As all free-to-play gacha games are, Honkai: Star Rail uses microtransactions as its primary monetization model. This means you can purchase in-game currency using your money to speed up your progression or pull characters. These microtransactions make it challenging for some people to play the game without being tempted to spend cash. There's no need to beat around the bush, yes, Honkai Star Rail is a F2P friendly game - we'll go over why in this article.
Thankfully, in Honkai: Star Rail’s case, we have more options to get new characters besides opening our wallets. That’s because the game’s systems are far less punishing than Hoyoverse’s other popular games (Genshin Impact), preventing players from thinking they must pay to “win.”
Is Honkai Star Rail F2P Friendly?
There’s no shame in being a F2P enjoyer; not everyone has the cash to burn when pulling characters. Honkai: Star Rail is a free-to-play game in that you can easily download it from your app store without spending a dime.
When people ask, “Is this game really free-to-play?” they usually mean to ask whether they can progress in the game and clear content without spending money. The answer to this is yes. At the start, you’ll be given eight four-star characters for free. All these characters belong to various elements/classes, allowing you to plow through the main storyline and clear content without issues.
The more you play, the more opportunities you’ll have to accrue currency. Since the system is more lenient than other games within the Hoyoverse, you can grab a five-star character. Of course, you’ll have to save your resources and plan accordingly.
No PvP Means No Competition
There’s no PvP in Honkai: Star Rail, so you have no reason to rush through the content or try to summon every banner that releases. In games with PvP, summoning meta characters is the only way for your team comp to stay relevant, but since Honkai: Star Rail only has PvE, you don’t need to worry about all that. You can summon your favorite characters without feeling like you’re falling behind a trend!
Leveling Up Your Trailblaze Level: What’s Taking So Long?
Once your Trailblaze level is past 15, you’ll start having a more challenging time progressing. All of the main story quests are locked behind a Trailblaze level requirement. It’s the sad reality, but you’ll have to grind for EXP or buy your way through the game to progress faster. However, that doesn’t mean you have fewer opportunities to level up.
If you check your Missions daily, you’ll notice that Dailies and Side Missions can pop up whenever you’re out and about. You can find these Side Missions by exploring the different planets or the Herta Space Station. Looking at your map constantly is helpful, too; that way, you can see which locations have Missions you can do.
Tips On Playing Honkai: Star Rail for F2P Players
If You’re Not Playing, At Least Get Your Log In Rewards
The easiest way to get rewards without spending is to log in daily. Stellar Jades can be earned by completing daily objectives or story missions, but the game also offers them as one of the rewards for logging in. Stellar Jades can be converted into Star Rail Passes, Starlights, and Embers.
At the time of writing, you can claim up to 10 Star Rail Special Passes through A World Beyond—a daily check-in that’s available for players until its duration ends. Compared to the typical Star Rail Passes, you can use these to pull special five-star characters like Seele, Bronya, and other limited-time units.
Always Check Your Achievements
You can complete tons of achievements in Honkai: Star Rail, making it a fast and easy way to earn currency. With many achievements that can cater to various playstyles, you won’t have a hard time reaping the rewards. Many of Honkai: Star Rail’s achievements become available as you progress through the main story or complete specific missions. You can go to the game menu via your mobile phone to see how many achievements you've obtained.
Avoid Rushing the Game
It’s tempting to just haphazardly spend your resources on new characters or upgrades, don’t do it—you’ll regret it in the long run. The only difference between spending money and not doing so is that you’ll progress faster. Be careful about spending your resources on meaningless shortcuts (enhancing materials, refilling energy, etc.). Once you tough it out to Level 40 Trailblaze, you’ll unlock a third difficulty mode that yields more rewards for your missions.
