Analysis of Zenless Zone Zero, the new sensation of the HoYoverse

Developer miHoYo has become a giant in the gaming market in a relatively short period of time, and it’s hard to dispute the Chinese studio’s dominance in the lucrative gacha genre with titles like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail under its belt. Now it’s time for another microtransaction-filled experience to see the light of day, and with Zenless Zone Zero, the studio is looking to appeal to both new and experienced players, falling somewhere between the other two hits.

Like its older siblings, Zenless Zone Zero, as I mentioned, is in the gacha genre, where a free introduction is balanced by a heavy focus on microtransactions and game-like gameplay. In other words, you can download “ZZZ” without paying a dime, but you’ll quickly find that many rare items, cosmetic gear, and valuable coins are hard to come by unless you’re willing to spend a little more money. Therefore, you can keep playing even if you don’t want to pay, but expect your progress to be significantly slower compared to those who deposit money in various forms and denominations.

Advertising:

That’s because the entire concept is designed to give players an exciting game world and get them to log in so they can spend more money. In the shadow of that, of course, it’s easy to see the downside of Zenless Zone Zero, where the money-grabbing design, simple gameplay, and addictive incentives capture your eye. That’s not to say it’s all terrible, though, as miHoYo can’t be accused of delivering poor, identity-less experiences, but like other titles from the studio, ZZZ exudes plenty of quality, charm, and atmosphere.

The story is about two siblings, Wise and Belle, who, along with several agents, try to make a career by visiting alternate worlds and bringing home the riches hidden there. However, not everything is as simple as it seems, because these portals are full of grotesque monsters, and as an outsider you also risk being corrupted and turned into a brain-dead creature yourself if you don’t manage to get out in time. Personally, I liked this somewhat more stripped-down story than the usual story where you have to save the world from a great evil, and I found it much easier to empathize with the characters when their goals and intentions were more mundane than overly heroic. The developer also did a great job with the characters themselves, as almost all of the characters manage to hint at some kind of humanity. It’s certainly not a deep dive into the complexities of human nature, but there’s a charm that permeates the experience and makes you feel connected to what’s happening on screen.

Advertising:

The presentation is also very good, with the extravagant cartoon graphics well supported by fast-paced music, good voice acting and elegant, fluid animations that give the whole thing an elaborate feel. Much of the story is also told through well-made comic strips, and it’s a narrative style that suits the story well, with plenty of comedy and lightheartedness at its core.

The gameplay mixes freely between moments of simple action, story-driven dialogue, menus, and simple exploration, and as I mentioned before, the overall winsome design dampens my enjoyment of the game. Nothing really gets a chance to unfold, and while the action sequences are fun and great to watch, they could have been a bit more engaging if they had been allowed to unfold in a different setting.

Ultimately, there are many things about Zenless Zone Zero that I like, but unfortunately much of my experience fails because of the genre it chose and the gameplay it then tries to conform to. If ZZZ had been a more classic action RPG, focusing on its story and colorful battles, the impression would have been much better, and instead of building the entire adventure around the search for new items, it would have been more rewarding to explore the depth of the world and its characters, as well as the game mechanics. Now, unfortunately, it becomes a limping story that does some things well and others not so well, and the rating can therefore only be a simple “It’s OK.”