Zenless Zone Zero (Chinese: 绝区零 Jué Qū Líng, "Perilous Zone Zero") is a free-to-play action role-playing game developed and published by miHoYo (with publishing outside mainland China under Cognosphere, d/b/a HoYoverse). The game was released on Windows, iOS, Android and PlayStation 5 on July 4th, 2024.
The game takes place in a semi open-world, post-apocalyptic futuristic metropolis, New Eridu, displaying a retro and analog aesthetic. It features an interactive action-based combat system, revolving around the usage of Agents with different Specialties and Attributes, with quick-time-event (QTE) elements.
Monetization is present in the form of gacha.
Overview[]
Zenless Zone Zero is a brand-new game IP set in a post-apocalyptic metropolitan city. It features an engaging story with a futuristic art style, distinctive characters, and an exhilarating action-orientated combat system. Players will play the role of a “Proxy” and embark on an adventure with a diverse group of partners to conquer the unknown enemies and unravel the mysteries in New Eridu — the last shelter for urban civilization.
Contemporary civilization has been destroyed by a supernatural disaster known as the “Hollows”. They grow exponentially out of thin air, creating disordered dimensions where mysterious monsters dubbed the “Ethereal” roam. New Eridu, the last urban civilization that survived the apocalypse, managed to thrive by acquiring the technology to extract valuable resources out of the Hollows.
As New Eridu became the city of miracle and attracted more resettled residents, it also started the massive exploration of the Hollows for its perpetual expansion. The Hollows then became industrialized and monetized under the city’s administration, which gradually led to the increasing tension between monopolistic enterprises, gangs, conspirators, and fanatics.
Players in the game take on the role of a "Proxy" — a special professional who guides people in their exploration of Hollows. A great many people want to enter the Hollows for their own various reasons, and the "Proxies" are their indispensable partners. Players will help them explore the Hollows, battle their enemies, achieve their goals, and in the process learn more about their story.
Besides the engaging story, this 3D anime-style title features a fluid, cinematic action-oriented combat system. While fighting Ethereal, players can take control of different characters to unleash electrifying skills and unlimited QTE combos. The game has also developed a Roguelike gameplay mechanism that awaits exploration.
Gameplay[]
Players explore the game's world, New Eridu, through the eyes of one of the 2 main sibling protagonists, Wise or Belle. The player must choose a sibling they wish to play as, with the possibility to experience the map as the other sibling or Agents when outside Random Play, dialogue, and commissions[1]. The remaining sibling will then become an NPC that assists the player throughout the main story and various Commissions.
Core gameplay can be separated into "Overworld content", where the player completes various tasks as their chosen protagonist in the world of New Eridu, and "H.D.D content", where the player must put together a team of up to 3 Agents and a Bangboo and delve into various Hollows to carry out their work.
The game features an energy system in the form of 
Battery Charge, which allows players to complete a variety of challenges to earn Agent Promotion Materials, W-Engine Modification Materials, Drive Discs, and other items essential for in-game progression. These challenges are majoritively undertaken at the HIA Club in the form of a Virtual reality Combat Simulation, pitting the player's Agents against various enemies.
While exploring New Eridu, the player can find locations such as Waterfall Soup and Coff Cafe, which allow the purchase of special consumables, providing limited bonuses to Agent stats or player Battery Charge. These consumables can solely be purchased with the in-game currency Denny.
Story[]
Plot[]
The sibling duo Wise and Belle, through the use of their unique Hollow Deep Dive System and modified Bangboo Eous, rose through the ranks of Inter-Knot under their joint codename Phaethon, to become one of the only mass-recognized Legendary Proxies on the platform, garnering them a reputation of being "the best of the best". While on a commission for the Cunning Hares, they encounter a mysterious hacker who threatens to wipe their data and expose their identities. In an attempt to force the hacker to back off, Wise and Belle sacrifice the Phaethon account to New Eridu Public Security and decide to start afresh on a new account, determined to rise up through the ranks once again and regain their lost reputation.
Agents & Factions[]
Agents are obtainable units in Zenless Zone Zero.
They come in different Ranks (
or 
), have an attacking Specialty (
Attack, 
Stun, 
Anomaly, 
Support, or 
Defense), are aligned with an Attribute (Physical, Ice, Fire, Electric, or Ether), are equipable with a specific W-Engine, and belong to a Faction.
