Why You Should Be Excited For Zenless Zone Zero

Hoyoverse is no stranger to releasing title after title of the biggest hits in the gacha genre. With the topping the revenue charts, it makes sense for them to take another gamble on a new title, and hope to deliver to both their South East Asian as well as Western audiences. I, for one, am so excited for the release of Zenless Zone Zero on July 3rd, 2024, and I will spend the entire article trying to tell you why you should be excited about it, too.

While the Gacha genre is difficult to master, Zenless Zone Zero’s release will prove that it is quite possible to make good Gacha games. Zenless Zone Zero is already shaping up to be another fantastic title by Hoyoverse. 

Banger Character Designs 

Character design is probably what makes or breaks a game for most people. Fortunately for us, Hoyoverse releases some of the best character designs in any Gacha game. Take the example of Genshin Impact, which delivered incredibly designed characters such as Xianyun, Scaramouche or Neuvillette. 

As described by someone on Reddit, “They are so pleasing to the eyes, I love them.“, Hoyoverse’s character designs are vivid, and stand out from the crowd. They are not only visually appealing but each character design is tied together with the character’s lore and backstory directly. 

My favorite designs have to be of Nicole and Koleda, with Nicole’s bubblegum hair, tied with her black alt outfit, her jarring shorts, black bows on her ponytails, as well as her pink nail polish. It all boils down to her love for money, and how she wants to go from rags to riches. 

On the other hand, Koleda’s outfits are fiery, with pops of red in her hair. Her personality shines through with her outfit choices, and Hoyoverse surely knows how to convey it well. 

Devil May Cry Meets Anime 

If making enemies go airborne while shooting them down and Hack and Slash combat is what you prefer, then Zenless Zone Zero is an excellent option, as it gives an ode to Devil May Cry in its combat. 

Not only is the fluidity of the combat its main selling point, but the ability to gun down enemies while combo’ing them to death, unleashing ability after ability is what makes the gameplay feel so smooth and refreshing. 

While the combat is nothing like its sister-game Genshin Impact, it does share similarities to Honkai Impact 3rd as well, with the Evade mechanics shining through well. The combat feels rewarding, with the enemies unleashing hell on you if you don’t hit them in time.

Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of the combat in Zenless Zone Zero is when you’re able to sort of “stop time” while being in mid-air. At the same time, you can switch to another character to release their abilities which can string everything together perfectly. 

It’s A Hoyo Title, Come On Now

If there’s one thing that should cement your faith in Zenless Zone Zero being a banger, it’s that Hoyoverse is not afraid to pour their AAA-level budget into their games. 

With their revenue, they also burn it back into games, with Genshin Impact and Honkai Star Rail having some of the highest earnings of all time in the Gacha genre. 

The animations are sure to be fluid, the combat is going to be engaging and enticing, and while the New Eridu lore isn’t something I would personally get into, the storyline delivers almost every time. The world-building aspect, end-game, gacha, main missions, and sidequests all mix to become a wonderful experience for everyone who tries out Hoyo titles. 

Alongside that, the soundtrack is about to be splendid, and it is no secret that Genshin and Honkai soundtracks have been hit after hit, and Zenless Zone Zero is sure to follow the same path as its ancestors. 

Animations And Cutscenes Never Miss 

Because Hoyoverse rakes in bank after each quarterly with their other titles, the budget for Zenless Zone Zero was insanely high. 

One thing I noticed in the beta cutscenes was that the animators did not hesitate to pour their heart and soul into animating these characters. Not only do the characters come to life with how they display their emotions, but the narrative delivery, combined with the ever-changing art style implemented into the game makes it a worthwhile experience. 

Takeaway 

All in all, while there are things that still need changing before the official release, Hoyoverse knows how to develop a good game. The combat, art direction, dialogue delivery, fluid combat and animations, gacha aspect, and character design are all elements of a game that is going to be well received surely. 

We can only hope to see what the future holds for Zenless Zone Zero, and that can be tested once the official release comes around the corner in early July 2024.