Zenless Zone Zero

The combat is absolutely stunning and fluid as hell, while still easing players in with a slightly fast but very well-thought-out tutorial system. Just about every character has some quirk or charm to them, and the enemies, while a bit sparse as of launch, have potential for some awesome ideas. The gacha comes with a few bonus goodies to help net some early five-stars and ease in players into the combat with plenty of tools and characters. Those new to the series should still have a fairly easy time worming their way into what’s definitely going to stand out as a culmination of everything HoYoVerse has learned over their warpath dominating the gacha gaming niche.

Zenless Zone Zero will grab your attention with its appealing character designs and fully captivate you with its combat system. The story may not be the deepest, but the progression, boss battles, and even the music blend together harmoniously, leaving you enchanted by everything this Hoyoverse game offers. The downside is that this video game may feel too overwhelming for a free-to-play title. However, thanks to its gameplay, you become hooked.

Brimming with style and boasting slick combat, Zenless Zone Zero’s few stumbles are easy to look past. While it’s much smaller than the massive open world of Genshin Impact or the galaxy-spanning tales of Honkai, it's all the better for it.

Zenless Zone Zero is a reflection of HoYoverse's excellent momentum, which once again demonstrates its potential in creating immersive worlds. The title pleases not only aesthetically, but also in its gameplay, the most satisfying ever designed by the developer.

Zenless Zone Zero is the best base game HoYoverse has released to date: It’s a step up from its predecessors in terms of presentation, tech, systems, and starting content – and since previous titles have all massively improved over the course of their strict and impressive update cycle, I feel confident that this is going to repeat for this one...Combining charm and spectacle, mechanical satisfaction and approachability, rapid intensity, and immaculate cool vibes, Zenless Zone Zero is HoYoverse’s hat-trick.

Zenless Zone Zero blends simple-yet-stylish combat with a soundtrack that spans decades of musical flair. But although its audiovisual polish is outstanding and its combat is simple yet challenging, its shallow support roles and the removal of its unique exploration mode hold the game back.

Zenless Zone Zero knows what it wants to be with the great setting, animations and designs. The fluid and in-depth combat, together with the variety of other gameplay, makes for a jam-packed game that will only get better. Still, that makes the game unnecessarily complex, and together with the slow start, it may discourage new players.

This game adheres to the 'easy to learn, hard to master' formula, showcasing systematic and simple action. While it creates a new style for anime games by utilizing various media formats in its narrative, the key challenge seems to be overcoming the standardized content, intermittent growth curve, and narrative hurdles.

With Zenless Zone Zero, HoYoverse proves that it knows how to renew itself to remain the king of gacha. With its urban universe teeming with details, its original characters and its impressive cinematics, ZZZ benefits from a production value worthy of an AAA, even more than the previous productions of the Chinese studio. Besides that, the title does not forget the essentials with simple to access but high-level technical gameplay, with satisfactory endgame content even if the main plot is for the moment quite classic. With this solid foundation, we now look forward to seeing the evolution of Zenless Zone Zero in the long term, hoping that the follow-up will be as exemplary as that of Honkai Star Rail.

Zenless Zone Zero is a great free-to-play title made with Hoyoverse’s exquisite presentation and attention to detail. While the early game’s story is slow going and the usual free-to-play progression blocks can be irksome, what’s here in Version 1.0 is an excellent springboard for future content.

A new gacha game full of charm and high class characters with a fun and dynamic gameplay. But it's the mix of inspirations that makes up the universe that really catches the eye.

Because of this, I feel I can forgive the hint of boredom that pops up every now and then. Zenless Zone Zero is an ARPG, but I'm playing it more for the 'RPG' part and less for the action, which is probably why I like it so much. If you're looking for a game to test the limits of your combat prowess, ZZZ isn't it, but if you want to experience wholesome stories in a stunning anime world with over a dozen different side activities, Zenless Zone Zero has got you covered.

As another masterpiece from miHoYo, Zenless Zone Zero is definitely an action RPG worth experiencing. The distinct art style and high production quality make playing the game as enjoyable as watching a favorite anime series. Its low entry barrier and stylish, smooth controls, along with a combat system that is simple yet sophisticated, provide continuous positive feedback.

Zenless Zone Zero is stylish, silly and exciting, and promises years of fresh stories and an endless conveyor belt of shiny toys to seduce you. You pay for it somehow, either with your time or your money, but for me at least, it feels like a fair exchange.

Zenless Zone Zero is a hack-and-slash extravaganza with stylish visuals.

Zenless Zone Zero is a stylish and incredible-looking blast of anime goodness, and even when it’s deliberately slowing the pace down, another frantic bout of the stellar combat won’t be too far away.

Obviously, if the gachas and the character and equipment obtaining system in the other Hoyoverse titles don't appeal to you, then it certainly won't be Zenless Zone Zero that will change your mind - but, beyond that, this new title is certainly a more than valid action RPG that underlines the great awareness achieved by Hoyoverse, which only moves when it is sure of hitting the mark.

