With Genshin already having been put through the ringer for almost three years, it's not unthinkable that the developer might prefer a fresher, cleaner slate with which it can avoid any developmental or design flaws from the get-go. If Honkai: Star Rail develops a player base that competes with Genshin Impact's, it's possible that HoYoverse may shift its focus towards the newer title. Gameplay-wise, though, it seems like many characters from Honkai are generally more powerful than those from Genshin. There are some certain parallels to be drawn between characters from both titles, with some faces from Honkai: Star Rail even having Genshin Impact twins, despite contrasting themes.

The two games are nearly identical in terms of art style, with the obvious difference being between the medieval fantasy and space exploration settings. Related: Honkai: Star Rail Players Are Getting A Major Genshin Comparison Wrong For what it lacks in mechanical skill, Honkai: Star Rail's battles require careful thought, and they reward creative gameplay more so than Genshin Impact.

But even veteran players or those with a lot of experience playing action-centric games may find themselves enjoying a breath of fresh air with the turn-based system. Newer players might feel less intimidated by this streamlined battle system, as it's less mechanically intensive than action-based combat, and those playing Honkai on mobile devices may be inclined to feel the same way. However, with its overwhelming success already, Honkai: Star Rail certainly seems to be on an upward trajectory to eventually outperform Genshin Impact, which means that the latter might eventually crumble not only on the consumers' end, but also on the end of the developer as well. This is not to say Honkai is outperforming Genshin on a larger scale just yet HoYoverse's first title boasts an impressive 65 million active users, which will take some time for its successor to catch up to, even with its initial advantage.

Some may have been expecting this upset with the whopping 30 million preregistrations the latter received prior to its release, but the reality of the situation appears to be that (at least initially) more players are interested in Honkai: Star Rail than Genshin Impact. According to Dexerto, Genshin received around 17 million downloads within its first four days - which is certainly nothing to scoff at - but Honkai accumulated over 20 million within its first, singular day following launch. The first sign of trouble for Genshin Impact makes itself apparent through Honkai: Star Rail's number of downloads.

Honkai star rail vs genshin impact