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Development[]
Zenless Zone Zero was officially revealed in May 2022[2], although had already been in development for an unspecified time, with several trademarks being registered for the game dating back to December 2021[3], under the titles "Zenless Zone Zer0", "Z3nless Zone Zero" and "Z3nless Zone Zer0".
Lead producer Zhenyu Li has stated that inspiration for the game was taken from titles such as Digimon World and the Street Fighter series of games, with Digimon World being a large inspiration for the Time System, while Street Fighter helped inspire the main combat system in Zenless Zone Zero[4]. Although many cited Persona 5 being a large part of this process, Zhenyu Li himself has expressed that the development team didn't draw much inspiration from that title.
The game underwent three distinct beta phases, each with its own recruitment and testing period. The first public beta, Version 0.13, known as the "Tuning Test," had recruitment from May 12 to July 27, 2022[5], with testing from August 5 to August 8, 2022[6][7]. The second beta, Version 0.2.0, called the "Equalizing Test," was announced on November 4, 2023[8], with recruitment until November 17 and testing from November 24 to December 24, 2023[9][10]. The final beta phase, Version 0.3.0, the "Amplifying Test," was announced on March 16, 2024[11], with recruitment running until April 10 and testing from April 18 to May 28, 2024[12][13].
The game was officially released on Windows, iOS, Android and PlayStation 5 on July 4th, 2024.
Official Links[]
| Language | Links |
|---|---|
| Global | Official Website |
| English | Official Website, HoYoLAB (Zenless Zone Zero • Type II), Discord, Facebook, Instagram, Reddit, Telegram, TikTok, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube |
| Chinese | Official Website (Simplified Chinese • Traditional Chinese), Bilibili, MiYouShe, Sina Weibo, TapTap, YouTube (Traditional Chinese) |
| Japanese | Official Website, Twitter, YouTube, Facebook |
| Korean | Official Website, Naver Lounge, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube |
| France | Official Website, Facebook, Twitter |
| German | Official Website, Facebook, Twitter |
| Indonesian | Official Website, Facebook, Twitter |
| Portuguese | Official Website, Facebook, Twitter |
| Russian | Official Website, Facebook, Twitter, VK |
| Spanish | Official Website, Facebook, Twitter |
| Thai | Official Website, Facebook, Twitter |
| Vietnamese | Official Website, Facebook, Twitter |
Other Languages[]
| Language | Official Name |
|---|---|
| English | Zenless Zone Zero |
| Chinese (Simplified) | 绝区零 Jué Qū Líng |
| Chinese (Traditional) | 絕區零 Jué Qū Líng |
| Japanese | ゼンレスゾーンゼロ Zenresu Zōn Zero |
| Korean | 젠레스 존 제로 Jelleseu Jon Jero |
| Spanish | Zenless Zone Zero |
| French | Zenless Zone Zero |
| Russian | Zenless Zone Zero |
| Thai | Zenless Zone Zero |
| Vietnamese | Zenless Zone Zero |
| German | Zenless Zone Zero |
| Indonesian | Zenless Zone Zero |
| Portuguese | Zenless Zone Zero |
References[]
- ↑ Prior to Version 1.2, the choice of the character with which to roam the map was unavailable, with gameplay limited to the chosen sibling.
- ↑ YouTube: IGN Zenless Zone Zero - Official Announcement Trailer
- ↑ United States Patent & Trademark Office: Trademark Dec. 23, 2021
- ↑ PocketTactics Interview Interview Link
- ↑ https://twitter.com/ZZZ_EN/status/1524962639029293057
- ↑ https://twitter.com/ZZZ_EN/status/1550329791156477952
- ↑ https://twitter.com/ZZZ_EN/status/1556218592395513856
- ↑ https://twitter.com/ZZZ_EN/status/1720652338170593307
- ↑ https://twitter.com/ZZZ_EN/status/1725363182641045506
- ↑ https://twitter.com/ZZZ_EN/status/1738046822936117333
- ↑ https://twitter.com/ZZZ_EN/status/1769213073368166850
- ↑ https://fxtwitter.com/ZZZ_EN/status/1780446341875056675
- ↑ https://fxtwitter.com/ZZZ_EN/status/1792767355824807971
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