We independently assess all our recommendations. Purchases through our links may earn us a commission.
Oh no, your Trailblazing Power ran out, whatever will you do now in Honkai: Star Rail? The sanest thing to do is stare at the ceiling and ruminate rather than rage at HoYoVerse, hoping to effect changes to the gameplay energy system. Or if you’re feeling like a proper, sophisticated gigachad, you could just play something else, like other turn-based RPGs.
And we’re not just referring to just about any turn-based RPGs. We know that your Honkai: Star Rail hangover is real and is about to become terminal if you don’t get your hands on something with anime(ish) aesthetics and turn-based gameplay right away. If you want something more akin to the gacha genre, you could check out some non-anime gacha games, or you can get ready to munch on these following turn-based RPGs if you like Honkai: Star Rail.
Persona 5
It’s easy to see where Honkai: Star Rail’s inspirations came from both in character design and gameplay. Persona 5 plays out similarly, from the ambush setups to the Ultimate animations. Even the characters have unique portrait art when unleashing their All-Out Attacks.
And, of course, the accompanying groovy and catchy music during the turn-based boss battles is the icing on top.
Persona 5 is the direct sequel to its four other predecessors, and it’s about a group of high school students who, in true high school teen spirit, are all about rebellion and freedom from adult oppression but with more added school drama and superhuman shenanigans.
Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia
Dissidia Final Fantasy: Opera Omnia is often hailed as one of the most polished and accessible gacha games today. Like Honkai: Star Rail, it’s also a turn-based JRPG that’s widely available on mobile platforms.
At its core, it’s a crossover game featuring almost all the characters of the past and current Final Fantasy games, both heroes and villains. That’s where the gacha element comes in. Trying to get the whole Final Fantasy VII crew is an endgame goal in itself.
The game still plays out like a turn-based RPG where the most prominent Final Fantasy heroes, villains, and legends battle it out for the fate of the world.
Fire Emblem Games
Most of the Fire Emblem games are limited to Nintendo platforms, like the Switch, but there are titles like Fire Emblem Heroes, which were made available on mobile platforms. You’ll have to pick which game is available on your gaming platform.
In any case, most of them play out similarly; they’re tactical battlefield RPGs where you manage your retinue, troops and even their romantic ties to a certain extent.
By the way!
Did you know we’re launching a Kickstarter campaign? In the next few months, our campaign for ‘Gentle Jack: The Party Game for Bad Friends‘ goes live! Visit the official website or follow the Kickstarter page to stay in the loop.
Placing two heroes side-by-side in combat, for example, strengthens their bond, and it’s up to your imagination what they do outside of the battlefield. The games take place in a medieval Renaissance setting and have a top-down tactical perspective once the fighting starts.
The turn-based element of the combat here has more depth than Honkai: Star Rail since positioning is key, and you get to control where your units stand in the field of battle, like chess. Combat is thus more tactical, albeit less stylish than Honkai: Star Rail.
Fate: Grand Order
Fate: Grand Order is also a gacha game, and it has a reputation for being one of the most expensive titles in its genre, assuming you have a predilection to spend in your gacha RPGs.
It has been out for nearly eight years now and is still going strong. You play as a Master who gets to control several legendary warriors who will fight for you in a bid to help you ascend to the top of the power struggle known as the Holy Grail Wars.
The gacha element is collecting these powerful Servants who will fight for you in turn-based mode. Fate: Grand Order also has a tie-in anime for those who want a more in-depth characterization of their in-game Servants.
Langrisser I & II
Yet another gacha game, Langrisser, is a fantasy tactical RPG that looks similar to Fire Emblem. Character design is similar to most HoYoVerse games though what immediately stands out with Langrisser is the larger scale for the combat.
Usually, you control squads and platoons here, giving off a larger scale for its combat. To that end, there’s also a strategy element involved here, especially when planning out your positioning and approach.
For its story, Langrisser is mostly a power struggle for the throne where you assume the role of Prince Ledin, whose home was invaded by a rival empire. Langrisser II sees a more carefree protagonist named Elwin who gets caught in the epic battle between light and darkness, and it’s up to you to help him pick sides.
I Am Setsuna
As far back as turn-based JPRGs go, one of the best among them was the old-fashioned Chrono Trigger, but if you want something closer to the Honkai: Star Rail experience, something more modern like I am Setsuna is a good alternative. Games like Chrono Trigger primarily inspired it.
Players also control a party here as they explore the atmospheric and somber in-game environments and fight in nerve-wracking turn-based combat.
You assume the role of the titular protagonist who must journey to sacrifice herself to the local deity in order to quell its rage and save her land. It’s worth playing the game just to see how that premise pans out.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel
It’s one of the most oft-compared games to the Persona series, so you’ll find The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel up there if you want something like Honkai: Star Rail.
The Legend of Heroes: Trails of Cold Steel is a story-heavy anime adventure about a military academy disguised as a high school. As the protagonist, you were selected to join the controversial Class VII, who, apart from their grades, must also worry about the impending doom for their country.
In short, it’s a typical anime high school from Japan. The combat is similar enough to Honkai: Star Rail that you’ll feel right at home and adjust fast.
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout
Atelier Ryza: Ever Darkness & the Secret Hideout is a lovely RPG where you lead a band of powerful youth on the cusp of adulthood, helping them discover their true calling in a medieval fantasy world.
At the heart of this coming-of-age story is the titular character, Ryza grew tired of her boring provincial village life and dared to dream big. So together with her friends, they set out on an adventure that would define their place in the world.
The funny thing is, the game’s graphics even look similar to Genshin Impact, and it was released a year before that game. Think of it as some kind of seamless cross between Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail due to the turn-based combat.
