Zenless Zone Zero review: "Wholesome stories in a stunning anime world"

GamesRadar+ VerdictZenless Zone Zero is a visual delight served with loveable anime characters in a vibrant urban fantasy world. Bangboo bunnies, graphic novels, and arcade games give the game a lot of character, but it occasionally suffers from repetitive challenges and shallow dungeon mechanics.TODAY’S BEST DEALS$99.79at WalmartCheck AmazonPros+Fun combat mechanics+Features a wide range of quests, challenges, and mini-games+Varied character design with brilliant voice-actingCons-Some battles are rather dull-Dungeon sections are too easy-The story is somewhat predictable GamesRadar+ Verdict GamesRadar+ Verdict Zenless Zone Zero is a visual delight served with loveable anime characters in a vibrant urban fantasy world. Bangboo bunnies, graphic novels, and arcade games give the game a lot of character, but it occasionally suffers from repetitive challenges and shallow dungeon mechanics.TODAY’S BEST DEALS$99.79at WalmartCheck Amazon Zenless Zone Zero is a visual delight served with loveable anime characters in a vibrant urban fantasy world. Bangboo bunnies, graphic novels, and arcade games give the game a lot of character, but it occasionally suffers from repetitive challenges and shallow dungeon mechanics. TODAY’S BEST DEALS$99.79at WalmartCheck Amazon TODAY’S BEST DEALS$99.79at WalmartCheck Amazon TODAY’S BEST DEALS$99.79at WalmartCheck Amazon TODAY’S BEST DEALS $99.79at WalmartCheck Amazon $99.79at Walmart $99.79at Walmart Check Amazon Check Amazon Pros+Fun combat mechanics+Features a wide range of quests, challenges, and mini-games+Varied character design with brilliant voice-acting Fun combat mechanics Features a wide range of quests, challenges, and mini-games Varied character design with brilliant voice-acting Cons-Some battles are rather dull-Dungeon sections are too easy-The story is somewhat predictable Some battles are rather dull Dungeon sections are too easy The story is somewhat predictable Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. Why you can trust GamesRadar+Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about our reviews policy. As the second HoYoverse game launched in a post-Genshin world, Zenless Zone Zero undoubtedly felt it had to make an impression when it dropped me in the middle of a police-chasing-gang-chasing-terrorists opening sequence. However, while the slick combat and loveable band of a bossy pink-haired girl, quiet trooper, and trigger-happy cyborg were indeed enough to have me hooked, Zenless Zone Zero suffers from a few flaws that can lower the good time vibe. Zenless Zone Cinema (Image credit: HoYoverse) Fast FactsRelease date: July 4, 2024Platform(s):PC, PS5Developer: In-housePublisher: HoYoverse Fast Facts Release date: July 4, 2024Platform(s):PC, PS5Developer: In-housePublisher: HoYoverse Release date: July 4, 2024Platform(s):PC, PS5Developer: In-housePublisher: HoYoverse Zenless Zone Zero doesn’t stop there though, with HoYoverse imbuing its storytelling with even more style through the addition of comic book pages. They fir the game’s cyberpunk vibes perfectly, with major portions of the story delivered as if you were reading a graphic novel – complete with dark, gritty action scenes and a healthy dose of humor. It’s different, it’s relaxing, and (although you’re given the option) very much unskippable. Make no mistake though; looks aside, Zenless Zone Zero’s story isn’t groundbreaking. While it is a lot grittier than HoYoverse’s previous games, it’s still very safe and rather predictable. Of course, the playable characters are all great friends. Of course, everyone escapes from the Hollow with their body intact. And of course, the more treacherous characters have noble motives and are instantly forgiven. Wholesome? Yes – but if you’re looking for shocking plot twists, you won’t find them here. Hollow hacking (Image credit: HoYoverse) So, what does hacking a Hollow look like? A maze built from tiny TVs apparently; as you start a ‘Hollow Deep Dive’ story or exploration commission (a main or side quest), you will land on a Hollow monitor screen where you must move from tile to tile (TV to TV) to progress. That may sound weird, but it’s similar to a dungeon crawler: some tiles are just for walking, others will get you a buff, some will inflict a debuff, and some will drop you into combat. Here’s the problem though; there isn’t much of a challenge on the Hollow monitor screens. The first of these roguelike-inspired areas are fun to explore as every new type of tile is a discovery, but they become rather tedious once you realize that most monitor screens are nothing but a place to pick up buffs before the action kicks off. Some early quests suggested more depth as their monitor screens introduced different levels and pathways, with buttons that needed to be pushed and railroads that needed to be altered – which, as a puzzle game enthusiast, had me excited – but I soon realized that the steps I took were really just part of a checklist, the order of which didn’t affect the outcome much. These Hollow monitor screens are more disruptive to Zenless Zone Zero’s flow than they need to be. I don’t wish that they would disappear entirely, but I would happily see them altered to be less time-consuming, with fewer dialogue interruptions and sections that can’t be failed. There are some solid concepts in here, such as the bomber-bunnies, where you basically play Bomberman against your opponents, but it requires such little strategy to win in its current state. Given