Zenless Zone Zero review: HoYoverse's new flashy action RPG is full of fun
HoYoverse did not disappoint with this one. #zenlesszonezero #hoyoverse #mihoyo
Note: This review was first published on 19 July 2024.
Genshin Impact, Honkai: Star Rail, and now Zenless Zone Zero in four years. Image: HoYoverse
Following its launch on 4 July, Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ), the latest release from HoYoverse, marks another entry into the world of free-to-play gacha RPGs. Following the success of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, Zenless Zone Zero aims to hook players with its unique blend of action combat, roguelike elements, and puzzles.
Set in the post-apocalyptic urban fantasy world of New Eridu, ZZZ offers a fresh gaming experience that builds upon and diverges from previous HoYoverse games. For the past few days, I burned the midnight oil to see if the game was fun to play and these are my thoughts.
The TL;DR version:
Zenless Zone Zero takes players on a fun-filled journey filled with a captivating storyline, puzzles, and strikingly beautiful graphics in the city of New Eridu.
Note: Zenless Zone Zero is available for play on multiple platforms including PlayStation Store, Google Play, App Store, and Epic Games on PC. Links for the download can be found on the official ZZZ website here.
Fun-filled gameplay
Missions can be found through the Hollow Deep Dive System.
At its core, ZZZ’s gameplay revolves around a dynamic and visually striking action combat system. Players control a team of three characters, known as Agents, as they go through dimensions called Hollows. In general, the bar for mastering combat in the game is relatively low and comprises of combo chains and dodging. There are also tag-team attacks after completing combo chains that I found, created a sense of constant motion and thrill during gameplay.
One thing I noticed is how seamless the perfect assist mechanic is. Triggered by swapping characters at just the right moment before an enemy attack, it can lead to parries, evasions, and special interrupt moves that dish out extra damage. Additionally, the assist mechanic also allows for quick character swapping during combat to combine and deal more damage to the enemy.
I feel that this system not only adds another layer of strategy to the battle as you can mix and match the 19 playable characters available to create complimentary combo attacks but also results in some of the game’s most visually amazing moments.
The wipeout screen is a nice touch when defeating the final enemy.
However, while the combat is flashy and engaging, it can feel too easy at times. Maybe it's just me, but I felt that the enemies usually end up standing around waiting to be defeated without providing the kind of combat intelligence to challenge players. There is a main story difficulty setting that you can toggle between casual or challenge, but even "challenge" mode wasn't too difficult to overcome.
Outside of general combat, ZZZ has also introduced a unique exploration system using a 2D platformer board held together by TV sets. As with other games produced by HoYoverse, the puzzles aren’t that hard to complete and add variety to the gameplay. However, as time passed by, I felt that completing these puzzles was getting tedious and it disrupted the flow of the game.
The puzzles only get harder with the introduction of rails and moving blocks.
At one moment, I could be fighting enemies and the next moment, I would be spending about three to five minutes just figuring out how some of the puzzles worked. More importantly, I felt that the puzzles took away the engaging combat sequences that I loved seeing on my screen.
Otherwise, the game also has side activities that you can partake in. You can play mini-games at an arcade, manage the video rental store, and more. All in all, there is plenty to do in New Eridu and you can sink countless of hours playing the game.
Good storyline accompanied by retro-esque graphics
The comic-book-style panels look great.
Zenless Zone Zero’s narrative takes a different approach compared to previous HoYoverse titles. Instead of gods and the army of Antimatter Legion, the story follows the daily lives of tech-genius siblings, Wise and Belle. Operating the video rental store by day, and completing missions in the night. Players can choose which sibling to control, though both remain present in the story regardless of the choice which is nice to see.
The game has a simple and clean character selection page.
Overall, the story is presented through an engaging mix of comic-book-style panels with fully voiced dialogue. The focus on the personal stories and daily lives of the characters creates various lores that players can explore. The world of ZZZ looks absolutely gorgeous but unlike the expansive lands of Teyvat or the multiple planets to explore in Honkai: Star Rail, ZZZ does not have an open-world concept. However, this has not stopped the developers from creating a visually stunning game.
The game has a unique aesthetic that blends futuristic elements with nostalgic elements from the early 2000s. The character designs are diverse and appealing ranging from regular humans to a coffee-making robot, and a bear as a businessman. As mentioned earlier, there are 19 agents available for play, and each one is visually distinct in some shape or form.
During gameplay, I have to say that when the game is set to the highest settings (minus bloom and motion blur), the animations look stunning. Combat moves are fluid with each character’s ultimate abilities looking exceptionally stunning. As with HoYoverse’s track record, the attention to details extends beyond the gameplay to the character portraits used in dialogue and to the overall UI of the game, which seems partially inspired by Atlus' Persona 5.
Gacha and equipment system
Zenless Zone Zero has its own premium currency that you can purchase.
As with other HoYoverse titles, or any other gacha game for that matter, ZZZ has its own gacha system for character and equipment acquisition. The game features both standard and event-exclusive banners, with a “pity” system in place after a set amount of searches.
For gearing and customising your characters, Equipment in ZZZ comes in the form of W-Engines and Disc Drives. W-Engines provide stat boosts and a main buff effect, while Disc Drives offer additional stat increases and set bonuses when multiple pieces are equipped.
Currently, the game offers various ways to grind for materials and currency needed for upgrades. The Hollow Investigative Association (HIA) and Hollow Zero mode are where you will spend most of your time grinding for experience and gears. It isn’t all too difficult at first but will get progressively harder as you progress through the game.
Our 2 cents
An action-packed adventure awaits.
All in all, Zenless Zone Zero presents itself as another exciting entry in the HoYoverse portfolio. While the game has only been released recently, it has the qualities of a Triple-A game. With a captivating storyline, striking visual style, and a seamless combat experience, fans of HoYoverse’s previous titles or newcomers should definitely try it out. After all, it's free-to-play.
Zenless Zone Zero is available for play on multiple platforms including PlayStation, Android and iOS, PC (via Epic Games Store). Links for the download can be found on the official ZZZ website here.
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