HoYoverse`s fanbase has long been a phenomenon impossible to ignore in any major discussion about the gaming industry. They generously support their favored company, which comfortably resides on its throne – fan service is effective, and devoted fans are ready to tear apart any critics of the famous Chinese franchises. Genshin Impact, Zenless Zone Zero, and Honkai: Star Rail are games that generate billions. While we`re not counting others` money, the latest Honkai: Star Rail patch inspires us to reflect on global fairness within the gaming landscape.
But not much reflection is needed. There are no real changes to the new absurd story concept – the lore flows endlessly, NPCs fearlessly dominate game time, and the Zlatius are predictably dying off, just as foreseen. Their deaths are now routine, lacking any spark. While attempts were made to give each a unique death theme, the self-sacrifices of Hyacinthus and Castor are structurally identical, and Aglaia`s departure even happened off-screen, perhaps to spare sensitive audiences tears.
The Senate represents clear villains, while players are heroic protagonists. Even poor Cipher, originally on the sidelines, was recruited into a suicide squad reminiscent of ancient tales. However, don`t expect epic heroism: apart from one boss fight cutscene that likely consumed the lion`s share of the new patch`s budget, the rest, as usual, feels bland and ordinary. It still doesn`t surpass the impact of the Cocolia fight, Herta appeared for just a couple of minutes, and the ending was abruptly cut. Who designs things this way?
Beyond that, commenting on the patch`s narrative feels unnecessary. If they couldn`t bother to invent anything new for us in terms of narrative presentation, why should we elaborate? You could simply use AI to generate a plot summary. Instead, let`s step aside and discuss truly important matters.
You know, HoYoverse`s products feel like a social experiment. If you cut a person off from all other games and feed them only selective “HoYoverse-ness,” they will eventually stop resisting it. The thought might occur that this is the only way to do game narrative: thoroughly, in detail, and strictly by the book. I myself am guilty of this – I`ve spent five years alongside this company, and when other strong narrative titles for the year run out, you end up playing several consecutive patches of this gacha madness and somehow get used to the situation.
A true RPG cannot be made here; perhaps the audience would disperse. But characters must be discussed, otherwise, how can they be sold? It seems cutscenes are expensive, leading to short ones. Constantly playing blatant, soulless hackwork that is difficult to compare to anything else in its peculiarity, nothing remains but acceptance. And as we know from the anime “The Promised Neverland,” resignation is the best antidote to despair.
I recently had a “stroke of misfortune.” I launched Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 – a new game from French developers – and finished it in an almost trance-like state over a couple of days. I`ll be honest: words haven`t been invented yet to describe the feeling of going from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 back to Honkai: Star Rail and starting to listen to the dialogues of the local cardboard cutouts. If I had launched Genshin Impact, the shock effect might have finished me off on the spot.
Every product has its audience, if you don`t like it, don`t play, the market decided – there`s truth in these statements. But how about putting that bag of excuses aside and boldly throwing down the gauntlet against the barrier between gamers and ignorance?
Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 is a resonant game. Resonant in how much the developers` passionate and creative approach differs from what we are used to seeing from industry giants who endlessly exploit the same techniques. As is easy to guess, HoYoverse falls into the latter category – just as many “Assassins” Ubisoft has released, the Chinese shark will feed you the same number of identical plot points, while slyly devouring your wallet.
And it seems this was once despised. While all gamers hate something different, how often did you see someone defending “game conveyors”? Blatant hackwork and attempts to ride on old fame were too often punished by the audience, sometimes even burying the biggest franchises – recall the last game in the Saints Row series.
Now, as I understand it, this is the norm. When HoYoverse exploits the same plot points for the tenth time, knowledgeable people put a hand on your shoulder and say: “Buddy, it`s okay, it`s a reference, you need to understand.” Indeed, references have long become an end in themselves for both developers and audiences – you`d be surprised at the number of forums and videos online dedicated to various references. Sometimes the gaming community resembles a postmodern cult in how passionately this element is valued. Don`t misunderstand, references are great. Once, twice, fifty times, maybe even a hundred. But specifically here, meaning is lost behind them.
Take the legend of Seliosia. I got tired of reading it, even skipping (thank you for the small skip option, by the way) all parts of this legend narrated by the NPC horse-like characters. This entire huge layer can be summarized in a couple of sentences like “Seliosia fought, got crazy, messed up.” At this point, a seasoned lore expert with their own library might burst in and point out a detail missed in the corner. But you can just ignore it.
Seriously, count for yourself how much of the Amphoreus story told throughout the plot can be discarded without the slightest loss of meaning? The number of lines is impressive, I assure you. This volume of text cannot be explained except by directives from above, aimed at keeping us in the game longer. An important moment like Aglaia`s death remains sidelined with traditional white text on a black background, while excessive detail is written about the great-grandmother of local NPCs.
This can no longer even be justified by categories of “literariness” or “text-centricity,” as the plot volumes serve no purpose. Are there any among you whose hearts fluttered from Phaethon`s languid sighs about the past, rather than from the teeth-shattering boss fight cutscene? And then you remember Clair Obscur, where on easy difficulty (the only one available in HSR`s story, by the way) gameplay and intense cinematics share time, if not 60/40, then definitely 50/50.
And its developer, Sandfall Interactive, has a staff of 40 people (plus dozens of Chinese outsourcers). Why can relatively unknown developers create intense and bold cinematic stories, while HoYoverse seemingly cannot? Many answers can be found, but the attitude towards their audience and product will be paramount. And we won`t even talk about the giant gap in the narrative level between the two games – those who know, know.
At the time of Genshin Impact`s release, there was genuine hope that it would revolutionize the industry. No one demanded a complex RPG, but there was a glimmer of hope that the title could borrow the best features from its peers to bring story and depth back into the industry. Developing a universe requires a multifaceted global conflict. Selling characters requires writing them well. Earning millions from players means having the means to impress with graphics and cutscenes.
But time passed – the hero fell under the pressure of its own ego. Fan service instead of story, good guys versus bad guys instead of a global conflict, cost-cutting on cinematics, and repetitive events in a loop. This recipe has been applied to all games, and while some patches are admittedly more successful and others significantly worse, the average remains unchanged. The third consecutive patch in the Amphoreus story is identical in structure to previous ones, giving the impression that the studio has settled on its ideal recipe and has no intention of deviating. This means credit for boldness and unconventional moves must go to entirely different heroes.