I’m sure you’ve got a pretty good idea of what Zenless Zone Zero is after its trailer was shown off at The Game Awards 2023 and Gamescom 2024.
HoYoverse’s marketing team made sure Zenless Zone Zero grabbed everyone’s attention, whether you’re a fan or not. But even if the banner of cute anime characters and cool setting piqued your interest, you might still be wondering what it’s all about and how it plays. I’ll break it all down for you so you can decide if it’s worth playing.
What is ZZZ?
Zenless Zone Zero is the latest action role-playing game (ARPG) from HoYoverse, the creators of Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail. It offers a fast-paced, combo-oriented ARPG experience with unique combat mechanics, character switching, and resource management.
It’s set in the futuristic city of New Eridu, where you step into the shoes of a Proxy, be it Belle or Wise, and navigate mysterious dimensions known as “Hollows.”
Zenless Zone Zero launched on July 4, 2024, and is now available for free on PlayStation 5, PC, and mobile. As with other HoYoverse games, future updates will introduce more characters, quests, and game modes.
Combat in Zenless Zone Zero
ZZZ has fast-paced, dynamic combat. Combining skills, quick-time event combos, and character switching, battles are action-based and intense. You can chain combos and unleash powerful ultimate skills to obliterate enemies. This combat style differs from the more deliberate, elemental-focused approach seen in Genshin.
There are other unique mechanics in combat in Zenless Zone Zero:
- A Daze meter, which functions as a stagger meter. Building up this meter lets you chain devastating attacks that immobilize foes and amplify damage.
- Energy management is another critical aspect. Agents accumulate energy through basic attacks, dodge counters, and dash attacks, which you can spend executing powerful EX Special attacks.
- Character switching is central to ZZZ‘s gameplay. You seamlessly switch between three agents on your team, with each offering different playstyles and assists.
- Exploiting enemy weaknesses is as much of a feature here as in other HoYoverse games. You get buffs for using a mono-element team against foes.
Exploration in Zenless Zone Zero
While ZZZ isn’t an open-world game like Genshin, you can still explore parts of New Eridu, complete cool side quests, and earn powerful upgrades. The game’s new urban fantasy setting is rich with anime-inspired aesthetics.
