Zenless Zone Zero Review – The Perfect Gacha Game for Those Who Don’t Like Gachas

As someone adamant about avoiding playing Gacha games and never really enjoyed the story of Genshin Impact or Honkai: Star Rail, I was reluctant to try Zenless Zone Zero. However, Zenless Zone Zero is everything I wanted from a Gacha game.

The action immediately gets going, and you are dropped into a hi-fi cyberpunk-style world full of chaos, explosions, and colorful delights. From the get-go, it reminded me of a Suicide Squad-type situation, especially as The Cunning Hares were trying to escape the watchful gaze of law enforcement after being mistaken as the bad guys.

Zenless Zone Zero is highly theatrical from the get-go, and I loved that aspect of the game. Starting the game with a high-speed chase in a cutscene felt like the right move, and it immediately pulled me in. The game runs smooth as butter and doesn't feel buggy. It was incredibly polished and well put together for a game so fresh on release.

Once through the initial cutscene, you get to play Anby Demara, who is stoic and somewhat robotic in their way of speaking. Immediately, you are thrown into the deep end and tasked with hacking and slashing your way to victory with the help of Billy Kid.

The dynamics between Anby and Billy are great, as she immediately doesn't trust him despite him being a comrade. When they are in battle, they have a great power dynamic as they can swap between ranged battle and up-close, fast-paced melee damage.

My only issue with Zenless Zone Zero is its inaccessibility to disabled gamers. As someone with light sensitivity issues, especially with flashing lights, this game is incredibly headache-inducing. There are strobe lights everywhere, and the battle is terribly flashy. While it fits the game's environment and the aesthetic that miHoYo was trying to achieve, it can lead to dangerous complications and health issues.

Additionally, there are no toggleable settings, such as turning off screen shake or motion blur, for which there is much in this game. It was disappointing to see the lack of settings for a game released in an era where developers create more accessible games.

While there is a warning at the beginning about turning the game off if you feel unwell, it doesn't entirely cover the amount of flashing imagery and how it's ingrained into every part of the game. As a result, I had to play the game in very short doses of approximately ten to fifteen minutes at a push. I turned my brightness down and tried to squint through the flashing to try and eliminate any headaches that would come on, but it didn't quite work.

Although the graphics were flashy, I really liked this game's art style. Compared to the other creations by miHoYo, I feel like Zenless Zone Zero stands out from the crowd. Additionally, the game ran very smoothly. The only little snag was when the game first booted up; there would be a mild frame drop as it loaded in shaders. Aside from that, it was a smooth experience with no big frame rate drops or lag. I tried it on my mobile phone and gaming laptop, and they both worked exceptionally well. I was pleasantly surprised about how well it ran on mobile, as most games like these struggle slightly. However, a lot of love and effort went into making sure this game was more mobile-friendly.

Despite this, I was determined to progress further through the game. Since pressing play, I was immediately intrigued by the Borderlands-esque game style and the constant chaos. While I don't usually play games with futuristic worlds, this was one I was keen to dive into. From the quests I did complete, I found them enjoyable and a lot of fun, especially being able to explore an open world full of exciting people to talk to and side quests to pick up from familiar faces.

There were some really cute characters, too. I immediately looked at Belle and Wise, loved their presence in the game, and found the Bangboos adorable. The characters had plenty of personality, which helped ease me into the world of Gacha.

However, the amount of resources tossed at you before you fully settled into the gameplay is overwhelming. You are introduced to the inter-knot system, Dennies, Gear Coins, and many more. It can be hard to keep track of all of these resources, and how is anyone meant to know what each and everyone does?

I wanted to get into this game more but couldn't due to the strobing lights. However, I unlocked a few new characters, met some friendly (and unfriendly) faces, and completed quests. Whether I'll be able to return to it remains to be seen.

One feature I liked was the ability to skip cutscenes or rewatch them, depending on whether you were action-oriented or preferred to get stuck in the story. I skipped most of the cutscenes, but I liked that it came with a text box afterward to fill you in on what happened during the cutscene. If you were rushing through the game or weren't interested in the theatrics, you could stay caught up on the need-to-know story while skipping the unnecessary parts.

I also enjoyed taking on exploration commissions and navigating pathways using TV screens. It was one of the most unique ways of traversing danger and trying to complete an objective I've seen in a game. It may seem like a relaxing journey of just going in the cardinal directions, but danger awaits around every corner. I saw a shiny box and went for it, only for an enemy to appear on the trail and quickly catch up to me. It was surprisingly intense!

Compared to other Gacha games, Zenless Zone Zero stands out from the crowd. It feels more like a game and less like an environment where you gamble resources to unlock cute characters. I am glad to have experienced any of Zenless Zone Zero.

I'm excited to see how far this live-service game will go in the future. Since it's in the early stages of release, I'm sure they have plenty planned. Already, new characters have been revealed to join the game, and it'll be interesting to see what part they play and whether they'll affect the story as a whole. Since playing it, I check in on the game daily, especially to do my daily scratch card to get rewards from the stall. Even though my eyes are sensitive to the game, I always try to finish at least one quest in the short time I play it. Whether you want to sink plenty of time in during one session or you want short, sharp bursts of playtime, there's a lot of appeal and replayability for the long term.

For those who want to dip their toes into the expansive world of Gacha games but are deterred by the other games currently on the market, Zenless Zone Zero is one I would genuinely recommend, despite only being able to play it in short bursts. Additionally, you'll love every second of this game if you're a fan of wild theatrics and flashy cutscenes.

Reviewed on PC and Mobile.

8.5

WCCFTECH RATING

Zenless Zone Zero

Although I did enjoy the gameplay elements of Zenless Zone Zero, the lack of accessibility features overall made me have to mark the game lower than expected. When it comes to Gacha games, this is by far the best one that I've played, as it feels accessible without having to purchase anything. Zenless Zone Zero stands out of the crowd from miHoYo's other IPs, and I look forward to seeing where this game will go in the future and what new features will be added to the game over time.

Pros

• Exciting Gameplay
• Throws you straight into the action
• Fun and lovable characters

Cons

• Constant strobing lights and flashing effects
• No accessibility settings

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