Honkai: Nexus Anima first look: open world and auto-battler

A tester who participated in HoYoverse’s Evolution Test played an early build of Honkai: Nexus Anima on an Android tablet and detailed the game’s core systems, presentation and controls. The playtest offered a look at open-world exploration, a creature-collection loop centered on Anima, and an auto-battler combat layer.

The game is set in a fragmented universe formerly called the Nexus. The tester described environments and character models as brightly colored and peaceful, and noted frequent short cutscenes during story segments. Anima designs were reported to reflect individual abilities and personalities, and bonding sequences include stylized visual effects and animations.

Exploration uses Anima-specific traversal skills. When players encounter wild Anima, the session moves into a bonding sequence that transitions into an auto-battler encounter. The tester outlined a formation-based combat system in which players arrange collected Anima to exploit enemy weaknesses. Victory in combat creates chances to forge bonds and add defeated Anima to the player’s roster.

Bonding attempts were reported to be chance-based. The tester stated that Anima can escape after repeated failed attempts and that escaped Anima respawn at the same location, allowing players to attempt bonding again later.

Small side activities were present in the build the tester played. Mini-games included short races, shooting contests and object-destruction challenges. The tester also noted a rename option for Anima and said keyboard support on the tested Android tablet improved control comfort.

On presentation, the playtest notes described smooth exploration and combat animations, and highlighted character ultimate animations in auto-battler fights. The tester reported that the soundtrack supported emotional story moments and matched the calmer tone of open-world sections. A fast-forward mechanic similar to those in other HoYoverse titles appeared with a different visual treatment in this build.

The tester criticized the absence of dedicated summoning animations for the game’s gacha banners, describing both the Eidos and Anima banners as visually plain compared with expectations. No release date was provided in the playtest notes. HoYoverse continues staged testing and is adjusting final systems and content for the title, which the studio develops alongside its other games.