Zenless Zone Zero review
:: FLOW FREELYPrice: Free
Version: 1.0.0
App Reviewed on: iPad Pro
Graphics/Sound Rating:
User Interface Rating:
Gameplay Rating:
Replay Value Rating:
Overall Rating:
I am no stranger to gacha games, though since 2020 I've only really had eyes for one of them.Genshin Impact completely surpassed my expectations for what a satisfying gacha game could be and I am still a daily player of it to this day. It's still great, and its ability to compel me has made me curious about Hoyoverse's other titles. None of them really grabbed my attention until Zenless Zone Zero, though. Although I do not think that it has the same level of ambition or staying power as Genshin, I do think ZZZ plays in a similar space and can reach some of the same heights.
Hollow heroes
Zenless Zone Zero is an futuristic action rpg where you play as a proxy known as Phaethon. In this game world, there was some kind of calamity that caused spheres of dark energy to envelop parts of the world. These spaces, called "hollows," are extremely dangerous, though there are people who venture into them to complete various missions or jobs. The role of a proxy is to guide these adventures through hollows safely.
This is the stage upon which Hoyoverse crafts what is basically a dungeon-crawler with fast-paced action combat and light puzzle-solving alongside a steady release schedule of agents to entice players to gamble in-game currency for. It's at this point I'm supposed to make some kind of value judgement about gacha games, but I won't. These games are pretty commonplace now. You know what you think about these models already. Play them or don't. Enjoy them or don't. I'm not your dad. All I'll say instead is that--for the purposes of this review--I spent my time clearing all but the absolute hardest mode in the game (i.e. Shiyu Defense Critical Nodes) without spending any money, and confirming that all of it is doable and satisfying as a free player.
Closed world, open possibilities
When compared to something like Genshin Impact, ZZZ feels more like a companion and response to shortcomings of the former as opposed to something meant to push things forward. There's no open-world here, and the adventures feel a lot less grand and mysterious. You aren't even a stranger in a strange land, but rather someone who lost their primary proxy account and has to start grinding their rep back up to where they were. As such, the vibe of the game is much more like that of a daily routine, though the game's story mode certainly has eventful setpieces that disrupt the regular days of running a video store, hanging out with friends, and playing in the arcade.
By being a somewhat more contained and subdued world, though, Zenless Zone Zero is able to really focus in on its style and combat system, which are the game's highlights. The result is a game that overall is super sharp and expressive, capturing the vibes of playing the equivalent of an anime you discovered on Toonami in 2000, albeit one that animates at 60 frames per second. The combat here is also fast and fluid, with a focus on teambuilding and strategy in addition to fast reflexes, pattern recognition, and combo mastery. Of course, skill alone will only get you so far, as there are multiple layers of leveling and gearing that you also have to grind out, but the level of challenge presented at every point in the game besides one (Shiyu Defense) is completely manageable without spending money or even premium currency that is doled out for free.
Cheap thrills
It's this level of tolerance for free players that I am finding myself enjoying perhaps the most with Zenless Zone Zero, at least in a way. The limitations of not being able to get every character or even max out the ones that I have adds a layer of difficulty that I enjoy overcoming specifically because the game allows for it. Optimizing all of the resources, prioritizing characters, and making the most of what I have and actually succeeding feels great. It's a formula that also helped Genshin Impact click for me, but here it feels more pronounced since there isn't nearly as much exploration to do on the side.
Outside of the gacha system, there are still limiter systems in place like multiple currencies, stamina, and even a player rank that you have to grind up even if you only want to play ZZZ for its story. These limitations don't feel especially better than they do anywhere else, so I could see this being a dealbreaker for folks with little tolerance for this kind of gameplay design. The goal here--as always--is to get you playing regularly, which can be satisfying if you enjoy acquiring and building up new characters for evolving endgame challenge content, but otherwise comes off as rather annoying.
The bottom line
There's nothing about Zenless Zone Zero that will change any set feelings about gacha games. But, assessing it for what it is, it's a great one of those games that offers something different from this new wave of gachas that reward dedicated play as much (if not more) than those with deep pockets.