Gaming

Honkai: Star Rail: Turn-based Genshin Impact?

That’s an oversimplification

Published

April 26, 2023

Honkai: Star Rail is officially available to download today on the Epic Games Store, PC, Android, iOS. A PlayStation version is also coming but is still under development. It’s the latest game from HoYoverse – makers of the ever popular Genshin Impact. We had the chance to play the game ahead of today’s release and here we’ll try to answer the question: Should you play it?

Some quick notes before we proceed. All the screenshots on this article were taken during the first hour or so of the game. And while it’s available on other platforms, our play time was only on Android. Specifically, the HONOR Magic5 Pro.

Getting Started

Honkai: Star Rail’s first hour or so is pretty much a story-based tutorial of the game. You get a hold of two characters to start and you’re slowly shown how to do things. Unlike Genshin Impact, this game isn’t open world. Instead, you do a fair bit of exploration in certain stages in a linear fashion.

During exploration, you encounter enemies that you either hit or hit you first. This is key in determining the order of turns in combat. Once this is triggered, the game immediately shifts to turn-based combat with stunning, flashy animations.

If, like this writer, you grew up playing a good chunk of JRPGs, this gameplay loop will feel very familiar.

Midway through the tutorial, the characters you control will encounter the protagonist. In Genshin Impact, they’re called ‘Traveler’. Here the main character (MC) is referred to as the ‘Trailblazer’.

Like in Genshin Impact, you pick whether the Trailblazer is male or female. In our gameplay, this didn’t seem to affect the general storyline.

HoYo-skinned JRPG

The look and general feel of Honkai: Star Rail is very reminiscent of HoYoverse’s 2020 breakout game, Genshin Impact. The obvious traces are in the character’s art style. This seems intentional to clearly tie everything to the grand HoYo-scheme of things.

The menu layout and character screens look pretty much the same.

The skill trees are also accessed by tapping on a particular character. The ‘gacha’ mechanics are also identical. Although I didn’t get to try it all that much during my playthrough.

The presentation is great too. The dialogue parts feel dynamic thanks to the various camera shots used. It’s not just the same two shots of characters going back and forth. Instead, we get various tight, medium, and wide shots to make what otherwise would have been a boring yet overwhelming banter feel more tolerable.

Oh and there’s even a photo mode where you can change the ’emotion’ of your character. Perfect if you just want to admire the art style.

Turn-based Genshin Impact?

Calling Honkai: Star Rail a turn-based combat version of Genshin Impact is an oversimplification. But it’s the best way to describe the game at the moment.

As mentioned earlier, many of the layouts, skill trees, and character mechanics are almost identical. But the gameplay varies drastically when it comes to combat.

As someone who hopped on the Genshin Impact train late and only really boarded during smartphone and occasional PC review sessions, I wanted to make sure to get in early for this game.

What really piqued my interest is the turn-based combat. I have been longing for a high-quality, turn-based combat game to play on mobile for the smartphone reviews I do and it’s finally here.

Diving into combat

Combat essentially starts while you’re in exploration. If you hit an enemy first, you gain first strike advantages and vice versa. This is key in turn-based combat. The earlier you can deal damage, the faster the dispose of the enemies.

The turns are displayed on the upper left side of the screen. This helps you determine your strategy based on your opponent. Like most JRPGs, enemies will have some elemental weaknesses.

These are immediately displayed for lower-level enemies to start. For others, you’ll have to dig in a little bit before it shows up.

Every character has a basic attack and a special. Some basic attacks can only hit one target, while others can hit multiple. Most special attacks deal damage to multiple targets. Specials have a cool down period that replenish when you attack and when you get hit.

It’s a fantastic turn-based combat system that challenges a player’s strategic side in real-time.

There’s so much to consider from elemental weaknesses, choosing whether to attack a target or defend an ally, and picking the right moment to unleash a special attack.

Hardware performance

As mentioned earlier, we played the game on a flagship Android smartphone. By default, the settings are turned to high. But midway in the playthrough, I turned it up to very high with Game mode turned on.

The overall smoothness of your gameplay will depend on the hardware you’re playing with. I’d say to go with the default settings for an efficient experience. After all, it’s not open world and the art style lends itself nicely to lower resolution and frame rates.

As of writing, the Android version of the game isn’t compatible with any game controllers. We’ll ask HoYoverse if this is in the pipeline and update this space as needed.

We’ll also try the game on a gaming PC soon and share performance details also on this space.

Should you play Honkai: Star Rail?

If you’re reading this, you likely are just curious about the game and aren’t part of the thousands who have already started playing. My general advice is to give the game at least three hours of playthrough to see if it’s for you or not.

For fans of turn-based combat, there’s a lot here that you’ll appreciate. It’s pretty simple to start but the variety of characters, enemies, elemental weaknesses, and more offer enough to make the combat feel deep.

