Summary
There’s a lot to like aboutZenless Zone Zero; as can probably be expected from a HoYoverse title at this point, the game has top-notch visuals, exceptionally stylish presentation, and a level of consistent polish that even some of the industry’s biggest games can often fail to achieve. But, even putting aside some of the game’s more obvious negatives, like the controversial TV traversal system or the typicalHoYoverse gacha grind, there’s one core aspect of the game that I think holds back its (admittedly very flashy and stylish) combat.
Following only a bit over a year since the turn-based RPGHonkai: Star Rail,Zenless Zone Zeromight seem likeGenshin Impact, but it’s actually much more similar to a somewhat less popular HoYoverse game:Honkai Impact 3rd. LikeHI3,ZZZputs a particular focus on action and combat, with both games taking a lot of their DNA from character action series likeDevil May CryandBayonetta. While I thinkZenless Zone Zeromight be able to match up with the best examples of the genre in some respects, though, its combat can’t quite reach the same heights.
Zenless Zone Zero Preview: Ambitious, Chill Gameplay With Immaculate Vibes
Zenless Zone Zero is both the most ambitious and chill effort from HoYoverse yet, a delightful blend of urban fantasy and high octane combat.
Mobile Platforms Are Limiting What ZZZ’s Combat Could Be
Zenless Zone Zero’s Combat Sacrifices Depth & Complexity To Be Playable On Phones
As a fan of character action games, there’s a lot that I appreciate aboutZZZ, especially in terms of aesthetic and music, but I also can’t help but feel likethe game’s combat is held back by being designed for mobile platforms. Especially for an action game, it’s important to consider how many inputs are available to the player - and having to design the game to make it playable on a phone means that there’s a restrictive limit on the amount of available inputs per character, and consequently, a limit on how complex any single character can be.
The unfortunate reality for even thebest mobile gamesis thatphone screens aren’t that good at emulating an actual controller. For any game that needs buttons to perform actions, those buttons have to be present on the touchscreen - meaning that they have to both take enough space to be easily pressed, but also leave enough empty space so that the game itself is still visible. As a result, the standard for any mobile action game is to cram all the buttons into one corner, with a mock joystick for controlling movement in the corner across from them.
Like a lot of other mobile action games,ZZZhas only three basic offensive inputs: an attack chain, a skill, and an ultimate. In the worst case, this can make the game’s combat feel overly simplistic and dull. When my ultimate isn’t available, and I don’t have enough meter to use an enhanced skill, I’m simply mashing away on the basic attack chain, waiting for my meter to fill up or for an enemy to present a change to dodge or counter - not helped by the fact thatZZZ’s basic enemy types attack very little, and are easily stunlocked.
Beating on an enemy that’s essentially just a punching bag can be fun - there’s a reason a lot ofDevil May Crycombo videos have Dante or Vergil juggling a basic enemy instead of a boss - butfor that kind of gameplay to be compelling, there has to be a wide variety of actions for me to perform. InZenless Zone Zero, during the “downtime” of combat, when enemies are vulnerable and unable to fight back, there just aren’t enough options per character to make the game’s combos feel interesting or creative.
Zenless Zone Zero’s Simplicity Is (Probably) Intentional
Not All Of ZZZ’s Problems Stem From Being A Phone Game
It would be a mistake to blame every problem withZZZ’s combat solely on the game being designed for phones, though, especially since other mobile games show that there’s at least a little more room for complexity. For example, whilePunishing Gray Raven’s Ping (essentially a simple color-matching mini-game in place of a single skill button) system wasn’t something I personally enjoyed, it does allow characters to have three special moves in addition to basic attack chains and ultimates, expanding the possible design space for that game’s characters.
So, while I thinkZZZ’scombat is majorly impacted by being available on phones,the game’s simplicity is also probably intended to some degree. HoYoverse games serve a wide audience, and as much as I personally like character action games, the genre as a whole is relatively niche. I still think there’s a middle ground that the game could’ve found between the Dante ofDevil May Cry 4and5- one of the most complex characters to control in any video game - andZZZ’s roster, but I recognize that trending more towards simplicity is probably the better bet for widespread success
Less excusable, though, is how the gacha system interacts with the game’s existing combat woes. Personally, I was lucky enough to have gotten Nekomata, Soldier 11, and Koleda off a combination of standard banner pulls and a lost 50/50. All three characters have relatively fun mechanics, and the latter two pair well in a team together, but it’s not hard to imagine a scenario where I wasn’t as lucky as I was, stuck with characters whose combat abilities didn’t interest me as much.
Zenless Zone Zero: Every Playable Character Available At Launch, Ranked
Zenless Zone Zero wants every character be relevant, but there are still some ZZZ agents who are a cut above the rest. Here’s our ranked list.
Zenless Zone Zero Still Manages To Have Some Depth
ZZZ’s Combat Evolves Beyond Simple Button Mashing… Eventually
Finally, even though I think it could be better, I do want to take some time to recognize thatZZZisn’t entirely devoid of depth, even if I think there could be more. Each character in the game has at least one unique mechanic to distinguish them from the rest, like Anby’s delayed fourth hit or Soldier 11’s timed fire slashes (emulating Nero’s Exceed mechanics fromDevil May Cry), and like most other mobile action games,ZZZdoes derive some depth from swapping between characters instead of sticking to just one, which can lead to interesting teambuilding setups and synergies.
Later levels and modes inZenless Zone Zeroalso ramp up the difficulty, making enemies more aggressive, varied, and numerous. As I progress further into the game, there are fewer periods of “downtime” when I’m simply just repeating the same basic attack chains, because the game has started to require me to be more mindful of enemy attacks. I wish there were more attack chains or skills, but what is there is flashy and satisfying to use, and for some characters, basic attacks and skills can interact in interesting ways.
Being designed for mobile devices is far from beingZZZ’s only problem - the TV segments can overstay their welcome, the game forces long gaps between story events, and gacha as a whole is controversial, to say the least. In my opinion, though, the need to make concessions so that the game is playable on phones has the single biggest impact on the game’s core combat, limiting its potential depth. While I’ve certainly enjoyed my time withZenless Zone Zero, I can’t help but wonder how much better its combat could’ve been.
