Honkai: Star Rail 2.0’s interstellar whodunnit mystery is its best chapter yet

When I boot up Honkai: Star Rail to try its 2.0 update, I immediately take off to its new planet, Penacony, the Land of Dreams. As soon as I check into my hotel room, an introductory chapter passes me between pretty, charming people who seem to ask me the same question at every turn: Are you sure you want to trust me?

It’s a question that ties in with the recurring theme of destinyStar Rail sows in its prologue and strengthens it with narrative and gameplay told over the course of Penacony’s entry arc. While Honkai: Star Rail‘s side quests historically don’t change the fates of playable characters, they can for less significant ones. Its 2.0 update takes that one step further.

Honkai: Star Rail 2.0 highlights how players’ choices might not always be the right ones. That dynamic creates one of the mobile RPG’s most thrilling chapters yet.

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This article contains spoilers for Honkai: Star Rail 2.0.

Setting the stage

The new Penacony chapter is one big whodunnit where players meet suspicious strangers, each of whom has their own motives and is probably lying about something. It gives players the weighty choice to trust or not trust their new friends. When it pulled the curtain back on me at the end of the chapter, I felt I made the wrong decision. And I mean that in a good way.

The story kicks off when the Astral Express receives an invitation to visit from the Family, the mysterious organization of Harmony worshippers that typically don’t let anyone else into the circle. They, and even frowned upon organizations like the Masked Fools, arrive at Penacony just in time for the planet’s signature Charmony Festival.

Penacony introduces new characters from the arrogant IPC investigator Adventurine to the mysterious Memokeeper, Black Swan. Himeko and Welt, your senior Astral Express crew members, warn you that even well-meaning people can be