Zenless Zone Zero Review: What's the Game About, Is It Worth Trying, Pros and Cons, and Differences from Genshin Impact

Contents:

• Important Matters
• Between Casuals and Hardcore
• Blissful Grind

As a child, I was fond of making a plan for the day, which always included important and interesting activities. I spent about an hour watching cartoons, and half an hour building a cave in the yard. Launching a foam boat took another hour, after which I'd watch cartoons for another half hour. I spent an hour and a half writing X-Files fan fiction, and an hour playing Aliens with paper cutouts. Finally, I spent another hour and a half playing Life Force on the Dendy. These hobbies filled my days with joy and creativity, and making a plan allowed me to organize my time and fully enjoy every moment. HoYoverse games create an atmosphere of idle relaxation, transporting us back to childhood, when even the smallest things seemed important. Some people say that grinding games immerses people in work. However, if it's work, it's truly enjoyable—time spent playing the game is worth devoting several evenings a week and even a whole day on the weekend. HoYoverse strives to ensure players get the most out of their gaming experience.

Important Matters

Reviewing a game that's worth visiting occasionally, rather than spending hours on end, presents a certain challenge. I spent about 20 hours playing Zenless Zone Zero, and my impressions were rather mixed. This is because the game isn't designed for intense play—it encourages players to log in briefly a few times a week to avoid overexertion. Zenless Zone Zero offers a unique experience that's best enjoyed in short sessions, making it an ideal choice for those looking to diversify their time.

When you log in to the game, you immediately receive a reward. Head to the charming dog at the kiosk and draw a lottery ticket. Then enjoy some noodles, which improve your stats for three battles, planning in advance which stats to improve this time. Drink coffee and fight a few battles to collect resources for leveling up. Get a reward for the video rental store run by the main characters and stock the shelves with new tapes. Complete several story events and head to the zero cavern to obtain valuable resources. Spin the gacha; you might get lucky and get a new character or a robotic hare assistant. Afterwards, you can complete a few side quests and take photos of street cats. And that's it for your day in the game.

Important tasks have a significant impact on our lives and daily activities. Effective task management allows you to achieve goals and increase productivity. Prioritizing tasks helps you focus on what's truly important, avoiding distractions. It's important to learn how to properly manage your time and resources so you can tackle important tasks without stress or rushing. Understanding the importance of these tasks contributes to better performance and increases overall satisfaction with the results achieved.

Zenless Zone Zero feels like a small, intimate game, especially when compared to the expansive and epic Genshin Impact. This feeling is reinforced not only by the story, in which the main characters solve important yet local problems, but also by the way the events are presented. Many of these events are revealed through dialogue and interactive elements, including roguelike mechanics that underpin exploration of the game's locations. While the concept is creative, the game lacks the epicness and scope of larger projects. This feature makes Zenless Zone Zero appealing to players seeking an intimate experience, but may leave much to be desired for those who prefer larger-scale adventures.

The first chapter focuses on a conflict with a greedy corporation willing to sacrifice human lives to secure a lucrative construction contract. The protagonists plan to hijack a train destined for an abandoned area to stop the corporation's destructive actions and protect the people from its greed.

Zenless Zone Zero doesn't feature epic battles on train rooftops or anything similar. Instead, players watch a sketchy train move through the tiles while the heroes try to stop it. All key events are hidden behind the scenes, and the game doesn't feature an open world. The gameplay consists of a series of arenas, complemented by roguelike elements, creating a unique gaming experience.

Zenless Zone Zero offers players a unique experience that differs from other popular games like Genshin Impact. While Genshin Impact is time-consuming, forcing you to spend hours exploring the world, Zenless Zone Zero focuses on shorter play sessions. In this game, a single session typically lasts no more than an hour and a half, allowing players to enjoy dynamic gameplay without long immersive experiences. This makes Zenless Zone Zero an ideal choice for those looking for more compact and intense gaming moments.