Zenless Zone Zero is just an incredibly good time presented with supreme confidence and verve by a developer that knows exactly what its doing.

Zenless Zone Zero sets slick, responsive combat against a backdrop of cassette futurism and ‘90s nostalgia, but it strains against the yoke of HoYoverse’s built-in gacha system.

Ultimately, ZZZ delights with guiding design principles—remembering what so many adore about other Hoyoverse characters while breaking those moments up into short, snappier pieces. It’s rather easy to pick up and put down, and for something on the go, it’s certainly the preferable Hoyo title. For now, I’m all on board with New Eridu, and eager to watch the cast and world grow in many of the ways Honkai and Genshin have, too.

By leaning into early 2000s nostalgia and then blending it with a stylish vision for the future, Zenless Zone Zero crafts an inimitable world that is easy to get invested in. Exploring New Eridu and getting to know this charming cast both in and out of combat was a thrilling ride I was keen to keep at for hours on end. It’s not necessarily as deep as many of its gameplay inspirations, and momentum-killing hacking puzzles can sometimes sour the mood slightly – but with exhilarating, approachable combat and so many extracurricular activities to take care of, it was always easy to turn a corner and get swept back up in the captivating culture of Zenless Zone Zero.

There's a deceptive depth to Zenless Zone Zero, even with its smaller scale, thanks to this dual focus on pleasing both casual players and those looking for a deeper challenge, mirroring its dedication to both chilled exploration and fast-paced combat. Instead of feeling like a game warring with itself, however, these wildly different vibes weave together to make Zenless Zone Zero what it really is: a successful fusion of ultracool action with slice-of-life goofiness.

Zenless Zone Zero is style and is substance, a game with hypnotic action not only because of its visual accomplishments, but also because of how addictive is its gameplay. If HoYoverse properly supports it in the future, then this will be the studio's third victory.

At first glance, Zenless Zone Zero proves capable of maintaining the level of quality expected from HoYoverse in its own way. In a brief comparative analysis, however, there are certain qualities in Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail that I believe surpass ZZZ, such as world exploration. However, the hack and slash action RPG brought the best combat mechanics of all the company's games, and I can say that I'm pleased with the result of this initiative, although the low difficulty prevents the game from reaching higher heights.

Zenless Zone Zero had the potential to be another well-rounded game by HoYoverse, but its development ultimately felt rushed. While I loved the idea behind it, I could only admire a few aspects, such as the combat, city design, and art style. Aside from these, it was an underwhelming experience for me. I often criticize the current state of Genshin Impact, apart from the Archon quests, but Zenless Zone Zero despite being new is already lifeless.

Zenless Zone Zero is at its best when it's delivering stylish action over puzzles.

Zenless Zone Zero achieves the flash and thrill of a modern fighter built for players of all skill levels. The fantastic combat can often get hampered by the pacing of story, and the mismatched feel of the world inside the Hollow and the slow-paced life outside of it. There are a lot of great game modes, some unique characters to collect, an enticing story and a fun arcade diversion that updates some retro classics. It’s obvious from the quality this is a Hoyoverse game. For the introductory price of free this is well worth your time, maybe even more than other Hoyoverse titles that require a higher cost investment. However, Zenless Zone Zero feels like it’s a Hoyoverse game that needs a little more time finding itself.

Zenless Zone Zero is a snappy action game that feels rewarding to master. Though the story can fall flat at times, the characters are so fun that it’s fun to see their reactions. The presentation of the plot—the comic book format and the colorful animations—keeps it entertaining and fresh. Instead of appealing to everyone, it feels like it’s striving to hit a particular audience and I personally am one of those people. Hopefully the dailies won’t be too hard to manage on top of everything else in the market.

Despite that gripe, Zenless Zone Zero is yet another solid entry in the HoYoverse portfolio as of Version 1.0, and it's easy to see the potential as new Agents get added alongside Story commissions. It's a shame that the bright spots are dimmed by a complete lack of meaningful challenges when it comes to nearly all commissions--for both puzzles and combat--in the early chapters of the game. But the current experience still shines thanks to how fun and vibrant the direction is in all facets of the game.

Zenless Zone Zero is only at the beginning of its journey. So it's worth waiting for the creators to polish up their game.

Smaller in scale than HoYo's other gacha games, Zenless Zone Zero is off to a good start. While the game suffers from pacing issues and a lack of variety, the combat is excellent in ZZZ. It helps it's backed up by an intriguing story and solid gameplay.

Ultimately there are a lot of things about Zenless Zone Zero that I enjoy, but unfortunately a lot of my own experience stumbles because of the genre it has chosen to embrace and the playability it then tries to adapt to.

ZZZ is a shallow, polished front for a relentless online store.