What's next for Honkai Impact 3rd, the Genshin Impact dev's original hit RPG: Girl friends, aerial combat, and a "point of entry for newcomers" after 7 years of lore

As one of the older gacha games out there, Honkai Impact 3rd can be intimidating. It feels like I was seeing inescapable YouTube ads for this action RPG's launch just yesterday, but the original hit for Genshin Impact developer Hoyoverse is now somehow approaching eight years old. But it also feels a bit like a new game nowadays thanks to its recent Part 2 update, which delivered extensive combat and systemic changes and, most importantly, started a whole story chapter featuring fresh protagonists.

The enormous cast and frankly terrifyingly deep lore of Parts 1 and 1.5 haven't been forgotten, but new leading ladies Senadina, Helia, and Coralie take center stage in a bespoke new space-faring storyline currently orbiting Mars. Part 2 has been billed as an approachable jumping-on point for a game that was getting to be a bit long in the tooth, so as someone who's enjoyed Hoyoverse's more recent games but always skipped Honkai Impact 3rd, I was cautiously optimistic. I was also curious to chat with the devs about what's next for the game, how it got here, its penchant for stories about gals quite simply being good pals, and how it's co-existing with the many other Hoyo games that didn't exist when it launched, especially the loosely paralleled Honkai Star Rail.

Responses edited for clarity and length.

Honkai Impact in 3, 2, 1 

GamesRadar+: I've come to think of Part 2 as a soft reboot for Honkai Impact 3rd. Is that accurate in your eyes?

Honkai Impact 3rd development team: This is an update to the existing one, with comprehensive optimization on story lines, combat system, UI design, etc.

I know Honkai Impact 3rd by reputation, and a lot of the praise I hear is related to the previous main character, Kiana. How long have you been planning to move onto an all-new cast with Part 2, and what pushed you to leave Kiana behind?

We always try to provide something new, something exciting, and something [imaginative]. We have been dedicated to creating new content and experiences for both new and avid gamers of Honkai Impact 3rd while inheriting the core spirit of the Honkai franchise. 

We hope to make Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2 a very accessible point of entry for newcomers to the series, so that more players can experience the beauty of Honkai Impact 3rd. Therefore, we decided to have brand-new characters accompanying players through the brand-new adventure of Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2.

I've also seen a lot of love for the many kinds of relationships, including romantic ones, between the numerous female characters of Honkai Impact 3rd. Is this an element you plan on sticking to or even doubling down on with Part 2?

During the journey of Part 1 and Part 1.5, players and the brave girls, also known as "Valkyries," have fought alongside each other against the spreading Honkai disaster, and fought for all that is beautiful in the world. The bonds of love and mutual trust are closely intertwined through the lasting memories they created together. In Part 2, players will also team up with vivid characters and explore the brand-new planet together.

Speaking of, can you explain if and how characters like Kiana as well as other Valkyries may come up in Part 2's story? I'm asking partly because I've seen some veteran players express concern and disappointment to see some of their favorite characters seemingly sidelined.

In Part 2, Kiana, Durandal, and Bronya, the Valkyries, will become the mentors of Helia and Coralie, the two protagonists in the main story of Part 2. Players will be able to witness the changes that have taken place in the growth of the three tutors over the years, and also participate in creating unforgettable moments between them and their pupils.

Since Part 1.5 especially, Hoyoverse has found success through several other games. Have any ideas or mechanics from those games influenced how the game has been updated in Part 2?

In the development of Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2, it is undeniable that the valuable experience of other projects in the technical pipeline, project development, content output, etc., were helpful. As a live service game, we will continue to introduce more content and gameplay in the future, and keep optimizing every detail to make it more enjoyable for all fans and players.

Is there much cross-talk and knowledge-sharing between development teams on different Hoyoverse games?

Since every Hoyoverse game has its unique features, the talents required and the technical fields involved will not be exactly the same, and the ideas and solutions adopted will not be exactly the same. 

I'm especially thinking about Honkai Star Rail's sci-fi city aesthetic, because I got a similar vibe from the Mars city teased for Part 2. Is there some artistic overlap there?

We have been working on improving the "immersion" and "thrill" of the game, all the design aesthetics, gameplay, storylines are just our methods to shape the style and immersion of the game.

Honkai Impact 3rd is such a long-running game at this point. What are the biggest lessons you've learned in these past eight years? Where do you see this game standing out in Hoyoverse's ever-expanding roster of games? What does it offer that games like Genshin Impact and Zenless Zone Zero don't or cannot?

Every Hoyoverse title has its own focus. For example, Genshin Impact is an open-world adventure RPG, Tears of Themis is a romance detective game, Honkai: Star Rail has a turn-based combat system, and the upcoming Zenless Zone Zero is an urban fantasy ARPG. 

We have been dedicated to providing gamers diverse and immersive experiences through different gameplay, storyline and character design as well. From the perspective of action gameplay, aerial combat is highly utilized in Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2, compared to other Hoyoverse titles.

My hope is that, since I've never played until now, Part 2 could be a good starting point for people like me to try the game. How have you worked to balance guiding new players with satisfying long-time players?

In Part 2, the journey exclusive to Honkai Impact 3rd will start anew, welcoming all newcomers and avid fans alike. We hope this to be a brand-new start for all. Players will encounter all-new main characters and NPCs with distinct looks and personalities, go through the new main plot that comprehensively integrates new scenes, narration, and combat system together, and indulge themselves in a smoother and more immersive gaming experience. 

We try to make the game more accessible to all players, and we have been putting efforts into every detail. For example, the new UI will not only adjust the appearance and style of each screen, but also optimize its usability. In addition to the updates in the overall design of buttons and layout, the new Valkyrie screen will display different backgrounds according to the types of Valkyries. The equipment and skill screens will have a functional optimization for more convenient operations. A new Recommendations tab will be added to the prep screen, showing the available events and main story chapters in the current version. Furthermore, the new lineup screen will also be upgraded to enable Quick Lineup and improve accessibility.

Looking at the moment-to-moment battles, and the aerial combat and enemy AI changes made in Part 2, what were your goals when improving the combat system, and how will it continue to evolve in the future?

With the technological accumulation and the will to refine every detail to perfection, the refreshing upgrade is bound to offer an enriching and diversified experience to everyone. Firstly, three-dimensional combat will be enhanced, and all characters will be able to jump freely, which leads to a variety of new challenges and combat strategies. The new combat mechanic, Astral Ring, will also provide an unprecedented experience during fights. When unleashed, it enables the simultaneous burst skills of multiple characters, casts splendid visual effects, and also grants an easier and more direct option to achieve burst damage. 

The diversity and combat mechanism of monsters will also be improved, such that they will no longer be simple-minded opponents, and will react in more interesting and intelligent ways. We hope to continue to challenge ourselves to develop products that can keep bringing players a refreshing feeling.

Genshin Impact studio's new urban RPG Zenless Zone Zero is holding another beta test featuring cute robo-bunny hordes and a PS5 giveaway.