And if you’re into the whole game-anime waifu-collecting that HoYoverse is dishing out, then I’d say this is for you.

Honkai: Star Rail takes the aesthetic of Genshin Impact and puts it on gameplay reminiscent of classic JRPGs. It seems like a backwards approach considering how more people seem to prefer action-type games. But there seems to be enough enthusiasm for this type of gameplay based on the buzz it has generated so far.

Personally, it looks like this is going to be my go-to mobile game for the foreseeable future. But I’m also excited to play it on the PlayStation 5.

Features

Why choose the MSI Claw?

Is it the gaming handheld for you?

Published

April 18, 2024

GadgetMatch

The MSI Claw is the latest gaming handheld from a major PC and laptop brand. The competition in this emerging gadget segment is tighter than ever. So, what is it about the MSI Claw that can scratch your gaming itch? Here’s a quick list.

Best grip in the game

One quick glance and it’s hard not to compare the claw with another popular gaming handheld. But a closer look and actually holding the thing will reveal that its grip easily feels better.

It has a slightly deeper groove that makes it easier to hold. So, MSI’s “Grip and Game” tagline isn’t all talk. Its design truly does provide one of the better feeling handles among its competition.

The overall design makes sure it’s made for extended gameplay sessions. The buttons are where you expect them to be. That includes the four mini buttons on the upper edges of the screen. These are the View, MSI Center M, Menu, and Quick Settings buttons.

In addition, the face buttons and d-pad all feel great. The face buttons, in particular, feel comparable to those of regular console controllers.

The rest of the buttons and triggers have a very satisfying tactile feel. It also uses Hall Effect technology to get rid of any stick drift issues.

Up top, you’ll find the power button, MicroSD Card slot, Thunderbolt 4 USB-C port, audio jack, and the volume buttons. These are intuitively placed and just makes sense given the overall design approach.

As cliché as it sounds, you’ll really think you got your money’s worth once you hold, touch, press, and grip the MSI Claw.

Dragon Vision

Now, MSI isn’t really calling it that but I thought it sounds pretty cool. A big part of the whole gaming experience is the display. Balancing resolution and frame rates is always tricky but the MSI Claw does it convincingly.

With this gaming handheld, you get a 7-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate. Looks great on paper and it’s even better in real life. It’s the sweet spot in terms of both size and performance. There’s enough here to immerse you all while delivering a satisfying level of crisp and smoothness.

It’s comfortable to view whether you’re on the couch, on a desk table, or lying down getting a quick game in before you get some shut-eye.

Battery Life

At 53Whr, the MSI Claw has a 36% larger battery capacity than its contemporaries and promises 50% more play time.

MSI claims “elevated performance with extended endurance” using the Claw with faster charging capabilities.

These percentages are hard to measure in real life usage. What we can say for certain is that you get the expected performance and playtime typical of a handheld. That’s a little under two hours for graphically demanding titles, and close to four hours on less demanding ones.

The charging claim is legitimate. The MSI Claw juices up faster than most other handhelds, going from 20% to 100% in about a little over a K-Drama episode (roughly a little over an hour).

MSI Center M

Any self-respecting gaming handheld has its own software to make navigating the thing more manageable. While its direct competitors have an armoury crate and a space, MSI went with Center M.

The best part about MSI Center M is it puts your installed games front and center. Right when it launches, you get immediate access to the titles you have available on your machine.

MSI Afterburner is already the most commonly used app for taking a look at how your machine is performing while you play. That functionality is built-in to the MSI Claw. You can access it view the Quick Settings buttons.

Layout and functionality-wise, the MSI Center M is certainly one of the better Gaming Handheld softwares available right now.

Competitive Performance

A defining trait of the MSI Claw is that It’s the first gaming handheld to be powered by Intel Core Ultra. With it comes Intel XeSS tech. What it does is leverage AI upscaling to boost the fps of select titles.

As of launch, 50 notable games are supported. That number will certainly grow throughout the device’s lifespan. Some of the titles include Hi-Fi Rush, Dying Light 2, Forza Horizon 5, Call of Duty Warzone 2.0, Returnal, and many, many more.

Naturally, results will vary depending on the game mode you’re using. But in general, AAA games get anywhere between 10% to 45% better frame rate performance with Intel XeSS.

For our part we played TEKKEN 8 and the recently launched Horizon Forbidden West. Both graphically demanding games played relatively well on the MSI Claw. Frame rate performance on TEKKEN 8 is crucial and we got a relatively consistent fps, never dropping below 40.

Horizon Forbidden West is a much more graphically demanding game. We were able to run it in Medium Settings and while it doesn’t look as incredible, it still played relatively well with a frame rate surprising for a gaming handheld.

