Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2 to introduce Mars civilizations, revamped combat, plot, fresh new beginning, and more

Honkai Impact 3rd is the game that pushed HoYoverse into the limelight, largely thanks to its amazing visuals, visceral combat, and intriguing story. This action-adventure RPG battler was first released on October 14, 2016, making it nearly seven years old. Despite its age, it would seem that the title's developer intends to fully support it through 2024 and beyond via the release of Part 2.

This article takes a deep dive into the “sequel” of Honkai Impact 3rd, as depicted during the Tokyo Games Show (2023).

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Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2 promises a complete overhaul of the game

Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2 will bring significant changes to the current version of the game. A detailed summary is provided below, divided into subsections:

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New setting in Mars

Visiting the planet of Mars (Image via HoYoverse)

Part 2 will focus on the Hyperion heading toward the planet Mars, along with subsequent visits to other planets within the solar system. This is a huge departure from the Earth-moon focus during Honkai Impact 3rd Part 1.

Players will get to explore a wide range of diverse cultures, bustling cities, interactive NPCs, and an all-new original questline.

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New cast

New characters enter the mix (Image via HoYoverse)

Part 2 will also bring a fresh set of faces to the game. For starters, players take control of the Dreamseeker, a preset (male/female) self-insert protagonist, much like another HoYoverse title, Honkai Star Rail.

A number of playable characters were also shown during the Tokyo Games Show presentation, each offering glimpses of their unique combat styles.

As of now, it is still unknown if the original cast of Honkai Impact 3rd will make its appearance in Part 2.

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Revamped combat

Combat has been completely reworked (Image via HoYoverse)

The main focus of the Tokyo Games Show presentation was the overhauled combat system. Combat has been completely reworked to bring it in line with modern AAA titles. It is now entirely three-dimensional, with the added advantage of vertical movement (jump) on the battlefield - first introduced during APHO 2.

Furthermore, the QTE system has also been changed to incorporate the Astral Ring. The Astral Ring system allows for the party to use their ultimates simultaneously.

Finally, the enemy AI is also expected to be reworked, offering a greater level of complexity and challenge.

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New engine and enhanced visuals

Visuals have been enhanced (Image via HoYoverse)

As announced in a previous announcement, Honkai Impact 3rd Part 2 will shift to a newer version of the game engine.

This game engine is likely the same one that powers both Honkai Star Rail and Genshin Impact. It should provide better visual effects and enhanced gameplay opportunities over the admittedly aging engine used in the current build.

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Early 2024 release

Part 2 releases in February 2024 (Image via HoYoverse)

HoYoverse has confirmed that Part 2 will be released worldwide in February 2024. An exact date is still unknown at the time of writing, as are the plans for transitioning the existing player base to the newer version.

Further details regarding the matter are expected to be made available in due time.

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For more Honkai Impact 3rd news and updates, keep an eye out on Sportskeeda.