HoYoverse games have become one of the main titles over the past few years that you can count on to deliver an experience that can truly blow you away. This started in 2011 with FlyMe2theMoon, and MiHoYo has been consistently getting better and expanding with each title. Since 2020 and the launch of Genshin Impact, each game the studio has released has players build or pull together a team of characters that have full personalities and feel different to accomplish a great goal. This does not change with Zenless Zone Zero, a game that, this time around, is the studio’s biggest game yet and brings the ARPG and hack-and-slash genre to the front. But while this game is an ARPG, it is a combination of many other aspects and genres that all come together. Some of these genres are more stylish, and some are more substance-based. The shining star of ZZZ, its combat, is where things begin to take form.
Having played both Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail, I fully was expecting the combat to be like a fusion of Genshin’s simple combat and some of the intensity I see in Honkai. However, that simplicity with the combat is here, too, much to my surprise. That is not a bad thing, but it is certainly something to note, as even Hoyo has sent out a player survey that specifically asks if the combat is too simple and repetitive.
The best comparison that I can think of when I play and see this game’s combat is that of BlazBlue Cross Tag Battle. I have seen this comparison made online as well by some fellow players. BBTag has a very simple control scheme that, more or less, you can do a lot of things for a character with 3 or 4 buttons in a fight. Here in Zenless Zone Zero, it is a 5-button scheme, but only two apply to active combat, meaning the deepest your combo set with one character will be based on those two buttons. The other two are for switching out characters (or parrying) and a dash button. There is also one extra button, being our ultimate, but that only unlocks after a certain point in combat. This might sound bad, but honestly, unless you are not dealing enough damage or trying to keep the combat energy up, you might not notice the simplicity at all due to the constant switching back and forth between characters.
This brings me to highlight the intense action of this game. ZZZ has such intense combat that if you at least tried to compare it to DMC (Devil May Cry), you would be able to for a short moment because you are always on the move and pressing something; this applies to the puzzle sections as well. Why mention puzzles with combat? In ZZZ, puzzles are a part of the combat sections and, at times, are necessary to access the combat sections. These can be equally as intense in their own right because no one puzzle section will be the same outside of their respective mission. Some missions are calm and straight to the point, but others can be a bit more complicated and intense, with an enemy chasing you through the puzzle. I think it is an enjoyable addition to the game that deepens each respective mission it is a part of.
A Satisfying Gameplay Loop
There are three types of missions available in the game at the moment: Story Commissions, Combat Commissions, and Exploration Commissions. These names are pretty self-explanatory of what you can expect. In story commissions, you take on missions that will advance the game’s story in any way, such as Belle and Nekomata looking for Cunning Hares. Combat Commissions are used for missions that are in and out and more combat-focused in order to complete the mission and its respective objectives. For example, a team of your selection goes into the mission area to fight to secure some lost produce. Lastly, we have Exploration Commissions, which are where you find a majority of the puzzle levels in order to secure some kind of material or good. These levels do have combat in them as there are enemies in them, but you will be fighting as much as you will be navigating through TVs to reach your objective.
All of these mission types are fun and give players more than one type of main combat activity in the game if you are looking for that. You usually will get missions from talking to Wise/Belle or by checking your phone and getting on the Inter-Knot Network to accept commissions from people who need help getting them fulfilled. Additionally, you can even sometimes walk around 6th Street and talk to people who need some help. This variety of missions made me want to keep coming back because it makes the game feel alive, something that I did not feel when playing Genshin or Honkai.
Next, we head to 6th Street, our second home base. It’s the hub for most activities and provides access to nearly every other area. Here are our key stops, the first being Howl’s Stand, where you try the daily scratch for in-game currency (Dennie) or Polychromes for gacha rolls. The second store is the Arcade, where you can play games against CPUs or friends online to earn Polychromes. Something to note is that the “Event” tab is currently unavailable. Next are our two food shops, General Chop and the Coffee Shop, where players can get food and drinks from a robot chef and a barista for battle buffs and effects. Players get to enjoy cinematic showcases of dish preparation, and something to note is there is a cooldown on orders. Lastly are the two shops, Bangboos’ Shop and the Gadget Store, where players can buy materials for combat and agent upgrades.
I haven’t unlocked all the activities in the game yet, but I can tell you about the ones I’ve experienced so far. In the game, you can run your own store, go on side missions with Officer Mewmew, and play arcade games on 6th Street. One of my favorite activities is the HIA Club, where you can take on VR combat challenges with a team. Another activity is Hollow Zero, which involves dangerous combat and puzzles. It’s much tougher than other missions, so make sure your team is well-prepared before taking it on.
