HoYoverse cooked up another major update with Honkai: Star Rail 2.3, which contains two new permanent game modes among lots of other exciting things. One of these is a fresh module for the Simulated Universe, called the Divergent Universe. Unlike the previous two SU expansions – the Swarm Disaster and Gold & Gears – the DU will provide some of the same functions as the SU, such as farming Planar Ornaments.
Table of Contents
- Honkai: Star Rail – Simulated Universe vs. Divergent Universe
- Honkai: Star Rail – Divergent Universe explained
But what exactly is the difference between Simulated Universe and Divergent Universe going to be, then? Well, let’s take a look at that and break down what makes each mode unique.
Feature | Simulated Universe | Divergent Universe |
|---|---|---|
Roguelike gameplay with Blessings and Curios | Yes | Yes, with overhauled pool of Blessings and Curios |
Equations and Weighted Curios | No | Yes |
Farming Planar Ornaments | Yes | Yes, but faster thanks to save file feature |
Earning weekly SU Points | Yes | Yes |
Clearance rewards | Yes, via first-time clearance rewards for each World | Yes, via Synchronicity Level |
Index rewards | Yes | Yes |
Permanent buffs | Yes, via Ability Tree | Yes, via Inspiration Circuit and Probability Museum |
Weekly content | No | Yes |
Free team change | No | Yes |
Automatic character upgrades for higher difficulties | No | Yes |
Changes to Blessings and Curios possible | No | Yes |
Honkai: Star Rail – Divergent Universe explained
Let’s begin with what both modes have in common: The DU will have the same general structure as the SU, which means that you’ll need to traverse a set number of random domains, face boss enemies, and collect Blessings and Curios along the way. It’s the same roguelike gameplay loop.
Like for the SU, rewards are on the table for exploring the DU. However, they are not based on the clearance of certain stages, like in the SU. Instead, you obtain Synchronicity Points as you play, upgrading your Synchronicity Level and unlocking rewards over time in this way. Over time the maximum Synchronicity Level will be raised, allowing you to earn additional rewards – just like new Worlds in the SU introduced fresh first-time clearance benefits. The DU will include a countdown in its user interface to show you when the maximum level will be increased.
Runs in the DU are called Ordinary Extrapolations (available in several difficulty levels, like in the SU) and Cyclical Extrapolations. Ordinary Extrapolations are regular runs and available for you permanently, while Cyclical Extrapolations offer special challenges and are updated weekly – and they give extra rewards when cleared.
Like for the Swarm Disaster and Gold & Gears, clearing Ordinary Extrapolations and Cyclical Extrapolations contributes to the weekly refreshed Simulated Universe Points, allowing you to obtain Herta’s rewards.
Just like in the SU, you can get permanent buffs as you play by unlocking nodes in the Inspiration Circuit talent tree, and unlock additional rewards by filling the index with your discoveries.
During a run in the DU, you’ll still pick up Blessings and Curios to boost your power. However, the DU offers an interesting twist on the formula in the form of Equations. Equations are like a next step of the Resonance Interplays from Swarm Disaster and Gold & Gears and there are three different rarities of them you can obtain.
Equations provide powerful buffs once you activate them. Doing so requires you to collect a specific amount of Blessings from certain Paths. For example, the 1-Star Equation Sin Thirster needs three Blessings of The Nihility and two Blessings of The Hunt to work, whereas the 3-Star Equation Child of Calamity requires seven Blessings of The Propagation and five Blessings of The Nihility to be activated. You can have as many active Equations as you want, as long as you fulfill the requirements for each.
To make using Equations easier, a new domain type containing a Workbench of Creation has been added to the DU. Interacting with these machines will allow you to spend Cosmic Fragments to reset Equations and Blessings or consume Heat to enhance Blessings.
Curios got a bit of an overhaul as well. There is a new type called Weighted Curios, which are more difficult to obtain, but provide greater benefits – the UI will even show you which of your characters attain boons from them. Workbenches of Creation can also enhance Curios or reset your Weighted Curios.
Speaking of characters: In the SU you needed to use a Downloader to change your team on the fly during a run. In the DU, you can freely switch in any of your owned characters whenever you want. What’s more, if your characters are underleveled for the difficulty you’re currently on, the DU will automatically boost their level and Traces and provide them with appropriate Light Cones and Relics, enabling them to tackle the content. This will be great to mix things up, hunt for achievements, and test new team compositions.
Another distinct feature of the DU is that you discover pieces for the Probability Museum on the Radiant Feldspar, where the entrance to the DU is located. Filling the museum will allow you to get even more permanent buffs.
Like the SU, the DU will allow you to farm Planar Ornaments for your characters. However, there is a major quality-of-life improvement separating the two modes in this regard: Once you’ve done a run in the DU to get some Planar Ornaments, you can create a save file, which allows you to quickly jump back and earn the same Planar Ornaments again and again while keeping the Curios and Blessings you’ve amassed during the saved run.
