Amphoreus is the perfect place to get back on the Astral Express with the launch of Honkai Star Rail Version 3.0.
Goodbye Penacony, so long to Xianzhou Loufu. Honkai Star Rial launched Version 3.0 last week, giving payers who’ve stepped off this journey across the stars a myriad of reasons to step back on board. While Penacony and the intervening trip out into Xianzhou were a fantastic adventure, the bright lights of the dream and the reprieve form this pop culture cacophony sometimes left me a little lost.
But now, Trailblazers can look forward to a new tale that I’m positive you need to try. If you aren’t already in game, why you should absolutely take a seat and prepare to log into the latest installment in Honkai Star Rail. It’s the perfect time to log back in.
Second Star To The Right
Get ready for a new destination Trailblazers. Honkai Star Rail Version 3.0 heads into a complete mystery. A location put among the stars that hasn’t been mapped before, and remains a enigmatic to almost all onlookers. Not even Akivili never reached this ancient entity. It is almost immune to outside observation and can only be seen through the light of the mirrors from the Garden of Recollection. This isolation means that while Pom-Pom can set course for an exciting landing, you really don’t need to be up on all the recent lore before strapping in. The launch of ‘Paean of Era Nova’ provides players with an opportunity to wash away a huge amount of established lore and experience an adventure that largely stands on its own merits. You won’t need a refresher course on the Hunt, Nihility, double-crossing dream walkers, or locations long-lost. Known as The Eternal Land, Amphoreus is a world where HoYoverse has an opportunity to try something new, and it really does.
The Design
After defeating machine armies, exploring city ships, and escaping an ex-prison planet, Amphoreus is unlike anything we’ve seen before. This land of legend leans away from bright lights and eastern influences, instead drawing on the scale and grandeur of the Greek gods. Like many of HoYo’s other games the team behind Honkai Star Rail draw on different myth and legends to craft a world that represents the quest we’re about to take on, and Amphoreus is uniquely suited to this new chapter. Build on an colossal scale, this world drops players into a city surrounded by enormous mythological statues, powerful deities, gorgeous baths, and architecture that speaks to a close relationship with the gods of this world, and the complicated history that you’ll have to explore.
While mere mortals bustle around a city that could sit on the of a thriving Kerameikos, the scale of the corridors that unfurl hint at the sheer power of the various factions that await you. Whether it’s the ruins left behind or the sanctuary of a holy city, the environmental design dispatches with he complexity and reality bending side streets of Penacony in favour of making us feel small. The world seems better suited to titanic deities than mere mortals. It’s certainly better suited to running through on mobile, when the world isn’t warped all around you. Amphoreus is an imposing and grand idea that sets players against the backdrop of a world of gods, monsters, heroes, and adventure, and yet this new world isn’t the only reason you should jump back in now.
The Themes
Amphoreus leans on familiar ideas to so many modern gems of silver screen. The architecture is simply a prelude to continued nods to Greek myth. Characters like Aglaea seem to mix Ariadne and Aletheia but might more colloquially just be a nod to a certain wonderous woman instead. Trojan Horses, Titans, and gods like Atlas all are just a few of the threads that weave their way through the narrative, while the architecture takes us to Corinth in space. Beyond the battle between gods and mortals, kings, and powerful protectors that you’ll encounter, tripping over to Amphoreus marks a clear start of a new heroes journey. Where Xianzhou and Penacony in particular lean on some intriguing character development, scheming, and more plot twists than a Game of Throne box set, this story is easier to follow. While there are clearly some big secrets – why can’t March go to Amphoreus being one of them – the latest version of Honkai Star Rail Star Rail Version 3.0 is largely unburdened by galactic politics.
Instead, the wider narrative and thematic design lead the game right into a clearly defined battle. Despite a relatively explicit lore dump, you don’t really need it to quickly understand that this is a tale of fallen gods, powerful heroes, and a quest to save what remains of a once glorious civilization. It’s a classical heroic journey and there’s not time wasted trying to catch up on what you may or may not have forgotten. kick off the Version 3.0 with an battle featuring a definite antagonist. No subterfuge, no investigation, no waiting for the action to begin. It does require a lore dump to get acquainted with the background of this world, but that doesn’t stop things leaping straight into the action from the opening acts.
You Absolutely DO NOT Need to Pull
Let’s be clear, like any big update HoYo’s turn based wallet emptying machine ends up removing all the Jade from my wallet. This time, you really don’t need to come back prepared. The latest big name to hit the banners is The Herta. While we’ve found that this addition can be unreasonably powerful, and a hit with the fanbase, I haven’t actually used The Herta during this update. Thanks to a subpar team build during my first few battles, I put her aside and played through with two defensive, or Preservation characters, and added somebody for high damage output and a fourth addition to add damage over time could all come straight out of character banners that have already come and gone.
It’s The Right Time
I mean, that’s the point of this particular piece right? However, that’s not quite what I mean. While Penacony’s deigns focused on warping reality to create a series of mini-games and perception puzzles. Things are both the same and different here. In what feels like a more streamlined approach, Amphoreus environmental puzzles are all about time. Rewind the seconds to move boulders, repair damaged infrastructure, and move between sections of the world in different times. Cross a crumbled bridge when it was still standing, or watch columns disappear from view as you play with the clock. It’s a neat change to the perception bending brain-teasers that Penacony introduced, but using a more streamlined approach. It might seem less awe-inspiring than some outlandish moments in the dream, but it plays better than previous encounters.
Upcoming Collaborations?
I’m likely getting into speculation now, but I fully expect that this is a good time to jump back on board the Astral Express since I can see HoYoverse laying the foundations for the much-hyped Fate/Stay Night collaboration hits screen later this year. Anybody who’s has a chance to check out trailers or begin the new chapter will find themselves in a new world that follows the core tenants of mythic heroes, Kings , and deities. Greek legend seeps through every pore, and Myedai’s design can’t be any sort of coincidence. Check out a certain King of Heroes to see what I mean. This location is the perfect place to find some Heroic Spirits seeping through the veil.
Loot
Let’s be clear, if nothing else there’s free loot on offer for players. While we’ve been had 5-Star characters in past chapters, and Proxies in ZZZ got their own free 5-Star, your best girl gets a new cosmetic for free. The new Nascent Spring outfit is available for free during this new chapter launch. It’s an opportunity to grab the sort of item that might otherwise set you back 1,680 Oneiric Shards outside the new launch. The new outfit is a return to a previous dress that you might remember making an appearance, and can be applied to March 7th’s Preservation variant throughout the game.
Of course, returning players will also benefit from a bunch of free returning rewards too. Homecoming events kick in for players that haven’t logged in for around 14 days and are a mix of boosts, rewards, and more. Most obvious and enticing are the log in rewards. Each day you log back in to take on this new chapter, expect Stellar Jade, Fuel, and Traveller’s Guides. Each will help get you levelled and prepare for the latest boss fights. Additional experience content, and curated content with powerful loot also present a great way to get back on track quickly.
If for no other reason, get back into Honkai Star Rail Version 3.0 and make use of all the free loot that’s coming your way, and maybe explore a new land and stare into the eyes of the gods. Check out what awaits in Amphoreus. Head to the official website and play across PC and Mobile now.
