Chengnan An, lead game designer of Honkai: Star Rail, emphasizes character design as the core focus of game development. Having worked at Mihoyo for over nine years, An played a critical role in evolving the Honkai franchise. He argues that every character should resonate with players, guiding design decisions. For him, character creativity precedes combat mechanics, showcasing a unique approach that values narrative and emotional connection over mere gameplay functionality. This strategy supports the game's expansive and diverse character roster, inviting diverse player engagements and experiences.
"In Honkai: Star Rail, almost every decision is about the characters first and foremost. Ideally, every single character should strike a chord with someone, somewhere."
"Character design always comes before combat design. If we're just thinking about the combat system when we're designing characters, then we ran out of inspo really, really fast."
Collection
[
|
...
]