Zenless Zone Zero Review

Overview

Zenless Zone Zero represents HoYoverse's boldest departure from the formula that made Genshin Impact a global phenomenon. Where Genshin offered pastoral fantasy and Honkai: Star Rail delivered turn-based science fiction, ZZZ plunges players into New Eridu — a densely packed urban metropolis that feels like a collision between Shibuya, cyberpunk Hong Kong, and a Saturday morning cartoon. The game trades open-world exploration for a hub-based structure centered around roguelike dungeons called Hollows, and replaces elemental reactions with a character action combat system that owes more to Devil May Cry than to any gacha RPG. It is a game of extraordinary highs and frustrating lows, and where you land on it will depend almost entirely on which aspects you value most. If combat and style are your priorities, Zenless Zone Zero is one of the best action games of 2024. If you are looking for the exploration depth of Genshin or the narrative polish of Star Rail, you may find it wanting.

Gameplay

The combat in Zenless Zone Zero is, without reservation, the best HoYoverse has ever designed. Each agent fights with a distinct style — Ellen Joe's shark-themed ice attacks flow with predatory grace, Lycaon's wolf-form martial arts are devastating at close range, and Anby Demara's lightning-fast blade combos reward precise timing. The core loop revolves around building up Daze on enemies to trigger chain attacks and ultimate abilities, and when everything clicks — dodging an enemy's strike at the last frame, triggering a perfect assist, and launching into a cinematic chain combo — the dopamine hit is extraordinary. The three-character team system encourages constant swapping, and each character role (Attack, Stun, Support, Defense) serves a clear purpose in team composition. The Hollow exploration, however, is the game's most divisive element. These roguelike dungeons use a TV-screen grid navigation system that quickly becomes tedious, with repetitive room layouts and a puzzle element that feels like busywork between combat encounters. HoYoverse has acknowledged the feedback and made improvements post-launch, but the Hollows still pale in comparison to the combat they lead to. The stamina system, called Battery, limits daily engagement more aggressively than Genshin's resin, which is a frustrating restriction given how satisfying the core gameplay loop is.

Visuals

Zenless Zone Zero's art direction is phenomenal. The game commits fully to its urban aesthetic, blending anime character designs with graffiti-inspired UI elements, VHS distortion effects, and a color palette that pops with neon energy. New Eridu's streets are packed with visual detail — shop signs in multiple languages, NPCs going about their daily routines, and environmental storytelling that makes the city feel lived-in. Character designs are uniformly excellent and dripping with personality, from Billy Kid's retro robot cowboy aesthetic to Nicole Demara's fox-themed con artist look. Combat animations are fluid and impactful, with screen-shake, particle effects, and dynamic camera angles that make every encounter feel cinematic. The game runs well on PS5 and PC at 60fps, and even the mobile version maintains respectable performance on recent hardware, though some visual compromises are noticeable on smaller screens.

Story

The narrative follows Belle/Wise (the player-named protagonist) and their role as Proxies — guides who navigate others through the dangerous Hollows. The story takes a slow-burn approach, spending considerable time establishing the daily life of New Eridu before the larger plot threads begin to converge. This pacing decision will frustrate players looking for immediate narrative hooks, but it serves the world-building effectively. The faction system — with groups like the Cunning Hares, Belobog Heavy Industries, and Victoria Housekeeping — provides structured storylines that flesh out the city and its inhabitants. Individual character writing is strong, with standout moments in the companion trust events that reveal surprising depth beneath the game's stylish exterior. The overarching mystery involving the Hollows and their origin is intriguing but develops slowly across the main story chapters.

Verdict

Zenless Zone Zero is a game that excels spectacularly in its strengths and stumbles in its supporting systems. The combat is among the best in any action RPG this year — deep, stylish, and endlessly satisfying. The art direction and soundtrack create an atmosphere that no other gacha game can match. But the Hollow exploration is a persistent weak point, the stamina system limits engagement unnecessarily, and the gacha rates sit slightly below the generosity threshold that players have come to expect from HoYoverse. It is a flawed gem, but when ZZZ fires on all cylinders, there is nothing quite like it in the genre.