Despite the breakthrough of Honkai Impact 3rd in 2016, it was with the launch of Genshin Impact in September 2020 that the success story of the Chinese studio miHoYo began. It only took a few years for the team founded by students to establish itself as the undisputed giant of gacha games.
This style of free-to-play game based on the random (and paid) invocation of characters, objects and resources in order to gain power has been a standard in the mobile video game industry for many years. But it is by enriching its gacha with more sophisticated gameplay mechanics than the usual “idle games” — these titles that play by themselves — that miHoYo has been able to capitalize on this economic model and make a name for itself.
In addition to the satisfaction of unlocking a rare hero with visually explosive skills, players are drawn into carefully crafted stories, driven by endearing characters.The “gambling” aspect of gacha is no longer the only addictive aspect of these productions: the community follows the content drop by drop and logs in every day to complete daily tasks.
But after the ambitious open world of Genshin Impact and the turn-based battles of Honkai Star Rail, there are still players who do not find what they are looking for at miHoYo. To try to remedy this, the developers have just launched Zenless Zone Zero, a different experience and sometimes more respectful of the player, ideal for a still skeptical audience.
Everything to make you forget the gacha
At first glance, Z-Z-Z knows how to attract our attention thanks to an artistic direction far from miHoYo's habits. The magical visuals of Genshin and the futuristic atmosphere of Honkai Star Rail give way to a colorful urban world, inspired by great games of the 2000s. In this world in the grip of despair, where the last humans try to survive in the face of the threat of supernatural beings called Ethereals, the central hub of New Eridu is infused with a retro atmosphere that some will recognize from Jet Set Radio, or even S4 League. This visual richness is also accompanied by an effective universe that manages to captivate the player from the very first moments.
By multiplying the dialogues, the cutscenes and other interactive comics to tell its story, the title relies entirely on immersion in the scenario, even if it means putting the fights aside for a large part of the time. Despite its action RPG label, Zenless Zone Zero benefits from a predominant “slice of life” dimension that will not fail to delight aficionados of Persona and other franchises of the genre. In addition to his job as a “proxy” aiming to guide humans in the Nethers — these faults acting as dungeons — the player character must also manage a video club or carry out side quests depending on the time of day (according to a clock specific to the game, and not in real time).
This structure allows to reduce the impact of the title's gacha DNA. While it relies on summoning characters and equipment like its predecessors, the need to obtain S-rank heroes (the equivalent of 5 stars on Genshin) is much less felt. Especially since for the time being, Z-Z-Z offers a roster of only 16 characters. By taking advantage of the launch festivities, players will be able to summon many characters without having to spend a single penny, and thus get a good head start on the next stages of the adventure.
A generous start
The absence of this pressure to buy specific to gacha is certainly one of the greatest strengths of Zenless Zone Zero. In fact, it is absolutely not certain that this serenity will continue over the course of content updates and character additions. But it would be a shame to deprive oneself of the pleasure that the Z-Z-Z experience provides as it is. Thanks to the many launch events in the game, players can enjoy a multitude of important rewards. Free summons, free characters and other resources essential to gaining power, allow you to get a head start that will make the daily lives of regular users easier in the future.
But this time, miHoYo's generosity is not only expressed in the festivities and gifts reserved for the release. Character balancing places (at the time of writing) many free characters as well as many A-rank heroes at the top of the tier lists. The weight of the rarest characters is therefore less felt for progression in the story and allows you to enjoy Zenless Zone Zero as a true free-to-play. Finally, the characters catch our eye when they prove to be endearing in the story or attractive by their design, and not just by their impact on the gameplay.
An effective gameplay alternation
MiHoYo's latest also benefits from offering a less repetitive experience than its predecessors. Game sessions are not a daily chore unlike some activities in Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail. The gameplay structure alternates between story moments, Nether explorations, and daily/weekly missions for less redundancy. The core game mechanics—namely dungeons and the resulting battles—are also tailored to provide a more enjoyable experience.
Exploration offers its own interface, with square-by-square movements, giving rise to different phases of puzzles and reflection. It is important to think about the path you want to take in order to maximize the rewards and minimize the penalties that apply in combat.
These battle phases also give rise to one of the best combat systems at miHoYo to date. Inspired by action RPGs and wild beat ‘em ups like Devil May Cry and Bayonetta, the gameplay of Zenless Zone Zero provides a nice satisfaction thanks to its counter systems, time slowdowns and combos. The whole thing shines thanks to its two difficulty modes, designed for beginners and regulars of the genre. This choice of accessibility also helps to limit the impact of the paywall specific to gacha games. Even without heroes optimized to the last detail, players will be able to progress and have fun while discovering the mysteries that govern the city of New Eridu.
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