that HoYoverse has positioned Zenless Zone Zero as a live-service which will evolve over time through frequent updates, I do hope that better balanced, truly entertaining dungeon sections arrive in the future. Slay ‘em with style (Image credit: HoYoverse) While the character build system isn’t as detailed as previous HoYoverse games, it’s still fun to mull over stats and character rotations. The one thing that may dampen your enthusiasm for Zenless Zone Zero’s team-building a bit is its ‘gacha’ system; you must spend rare items on character banners for achanceto obtain a new character. If luck isn’t on your side, and you’re unwilling to throw an unspecified amount of real-life money into the game, you may never welcome your favorites to the team. Then again, youcanplay the full game without ever spending a penny – just not with a full character roster. I mentioned before that the animations are flawless, and that’s especially true in combat encounters. Each character has a unique moveset that may include gun-slinging pirouettes or sword-slashing backflips. But if you think the motion looks cool, you should see the ending of a battle; the screen becomes frozen as the killing blow lands, resulting in rather spectacular action shots. Ending a battle with as epic an end screen as possible (halfway through that backflip, for example) is a fun challenge in itself. (Image credit: HoYoverse) The fun zone (Image credit: HoYoverse) 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. Disclaimer Zenless Zone Zero: Price Comparison $139.99$99.79ViewNo price informationCheck Amazon $139.99$99.79View $139.99$99.79View $139.99$99.79View $139.99$99.79 $99.79 No price informationCheck Amazon No price informationCheck Amazon No price informationCheck Amazon No price information No price information We check over 250 million products every day for the best prices CATEGORIESPC GamingPS5PlatformsPlayStation CATEGORIES More about zenless zone zero Within just 1 day, Zenless Zone Zero devs pushed out a butt-obscuring update for the action RPG that got swiftly hotfixed after many down-bad fans came unglued Within just 1 day, Zenless Zone Zero devs pushed out a butt-obscuring update for the action RPG that got swiftly hotfixed after many down-bad fans came unglued Latest26 years later, Codemasters’ Chris Southall talks Colin McRae Rally: “We wanted to do something that was an authentic rally experience for the hardware of the time"See more latest► Latest 26 years later, 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REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension"2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package"3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure"4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years"5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths"1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show"2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie"3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action"4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien"5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite"1Squid Game season 2 review: 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proves that the DCU is in good hands” GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 1 Nemesis review: “A magical sense of tension” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 2 Arcs review: “A whole lot of game in a small package” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 3 Path of Exile 2 review: “A stellar start to a thrilling and brutal dark adventure” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 4 Indiana Jones and the Great Circle review: “The best adventure Indy has embarked on in over 30 years” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 5 Marvel Rivals review: “So preoccupied with trying to be like Overwatch that it forgets to play to its own strengths” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 1 Sonic the Hedgehog 3 review: “Keanu Reeves as Shadow is wasted whilst Jim Carrey steals the show” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 2 Mufasa: The Lion King review – “It’s no Hakuna Matata but this Disney origin story is a class above the 2019 movie” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 3 Kraven the Hunter review: “The insistence on an R-rating helps save this, with a decent helping of bloodthirsty action” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 4 The Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim review – “An uninspired expansion of the most iconic screen take on Tolkien” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 5 Nightbitch review: “Amy Adams' disappointing dark comedy is all bark and no bite” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 1 Squid Game season 2 review: “Secures its place as one of the best shows on television right now” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 2 Doctor Who 2024 Christmas special review: “Ncuti Gatwa is as magnetic as ever in this delightful festive treat” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 3 Secret Level review: “An uneven experience with serious highlights that ultimately make up for the misses” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 4 Skeleton Crew review: “Perfectly captures the vibes of classic Star Wars with a swashbuckling twist” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands” 5 Creature Commandos review: “James Gunn’s heartwarming, R-rated tale about super-monsters proves that the DCU is in good hands”