Zenless Zone Zero Review: An Urban Fantasy With Depth
When video games tell the story of a dystopian future, players are often left wondering how they can be the heroes in a broken world. Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ) takes this concept to new horizons, letting the canvas of interpretation work its magic through several ingredients — a lovely art style, excellent hack-and-slash combat, and memorable characters. This isn’t miHoYo’s first rodeo in the realm of gacha games, but certainly feels like a more polished art direction and scope for the studio.
In this Zenless Zone Zero review, I will dive into the pros and cons of the game while exploring its core systems. While the game excels at introducing polished action RPG mechanics in an urban dystopia, many of its narrative pieces and gacha systems may keep casual players away. Its abundance of mechanics may scare players off, but beneath that veil of complexity lies an alluring cyberpunk novella worthy of your time.
Zenless Zone Zero: First Impressions
It’s been a while since Zenless Zone Zero made its mark in the gacha community, and the game no longer shies away from experimentation. On the surface, it has a euphoric sense of style that feels like a page taken out of a modern cyberpunk novel, rewritten with a charm, not letting its seriousness linger for too long.
During my first playthrough, the catchy visuals and vibrant colors quickly stepped aside because my eyes were focused elsewhere: the game’s flawless menu design. The realm of RPG games may boast enjoyable gameplay experiences, but displaying tons of information through seamless designs is a rare art, and miHoYo is a profound artist. If, like me, you’re new to the complexity of gacha games, I can assure you that ZZZ portrays information in simple ways.
Yet, I cannot say the same for the game’s narrative design. The game presents many story ideas, like a confused college student when asked, “What do you want to do once you’re outta here?” And, just like that, you’re given several pieces of a puzzle instead of straightforward answers. In these head-tilting, provoking ideas lies the game’s convoluted yet fascinating story pieces.
The Gameplay: Systems and Combat
Most Zenless Zone Zero reviews are cursed with a self-fulfilling prophecy. It’s challenging to have an objective view of the game’s core features, since every playthrough and quest will bring out unique experiences based on the player’s perspective. This review is no different, but I noticed a few systems during my gameplay that stand out, while others suffer from the shadows of monotony.
As I was introduced to New Eridu — an urban landscape brimming with cassette-futuristic designs — I was tasked with making sense of terms like Hollows, Proxies, and other lurking concepts that tried to find meaning here. For those who have played miHoYo’s games before, these ideas may not seem unusual. Fortunately, these concepts find a home in the game’s exceptional combat system, which focuses on fast-paced hits and synergizing combos, as well as character management.
Since you can’t play the game offline, its core gameplay centers around different runs, most of which implement a dungeon-crawling-esque gameplay loop that builds on the foundations of hack-and-slash combat. You manage a team of Agents, each with distinct fighting tactics. In other words: Pick a quest, hop into a level, slash enemies, reap your rewards. And when you’re not busy grinding these, you’re free to roam around New Eridu and explore various elements of the game:
- Daily tasks: These provide a steady flow of resources and quests, urging you to enjoy your login rewards and quick play sessions.
- Social systems: You can speak to other characters to learn more about the world’s lore and keep up with ongoing events and updates.
- Side quests: These quests add to the game’s depth, tying character stories and world events together.
- Gacha elements: The game lets you pull new characters and W-Engines (weapons) using in-game currencies.
- Life sim: There’s a nostalgic retro video store that acts as a base of operations, adding a charming slice-of-life aspect to the game.
- Progression systems and upgrade paths: Skill trees, gear enhancements, character leveling, and resource management are the highlights here.
The Art: Visual Identity and Design
Right off the bat, HoYoverse made one thing abundantly clear to me: This game dripped with style. During my playthrough, every inch and every pixel on my screen was adorned with cel-shaded visuals and anime-esque character designs. From the stylish cutscenes flowing between quests to the urban-cyberpunk aesthetics of world design, the game never failed to amaze me with its dynamic approach to art direction.
Which, in retrospect, seems quite obvious! I never expected less from the makers of Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail, and this game continues to surprise me with each element it introduces into its world-building. If you have friends or family who are familiar with miHoYo’s games, I highly recommend you play together (sitting in the same room) since the game’s diverse roster of characters will appeal to players from all walks of life.
Something that truly stood out to me was how versatile the characters were. The game uses streetwear anime aesthetics to craft some of the best video game character designs, reminiscent of games like Persona 5 and Hi-Fi Rush. And I’m not just speaking of their visual appeal. This happens to be one of the few games that synergize characters so well that their designs feel greater than the sum of their parts during battle.
The Z Factor: What Sets Zenless Zone Zero Apart?
There was a sequence in the game where Billy Kid, a dual pistol-wielding cyborg, fired a few rounds and slid into the enemy zone, executing a clever combo. Cool, right? But this was just the anticipation of what came next. Right after, Anby Demara (another starter character) stepped in with her sword slashes, turning the entire gameplay sequence into a cutscene that synergized the duo’s damage-dealing potential. Zenless Zone Zero has several moments like this that show off the game’s finest visuals on console and PC.
While it also has some of the best mobile game graphics in a modern action RPG, synergies are where ZZZ shines. Even though its gacha system may feel similar to Genshin Impact, everything else about the game stands on its own fashionable boots. Its tag-team combat and fluid character switching keep the gameplay loop active and alive, while giving you enough breathing room to take in the neon-soaked streets of New Eridu.
This game is a deeply personal love letter to the cyberpunk genre. Zenless Zone Zero weaves together the threads of beautiful anime aesthetics and hack-and-slash combat to tell a story that’s unique, reflective, and open to interpretation.
H2: Final Verdict
Zenless Zone Zero is a carefully crafted game that basks in the glory of urban dystopian themes and anime-inspired storytelling, which may not be everyone’s cup of boba tea. Between intense action sequences and comforting noodle-eating moments of joy, the game is a slice-of-life experience with challenging combat scenarios that demand sharp reflexes, attentive character management, and an eye for detail. Even if you’re playing on a smaller screen, this may just be one of the best mobile games you can dive into.
MiHoYo has set out to brave the horizons of art direction and RPG design with this one. Whether it succeeds in doing so falls entirely on the player’s expectations. While I don’t think this game is for the casual gamer, it’s certainly one for gacha connoisseurs and hack-and-slash experimentalists who enjoy MiHoYo’s distinct anime-esque shenanigans.
Best suited for: Gamers who adore fast-paced action, anime-style aesthetics and a gacha system that ties everything together
Who may want to skip: Those who would rather enjoy a concrete, narrative-driven approach to an action RPG without the hindrance of a gacha system
Discover RPG Worlds Packed With Action and Adventure
This Zenless Zone Zero review may have sparked an interest in you or simply brought you back into the game. But keep in mind that ZZZ game mechanics are part of an ever-evolving design similar to some of the top MMORPGs that exist today. So, things may change moving forward.
This keeps the experience fresh and draws in new players while keeping existing ones interested in its world-building. On that note, you should keep experimenting with different RPGs and browse through a collection of games that suit your style. After all, ZZZ’s core mechanics stand on the shoulders of giants, too!
