkai Impact to Play Star Rail?
While the events of Honkai Star Rail follow those of Honkai Impact sequentially, though, you don’t need to have played Impact to play Star Rail. Star Rail follows a new cast of characters, and while some knowledge of Impact’s story may help you understand what they’re doing, it’s not absolutely required. As such, Star Rail is more of a spin-off than a sequel, because it takes place in the same universe, but doesn’t explicitly follow the events of the previous game.
If you want more information on the games’ stories and setting, HoYoLab has a convenient directory for lore videos and the Alien Space manga to get you caught up.
For more information on Honkai Star Rail, check out our guide on its potential release date. We also have a guide on the potential release date of HoYoVerse’s next game, Zenless Zone Zero. Visit our Facebook page too for more news and guides.