The protagonist or heroine is regularly sent to bed, claiming that it is time to rest after a busy day. The game occasionally provides free time, which it would seem can be spent as you wish, although in reality, this is just an illusion. Zenless Zone Zero's narrative is structured into distinct, bite-sized chunks, meaning it's meant to be played with awareness of each moment rather than binge-watching. This allows you to dive deeper into the story and better understand the characters, creating a unique gaming experience.

The former capital of the country has lost its former Fame, finding themselves under the pressure of caverns—dome-shaped cavities inhabited by ethereal monsters. These caverns are volatile, making them labyrinths where it's easy to get lost. Prolonged exposure to such conditions increases the risk of illness and becoming an ethereal. To avoid this fate, proxies are needed—special operators who remotely help find safe paths through the caverns.

The main characters are a brother and sister, the once-famous proxy duo "Phaeton." Now their former glory is gone, and they are forced to start over with a new account on the proxy network. The brother and sister work as a team, which makes the game more intimate and comfortable for players. After all, when family is nearby, there is always the opportunity to discuss problems and share experiences. This creates a unique atmosphere that differs from other games like Genshin Impact and draws attention to their adventures.

Proxies don't participate directly in combat, but rather observe the exploration of caverns and battles with the help of Banbu—charming and playful robotic hares. These mechanical creatures provide a unique way to follow the game's events, adding an element of entertainment and excitement to the gameplay.

The world of Zenless Zone Zero captivates with its unique blend of retro sci-fi and cyberpunk. Here you'll find oversized televisions, vinyl records, and VHS tapes, creating a nostalgic atmosphere. Despite the darker events, the developers strive to make the game appealing to a wide audience. The project's style is impressive: talented artists and musicians have created an outstanding visual and audiovisual experience that leaves an unforgettable impression. Zenless Zone Zero invites players to immerse themselves in a captivating and vibrant world where every detail is thoughtfully crafted and executed with high quality.

Characters play a key role in HoYoverse gacha games, and their quality is high. While the number of characters is limited, each has a unique personality and character, making it easy for players to connect with them. As the game progresses, the characters' personal stories unfold, providing a deeper understanding of their motivations and the world they inhabit. This creates a richer and more emotional interaction with the game, making the experience more engaging and memorable.

Between Casuals and Hardcore

Zenless Zone Zero is a thrilling hack and slash game in which players can switch between different agent characters, each with their own unique elements and classes. Each character has their own unique skills, making choosing the right combination of agents challenging. To figure out which combination will be most effective, players should either study guides or try different combinations through trial and error. At the initial levels, this won't be difficult, but as you progress to higher levels, special resources will be required to level up each agent. These resources aren't easy to obtain—they must be grinded, which requires a significant expenditure of energy. Therefore, players should pay attention to resource management and grinding strategy to maximize the development of their agents in Zenless Zone Zero.

The game's combat system is simple and intuitive. It features two types of attacks, each of which can be enhanced. An ultimate ability and dodge are also included, making battles dynamic. A team can have up to three agents, and players must regularly switch between them. This allows for effective parrying of enemy attacks, which in turn increases damage inflicted, including elemental ones. Enemies have a stun meter: when an enemy is stunned, the player is able to perform a powerful combo, which also requires switching between characters. This approach not only diversifies the gameplay but also adds strategic depth to battles.

The first ten hours of the game aren't particularly challenging. You simply press a few buttons and enjoy the visuals. During this time, a tutorial takes place that introduces you to the basics of leveling up and new features. One of the shops only opens after completing the second chapter, which, by the way, is quite large. This smooth introduction to the game allows players to get their bearings and prepare for more challenging tasks later.

When the zero cavern with valuable prizes opens, the difficulty level increases significantly. Complex side quests soon appear, and even the main story quests become a real challenge. At this point, the combat system's full potential is revealed. Players begin not only switching between agents to parry attacks, but also actively dodging blows and shots from enemies. It's also worth noting that heroes can die, which critically impacts progress through the cavern: as in roguelikes, the player will have to start over.

