The open-world map of Genshin Impact showcases the beautiful details of Teyvat, fully immersing fans in each of the unique regions. As they explore deeper and invest in the story, they start to feel at home in Genshin Impact‘s world and start to feel a connection with the characters, both playable and NPCs. The experience is further heightened by the game’s cozy housing feature known as the Serenitea Pot.
The Serenitea Pot allows players to create their own virtual home within Genshin Impact, complete with various furnishings, buildings, and even the ability to do co-op tasks with friends. It’s essentially a cozy game within an open-world game, and fans could use it to relax before or after diving into the Archon Quest or Spiral Abyss. Genshin Impact set the bar high for housing features in gacha games — so much that HoYoverse fans are expecting the same treatment for Honkai: Star Rail.
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Genshin Impact Has a Leg Up Over Honkai: Star Rail Thanks to the Serenitea Pot
Cozy game fans who frequent Stardew Valley-esque titles will recognize the amount of detail that HoYoverse put into the Serenitea Pot. Apart from customizing their homes, Genshin Impact fans can also alter the teapot’s Realm, even creating intricate villages inspired by the likes of Howl’s Moving Castle and Rivendell from Lord of the Rings. Players can also unlock a gardening system that lets them plant and harvest resources that they need for upgrades and crafting, and adopt pet companions to guard their home while they’re away.
The Serenitea Pot is not only an adorable mini-world that Genshin Impact fans can engage with; it’s also become an avenue for them to express their creativity and share it with people who visit their realm. It’s understandable why fans wish HoYoverse would implement a similar housing feature in Honkai: Star Rail, especially since the Trailblazer already has a home base on the Astral Express.
What’s interesting about the Trailblazer in Honkai: Star Rail is that they don’t have their own room on the Astral Express, and would only sleep on the couches in the Parlor Car. This detail has prompted many Honkai: Star Rail fans to call for a housing system of some sort, which could be as simple as decorating the Trailblazer’s bedroom on the train. More than a year after its release, Honkai: Star Rail still hasn’t added such a feature, but it’s also possible that HoYoverse might be taking its sweet time to develop it. For perspective, Genshin Impact also released the Serenitea Pot over a year after its launch, so Honkai: Star Rail might be following the same pattern. But right now, Genshin Impact seems to have an advantage in terms of having immersive experiences, from its exploration and combat to its chill activities.
- Serenitea Pot: Released during Genshin Impact Version 2.2 back in October 2021 (Genshin Impact came out in September 2020)
Honkai: Star Rail May Be One Step Closer to Customizing the Astral Express
On the other hand, it might also be challenging for HoYoverse to pull the trigger on a housing system for Honkai: Star Rail, especially if it intends to keep the game optimized for mobile play. Because it has turn-based combat and limited exploration, the game runs smoothly on most phones, making it an accessible experience for players. An intricate housing system could prove too much for Honkai: Star Rail, but that doesn’t mean it can’t increase customization for the Astral Express.
Right now, Honkai: Star Rail allows players to purchase a Brother Hanu TV set from Penacony that they can place in the train’s cabin area. It’s the first time that players could add furniture pieces to the train, and it might be a hint of what’s to come as the Trailblazer travels to more worlds and possibly takes home more memorabilia to decorate the cabin with in the future. It may be a small step in terms of customization, but it’s still a good sign given the possible limitations of Honkai: Star Rail.
Step into Teyvat, a vast world teeming with life and flowing with elemental energy.
You and your sibling arrived here from another world. Separated by an unknown god, stripped of your powers, and cast into a deep slumber, you now awake to a world very different from when you first arrived.
Thus begins your journey across Teyvat to seek answers from The Seven — the gods of each element. Along the way, prepare to explore every inch of this wondrous world, join forces with a diverse range of characters, and unravel the countless mysteries that Teyvat holds…
- Released
- September 28, 2020
- Multiplayer
- Online Multiplayer
- Engine
- Unity
- ESRB
- T for Teen – Fantasy Violence, Alcohol Reference
- Steam Deck Compatibility
- yes
- X|S Optimized
- yes
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
- OpenCritic Rating
- Strong
- Cross Save
- yes
- Cross-Platform Play
- Mobile, PC, PS4 & PS5
