Zenless Zone Zero captures the perfect action game flow

The perfect character motion video games let me enter the fight stream state. I really like zipping to my goal, pummeling them with assaults, nimbly dodging, launching them into the air, and juggling their physique till they ultimately give out — or within the case of Zenless Zone Zero, explode right into a kaleidoscope of neons evocative of a ’90s tv set. Hoyoverse’s newest free-to-play providing excels at frenetic combating that’s immediately gratifying. If something, I generally wished I might get again to the motion extra shortly whereas I used to be taking part in, however there’s much more to the remainder of the sport too.

Zenless Zone Zero, or ZZZ, is my first Hoyoverse title. I haven’t tried Genshin Influence or Honkai: Star Rail, however that’s principally as a result of the setting and sport model of ZZZ appealed to me way more. Since my playthrough was a beta with the whole lot unlocked, I can’t communicate to how the free-to-play gacha mechanics can be mirrored upon my dwell playthrough.

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ZZZ places me within the sneakers of Belle, a teen woman residing in a future technology-centered metropolis populated with common people, augmented people, cat folks, shark maids, robotic espresso makers, and another mixture of personhood ever dreamed up on an anime poster. That’s not a derogatory sentiment, by the best way; the whole lot and everybody in ZZZ appears like a part of the identical chaotic, trendy universe, and I like it. There are robotic rabbits known as Bangboo that assist with each kind of process. Belle runs a video rental retailer by day along with her brother, however her important gig is serving as a extremely expert information by means of interdimensional rifts (known as Hollows) that maintain spawning in her metropolis. I by no means struggle anybody as simply Belle; for motion sequences, I’ll change to the battle-oriented crew of playable characters. Belle is current, however observes and directs the celebration members by means of her personal Bangboo robotic that she controls remotely.

Throughout ZZZ’s fights, I can toggle at will between as much as three characters. Whereas all of them have completely different weapons and play kinds, all fight is concentrated round chaining mild and heavy assaults, a dodge, and a meter-based tremendous transfer. Billy, a cyborg, makes use of weapons and ranged assaults, whereas Corin, a maid whose important character trait is “deeply anxious at all times,” makes use of a workers that’s additionally a chainsaw to tear into the faceless Ethereal foes. I can shortly swap between my celebration members at will, however there are particular factors the place I can tag in an help for extra injury. Irrespective of which character I choose, the general fight system is intuitive and fluid. It provides up the proper video game-y sensation of immediately letting the participant really feel highly effective with out boring them by means of overly simplistic mechanics.

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The opposite facet of Hole exploration is a bit shocking: puzzles. As an alternative of sending a squad down an limitless maze of hallways that each one look appropriately tech-wasteland-y, I navigate throughout a grid of televisions superimposed on a 2D airplane. Generally I’ll slide weights to open a door; different occasions I’ll leap between flooring to entry completely different factors on a map. It’s a novel mechanic that, like all good puzzle, will get extra advanced after its tutorial phases. Fixing these puzzles is tied into story goals, however they’re additionally an essential method to gather sources all through ZZZ. Their design is a novel method that I haven’t seen a lot in any sport, and they’re a pleasant palate cleanser after the motion sequences.

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There’s additionally an entire lot to do after I’m not within the Hole. As Belle, I can discover my neighborhood, handle the video retailer’s show to spice up clients, play arcade video games, take photos of cats, textual content with associates, or get espresso or noodles to spice up my stats for the subsequent Hole run. (For those who’ve ever needed to see the tantalizing fuel-up pre-battle scene for an espresso machine, ZZZ has you coated.) I may even doomscroll on my telephone on discussion board posts earlier than mattress.

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There are numerous in-game actions that pad out the expertise, together with a totally voiced story advised by means of comedian nonetheless panels or conversations. I typically needed to get again to simply combating, and generally the litany of issues — and the limitless quantity of menus to improve my characters and weapons — felt like obstacles to the meat of combating and puzzles. When Belle bought assigned a day by day checklist of chores to finish for in-game loot, I spotted how a lot of ZZZ’s scope went past simply the speedy battles that I’d grown to like.

Since I used to be taking part in on a beta account offered by Hoyoverse, all my progress can be wiped when ZZZ goes dwell. However I’ll be curious to play the true expertise, together with with its gacha parts, to see how that impacts the stream. I’m wanting ahead to discovering the zen of ZZZ’s motion sequences once more.

Zenless Zone Zero can be launched July 4 on Android, iOS, PlayStation 5, and Home windows PC. The sport was reviewed on PC utilizing a pre-release beta obtain code offered by Hoyoverse. Vox Media has affiliate partnerships. These don’t affect editorial content material, although Vox Media could earn commissions for merchandise bought by way of affiliate hyperlinks. Yow will discover extra details about gamerjive’s ethics coverage right here.