In roguelike games, it's important to carefully monitor the pressure level, which can lead to infection. It's essential to actively seek out boosters and avoid unnecessary risks. The price of error can be high, especially in large caverns, where returning to the beginning becomes especially painful. That's why the difficulty level increases, and players need to take a strategic approach to every move.

The second chapter of the game reveals the class and elemental system, adding a new layer of gameplay interest. Fire-based characters are beneficial against certain enemies, while ice-based heroes are more effective in other situations. Developing Banbu becomes an important part of strategy, as they begin to provide significant benefits in combat. Players also begin to focus more on customizing their agents, controlling their damage types and setting appropriate buffs. In this regard, Zenless Zone Zero significantly differs from Genshin Impact, where players are challenged only in the Abyss and high-level boss battles. This makes the game more demanding and strategically rich, which appeals to fans of the genre.

If you think Zenless Zone Zero's combat system consists of just two buttons to press in turn, try playing a little longer. The game takes time to reveal its capabilities. At first, Zenless Zone Zero may seem slow and aimed at casual players, but it soon begins to offer more complex challenges and engaging mechanics. This progression process makes the game experience deeper and more interesting, unlocking new strategies and approaches in combat.

Blissful Grind

In Genshin Impact, players can endlessly explore the open world, take on various challenges, find chests, and solve puzzles. However, this game is different: there is no open world, and puzzles are present only in story quests scattered throughout the roguelike caverns. Combat in this game is also short, which makes for a more dynamic gameplay.

In Zenless Zone Zero, exploration is limited, so players will have to spend significant time in the menus, customizing their characters and moving between multiple locations. While there is a town area where you can observe cats or interact with a trash can, it is small and does not offer many opportunities for active interaction, despite the presence of exploration quests. As such, the game's primary focus shifts to character customization and quest completion, which may not satisfy those seeking a more immersive experience.

The compact size of Zenless Zone Zero's game world makes grinding less intense than in Genshin Impact. Players don't have to move around much, as all the action is concentrated within a single location. This allows you to focus on the game and enjoy the process without wasting time on movement.

The game Zenless Zone Zero presents a lot of resources, which, compared to Genshin Impact, are obtained more conveniently and structured. In a special VR training game, players can instantly select an agent class to level up after drinking coffee, which increases the amount of resources they receive. This allows them to focus on specific activities without having to split their attention between various tasks. Similarly, boss fights only require occasional attention to level up their characters. These fights only take a couple of minutes, after which they can continue leveling up. If energy runs low and resources are in short supply, they can be replenished with alternative currency.

In Zenless Zone Zero, as in other HoYoverse games, players don't feel pressured to spend real money. The developers generously provide the resources needed for gacha rolls and purchasing energy for gameplay. Players can even receive these resources as compensation for bugs, which underscores the studio's commitment to its community. This creates a comfortable gaming environment where everyone can enjoy content without the need for additional financial investment.

Zenless Zone Zero is a captivating project that combines elements of hardcore genres such as roguelikes and hack-and-slashers, but still offers relaxing gameplay. The game is designed in such a way that players can return to it time and again and enjoy each session. A unique universe, magnificent graphics, and thoughtful gameplay mechanics contribute to an atmosphere in which it is easy to get lost and enjoy the gaming experience. Zenless Zone Zero offers a balance between challenge and pleasure, making it appealing to a wide audience.

During my 20 hours of play, I was a little irritated by the abundance of unnecessary chatter, which is typical for HoYoverse projects. However, the developers have made the game more user-friendly: unlike Genshin Impact, you can skip dialogue entirely. You don't have to use this feature all the time, but it can be a real lifesaver. Don't get too caught up in Zenless Zone Zero, spending five hours a day playing. Otherwise, you might lose its unique charm. Like the studio's other projects, Zenless Zone Zero is designed to keep players engaged for years to come. So take your time and enjoy the game in moderation.