Let’s talk about the story in Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ). The missions are notably long; I played for 2-3 hours daily this week and only reached “Chapter 1 – Intermission.” This length isn’t necessarily negative, but it’s something to consider, especially for players who prefer shorter sessions. I would suggest slightly compressing each mission or shortening the dialogue.
The story begins with the Cunning Hares infiltrating a building to steal from a mysterious yet funny and expressant man named Silver. Things go wrong, and everyone falls into a Hollow after the building is blown up by a police helicopter. The first agent, Enby, meets Billy in the Hollow, and together, they escape and meet their boss, Nicole. They plan with the protagonist (Belle or Wise) to re-enter the Hollow, “defeat” Silver, and recover an item. This mission introduces the assistant, Fairy, and the next agent, Nekomata (who is not permanently available and must be pulled to play outside story missions). Together, they take down an organization targeting civilians. The story then moves to Intermission.
This summary avoids spoilers, and I highly recommend playing the game to experience the full, engaging story firsthand. It is a very good story that keeps the player invested in it with its world-building and character development.
We’re not done with the story just yet because, surprisingly, the game tells its story in various ways. When the game begins, you are put into a comic book-style cutscene where it is telling the story in panels, then immediately afterward going to a full motion cutscene. Afterward, the rest of that mission plays out like a modern visual novel, with 2-4 characters on screen at once, and they are slightly animated. Once we leave that mission, we go to a sideshow style of animated cutscene, then back to a different style of modern visual novelty, but this time with a lot of animation. If the player progressed in the story more, they would encounter the last style of storytelling shown, which is a fully animated 3D movie that looks like the game’s anime style if you have an “HD” logo in the corner. Essentially, it’s the game’s art style but turned up to the max like an anime movie. This varied way of storytelling drew me in more and more because I appreciate variation, especially if you can shove it in a way that does not bother anyone and just gives options.
Finally, I can’t end this review without discussing the game’s art, including the environment and music. This was a part of the ZZZ‘s advertising and hype, so I was very interested to see it, especially after seeing a preview that featured a bouncy and lively Nicole. I’m a big fan of sometimes over-expression, so I genuinely had a big smile on my face while watching the beginning. That bounciness and liveliness are everywhere in the game, culminating in a fresh and fun experience. From simply watching a character idle in a cutscene to even pulling them into a role, each character has life wherever you see them; they will never just “be,” and that is great to me. It is the fact that the character in some way has ever so slightly over-dramatic animation that allows them to give off their own personality and tell their own story. I would say this over-dramaticness spills over into the world, too.
Earlier I mentioned Chef Chop and the Coffee Barista and how they have their own cinematic when preparing food, in those cinematics they over extremely over the top, and it’s cool and sexy. I want whatever they are cooking up! Moving over to how other characters, such as Officer Mewmew and all the Banboo around the city, have some extreme bounce to them, and when they talk and move, they show their expressions more than they would speak. All these things come together to make not only 6th Street, but the whole world of New Eridu not just look alive but feel alive.
The music of Zenless Zone Zero certainly deserves its own soundtrack release because it is spectacular. If I could leave it at that, I would because the music has left me speechless. I had expectations coming into this game for everything besides music because I love new music and the surprises that come with it. Also, I imagined the game to have a hyper-type soundtrack and wanted to see if I was right. I’m thrilled that the game’s soundtrack is excellent and captures the feel and vibe of New Eridu and the Hollow. When in the city, the music is more chill and calm, which matches your environment. It’s genuinely nice music that makes the player feel more at home with ZZZ.
When in battle, the music is more hyper, drum and bass style music, with hints of hip-hop and some other aspects mixed in. It really does serve its purpose, which is to hype up the player. In the puzzle levels, the music is more calm and has an analytical sound. Then, when it comes to stores and facilities, all the music matches the vibe of their respective building and purpose. The music truly serves its purpose here: to enhance not only the game environments and world but also the player experience.
In conclusion, I thoroughly enjoyed my time playing Zenless Zone Zero. It’s a fun game with tons of substance and style, just as advertised. But it also surprised me quite a lot because while I’ve played a majority of Hoyo games, this one, by far, stands up on its own two legs. One of the only major complaints I can genuinely give is that this is a gacha game. With Genshin and HSR, I can fully see why those are gacha game experiences, but with Zenless Zone Zero, I can’t help but say it feels like it’s limited the game’s potential. There are genuine moments in this game where it feels like it could be so much more, but then you remember it’s a gacha game. Hoyo made a great game here at the end of the day that is fun and addictive. While I am not usually a gacha game player or even a mobile game player too much, I will be routinely returning to Zenless Zone Zero to continue my fun and journey with Belle/Wise and their companions.