Extras

MSI made sure that if you wanted to, you could get some extra stuff with the MSI Claw. Its separately sold accessory set includes the Claw Travel Case, Nest Docking Station, Claw Lanyard, and Claw Keychain.

On paper, the MSI Claw lists its ergonomic design, AI Engine, and App Player as distinct advantages over its competition.

Whether it’s the Gaming Handheld that matches your needs is still ultimately up to you. If you have the opportunity to test drive the device, we suggest you do so. That might just solidify your purchase decision.

Price and availability in the Philippines

The MSI Claw will be available in three configurations in the Philippines. There are priced as follows:

MSI Claw A1M-075PH (PhP 45, 995).

Intel® Core™ Ultra 5 processor 135H
512GB NVMe PCIe Gen4x4
LPDDR5 16GB, dual channel
Intel® Arc™ Graphics

Claw A1M-076PH (PhP 50, 995).

Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 processor 155H
512GB NVMe PCIe Gen4x4
LPDDR5 16GB, dual channel
Intel® Arc™ Graphics

Claw A1M-077PH (PhP 53, 995).

Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 processor 155H
1TB NVMe PCIe Gen4x4
LPDDR5 16GB, dual channel
Intel® Arc™ Graphics

Ongoing Promotion

You can still get your own MSI Claw with exclusive bundled freebies 𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐃 until 𝐀𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐥 𝟑𝟎, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟒!

This feature article is a collaboration between GadgetMatch and MSI Philippines.

Deals

Play Assassin’s Creed Mirage for FREE

For a limited time

Published

April 17, 2024

GadgetMatch

If you’ve been waiting for an opportunity to try Assassin’s Creed Mirage, that opportunity has come. The game is available for free trial on the PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X|S, Xbox One, Windows PC, Ubisoft Store, and the Epic Games Store. The promotion will be available from April 17 to 30.

During the Free Trial, players will have access to the first two (2) hours of the. Progression will carry over if they purchase the game.

Players streaming will be able to get and offer to their viewers an exclusive reward: Basim Valhalla Sword, if they stream during the Free Trial period. This unique sword is Basim’s weapon from his later years in England.

Discounts will also be available on PC via Ubisoft Connect only. From April 17t to 24 , Assassin’s Creed Mirage Standard Edition and Deluxe Edition will be 40% off.

Assassin’s Creed Mirage

Assassin’s Creed Mirage spins a tale centered around an already established character, rather than a blank slate like Valhalla’s Eivor. It follows Basim Ibn Ishaq, a character introduced in Valhalla. Taking place before the events of the previous game, Mirage has the assassin root out the Order in 9^th-century Baghdad, a setting familiar to those who played the original title in 2007.

Gaming

GameSir announces Nova, Nova Lite gaming controllers

Budget-friendly gaming controllers

Published

April 16, 2024

GadgetMatch

Gaming peripherals brand GameSir has introduced two new budget-friendly gaming controllers: The GameSir Nova and GameSir Nova Lite.

These controllers feature multi-platform compatibility and cutting-edge technologies, like anti-drift Hall effect sticks and tri-mode connectivity, for affordable price points.

The GameSir Nova is available for UK£ 39.99/US$ 35.99/PhP 2,100 while the GameSir Nova Lite costs UK£ 29.99/US$ 24.99/PhP 1,500.

Color options for the Nova are Neon Teal and Retro White, while the Nova Lite comes in Stellar White and Space Purple. Customers may purchase from Amazon, Amazon UK, and the GameSir website.

Ultimate multi-platform gaming controller

The GameSir Nova and Nova Lite are both compatible with multiple devices, including PC, iOS, Android, and Switch. The Nova Lite, meanwhile, can also connect to Steam Deck.

Both controllers also support tri-mode connectivity for flexibility. The Nova can be connected via Bluetooth, 2.4GHz, or a wired connection. Its Lite counterpart supports Bluetooth, a wireless dongle, and a wired configuration.

Precise, consistent gaming

With anti-drift Hall effect sticks, the Nova provides a smooth and consistent gaming experience. It uses specially optimized algorithms, and even supports motion controls to tilt, shake, or rotate for more immersion.

The Dual HD Rumble Motors in the grips also provide vibrations for real and precise feedback, whatever the game’s effects may be. Furthermore, there are two programmable macro back buttons that allows gamers to execute complex combos with ease.

The Nova Lite, meanwhile, also has analogue triggers, a 20Hz Turbo function, and two motors in the grips to cater to the user’s needs and feel.

In addition, the Lite includes a multi-function M button. Users may use this button to adjust different settings on the fly. For instance, pressing M plus the D-pad’s up and down buttons raises or lowers the vibration intensity. The sticks’ dead zones may also be adjusted to one’s liking.