From Genshin Impact to Zenless Zone Zero, the tech otakus at HoYoverse are always saving the world in new genres every year.
Enter Honkai: Nexus Anima, their foray into the ever-so-popular creature collector genre. With two weeks to check out their closed Evolution Test, see what awaits players with our preview…
Honkai: Nexus Anima Preview – Evolution Test Impressions!
Keeping our story coverage light to keep the surprise (it is a preview, after all), Honkai: Nexus Anima kicks off with players losing their memory and discovering that they possess hidden powers.
Shortly after waking, players are chased through a portal and are brought into a different world.
Tying things into Honkai: Star Rail, Blade was one of the characters chasing us…
Fast-forward to one’s escape, with players arriving in a new place where little Anima creatures co-exist. With players able to catch Anima and use them for exploration, one’s main objective in Honkai: Nexus Anima is to become the very best (like no one ever was).
Enter Honkai: Nexus Anima’s battling, which keeps things distinctly unique.
While players will still set their team up as one’d expect, Anima will then do everything on their own from there.
On that note, Honkai: Nexus Anima requires careful preparation. Players can pick an Anima’s spot, their formation, and their squad makeup before each bout. When matches begin, players can then pick between three different operator powers to help one’s team as they fight.
This ties into direct damage to enemies, buffs or debuffs, or even healing elements. That being said, each of these elements also features a huge cooldown – using each one tactically is incredibly important.
It took a few fights for us to get acclimated to Honkai: Nexus Anima’s battle system, but it was easy for us to grasp once our team was properly assembled.
When battling wild Anima, players can get the chance to capture them after a fight. Some provide an easy catch, while others provide 12% shot and lead to four missed attempts.
Honkai: Nexus Anima also respects the player, in that players can’t catch repeats. While new skins and upgrade points are available for catching new ones, players will never have multiple of the same Anima in one party. This, in turn, encourages players to grind them out to become as strong as possible.
There were a total of 83 Anima to catch during this Honkai: Nexus Anima Evolution Test – a healthy variety!
When not battling in Honkai: Nexus Anima, players can freely explore the city and find things to do. There are a number of side quests – while most end in battles, they are still plenty of fun.
For instance, one side quest has us demolishing a building with an Anima!
Honkai: Nexus Anima also gives players the chance to find treasure, take on boss Anima, and play different mini-games. With fast travel and rideable Anima, players can also easily traverse the land as well.
Then there is Honkai: Nexus Anima’s business Empire, aka Joyful Lia – one of its main mini-games. This system has players investing in local businesses to improve the area, with each new shop featuring a quest ripe for completing.
That being said, this system is mostly passive. When players get a new shop, they’ll be able to assign select Anima there to help run it. Those that build the right team will earn more coins, which can then be used to expand into new businesses and sell new products.
This proves to be a nice side project, with some handsome rewards as well!
Another HoYoverse hit, our brief time with Honkai: Nexus Anima Evolution Test proves they truly understand what we so love about the creature-collecting adventure genre.
Learn more about Honkai: Nexus Anima via its official website.
For those feeling social, be sure to follow the official Facebook, Twitter/X, Instagram, TikTok, Reddit, and YouTube social media channels.
An official Discord channel is also available for those looking to join the conversation.
Thank you to PR for inviting us to this Honkai: Nexus Anima Evolution Test preview!
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