Zenless Zone Zero Review: Does Hoyoverse's Anime Action RPG Live Up to the Hype?

Hoyoverserecently released their latest entrant into the pantheon of prolific Anime-style games withZenless Zone Zero on July 4th, 2024. The nostalgia-inducing, story-driven gacha hero collector has taken the tried-and-true Hoyoverse monetization model and transitioned it to a fast-paced fighter. Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ) has many similarities to other popular Hoyoverse titles, but will the differences be good enough for it to stand on its own?

I’ve had ample time with ZZZ over the past several weeks. After somehands-on gameplay with the game at Hoyoverse’s Singaporean Studio, and early access time with a starter and max-level account leading into the launch on July 4^th, I’ve had a ample time with the game as a brand-new player and at end game with a completely maxed out roster. There’s a lot to unpack when you start to consider the wide spectrum of unlockable game modes, characters, and general progression, but what surprised me most was how little those things mattered in the grand scheme of things.

Be Kind Rewind

Before we get too far ahead of ourselves, it’s important to grasp what ZZZ is about. Like Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact, you start with a choice of two characters, a man or a woman. The major departure here is that these characters are already named and an integral part of the story. Wise and his sister Belle are proxies known as Phaethon. While they are the protagonists and you choose to play as one or the other, they work in tandem from behind the “safety” of their computer by taking control of bunny-like robotic creatures called Bangboo, which they use to explore the Hollow.

You’ll explore the Hollow with the assistance of Agents, which will be the cadre of characters you collect. The story itself follows specific characters throughout multiple acts, and you’ll unlock their stories along the way. In many ways, these story missions act as trials for characters you may eventually unlock through the gacha system.

In my previous articles I’ve touched