If miHoYo wasn’t already dominating the motion RPG gacha scene with Genshin Influence and Honkai: Star Rail, it has one more potential success on the best way. Zenless Zone Zero launches on July 4th as a free-to-play title for iOS, Android, PC and PS5 (although console house owners can spend $10 to acquire supplies and forex to be used at launch). In contrast to the developer’s different titles, it has a extra exaggerated and vibrant artwork fashion alongside its fast-paced real-time fight. Listed below are 15 issues it’s best to know earlier than enjoying.
Setting
Zenless Zone Zero takes place in a post-apocalyptic future the place unusual beings often called Ethereals have worn out most of humanity. The survivors have holed up in New Eridu, using the Ethereals’ expertise whereas additionally harnessing the mysterious Hollows to struggle again. As Belle or Clever, gamers tackle the function of Proxy and search to information Brokers by way of the Hollows to finish missions.
Brokers
The Brokers in query hail from totally different factions, every with totally different objectives and backstories. Victoria Housekeeping takes on numerous requests and is expert at retrieving objects, “cleansing” up dangerous guys and getting the job executed underneath any circumstance. Belobog Heavy Industries is a development firm working in areas affected by Hollows, with Koleda Belobog because the president (after her father went lacking). Part 6 is a division of H.A.N.D. and is led by Hoshimi Miyabi, which is all about tackling Hole-related missions.
The Prison Investigation Particular Response Workforce is a part of New Eridu’s Public Safety and maintains order within the metropolis. Lastly, there’s Light Home, aka the Crafty Hares, based by Nicole Demara, who’re smaller in scale but in addition tackle Hole-related jobs. Not a lot is thought concerning the OBOLS Squad or the impassive Soldier 11, however it’s yet one more thriller to unravel.
Gameplay Loop
The final gameplay loop will probably be acquainted to those that performed Honkai Influence third. At its core, Zenless Zone Zero is a hack-and-slash motion title the place you choose a crew of three characters. Although just one is playable at any given time, you may freely swap to the others. There’s a narrative mode, with the chapter providing totally different maps and commissions to finish and extra actions to degree up and enhance your characters.
Bangboo
A brand new a part of the system is the Bangboo. Assigned as helpers in New Eridu, they full and specialise in numerous duties. In fight, they function the fourth member of your get together – they will unleash expertise robotically, activate a passive impact underneath sure situations and even present one other chain assault periodically. Bangboos are additionally notable as a result of you may pull them with Coup-Ens earned solely from in-game actions and never actual cash.
Combating Types
Nonetheless, your core crew composition will finally carry you thru the story and different content material. Every Agent has a singular Combating Model, just like the Paths from Honkai: Star Rail. Some are attackers who’re all about piling on harm, whereas defenders can counterattack and take in harm. Helps will buff get together members; Stuns can crowd-control foes; and Anomaly Brokers are all about increase Anomalies – extra on that later.
Components
In fact, it wouldn’t be a HoYoverse recreation with out components and enemy varieties which are weak to the identical. Zenless has 5 components – Hearth, Ether, Bodily, Electrical and Ice. Up to now, it’s recognized that Mutant enemies are weak to Ice, whereas Electrical assaults are efficient in opposition to Machine enemies. In the meantime, Hearth is sweet in opposition to Natural and Corrupted foes.
Anomalies
Relying on the aspect and whether or not the Agent focuses on Anomaly Mastery, you may construct up sure Anomalies on enemies. Consider them as standing results – dish out sufficient Bodily harm, and you’ll afflict both Assault – which interrupts an enemy – or Armor Break – which reduces Bodily harm resistance for a interval. Hearth harm will set off Burn, dealing steady harm over time. If you happen to exploit an enemy’s weak spot to a selected aspect, they’ll be unable to maneuver whereas debuffed by an Anomaly.
Fight Fundamentals
Every character has a Primary Assault and Particular Assault, although you may maintain down the previous to execute an alternate charged assault, which varies between Brokers. Attacking enemies will construct up Power, and you too can dodge assaults. Dodge completely, and you’ll assault afterwards with a Dodge Counter. As famous earlier, you may change between characters at any level. It’s deceptively simple to get into, however there’s loads of nuance.
Chain Assaults, Ultimates, Help Assaults and Excellent Assists
Every character has an Final potential constructed up with Dodge Counters, Chain Assaults and extra. The useful resource is shared between the entire get together, so you may’t set off an Final with one character, after which change to the following for an additional. Chain Assaults set off after hitting a Surprised enemy with a Particular Assault – you’ll see an indicator to modify to a different get together member, who will bounce in and carry out a strong assault. They’ll then hit the Surprised enemy and set off one other Chain Assault. You even have Help Assaults, obtainable should you’re hit and able to shelling out some harm to offer a breather.
Then there’s the Excellent Help, the place switching to a different get together member earlier than an assault connects will activate a singular Help (relying on the Agent). For instance, Nicole can carry out a Defensive Help to parry an assault and construct up Daze on an enemy. Excellent Assists depend upon the variety of Help Factors obtainable, that are recovered by performing Chain Assaults.
Daze, Power and EX Ability Variants
Enemies accumulate Daze as they take harm. As soon as it hits one hundred pc, they’ll be Surprised and weak to Chain Assaults. As you construct up Power from assaults, you should utilize it for EX Ability Variants – stronger variations of Particular Assaults which deal distinctive harm. It’s thus necessary to know when to unleash them and in opposition to which enemies.
Disk Drives
Disk Drives are your de facto gear, which impacts an Agent’s stats. You possibly can equip as much as six at a time on an Agent, and in the event that they’re a part of a set, then equipping a sure quantity from the identical will present set bonuses. These vary from elevated assault and vitality regen to rising vital hit likelihood in opposition to a Burning enemy by 28 % or dealing 30 % extra harm to enemies when their HP is 50 % or greater.
W-Engines
Equally, you may have W-Engines, your weapons and the Gentle Cones of the sport offering distinctive, probably game-changing passives. Every is coded to a selected Combating Model, and just one will be geared up by an Agent. Additionally, like Disk Drives, they add stats to your character and will be refined additional to extend the efficiency of their results.
Extra Actions
Outdoors of the story, a big portion of the end-game in Zenless Zone Zero will go in direction of farming phases for XP, forex and supplies to improve expertise. There are some twists on the system – the Fight Simulation helps you to farm separate phases for particular supplies, or a Customized Stage, the place you may specify totally different supplies and earn them abruptly. In fact, you even have the gear farming phases, bosses that grant character ascension supplies, and the weekly boss challenges for forex to buy W-Engines, amongst different rewards.
Shiyu Protection
If you happen to loved Honkai: Star Rail’s Reminiscence of Chaos, say howdy to Shiyu Protection. Ten phases, every that have to be cleared inside a set time and that award 300 Polychromes every (should you get three stars, that’s). Every stage has an attribute that gives an edge, like rising Stun harm multipliers or Agent Anomaly Buildup fee, and a Boosted Ingredient, with the corresponding aspect dealing extra harm (thus encouraging the usage of sure Brokers). The upper you go, the more difficult phases change into, and also you’ll want two separate groups to clear the final ranges.
Hole Zero
Then there’s Hole Zero, Zenless Zone Zero’s tackle the Simulated Universe. Choose your crew and enterprise by way of totally different encounters, selecting up buffs en path to the ultimate boss. It’s rogue-like in construction, so dying outcomes in the long run of a run. One intriguing change of tempo is that you simply begin with just one character. The others are added to your get together after clearing later encounters. You can even endure Corruption upon progressing, not not like the Swarm Catastrophe’s Countdown Timer, although its debuff will be eliminated.
