Zenless Zone Zero: The new action game from the developers of Genshin Impact is here

The new game Zenless Zone Zero by HoYoverse is here. Some were able to dive into the action-packed fights before its release. MeinMMO summarizes the first impressions for you.

What kind of game is this? Zenless Zone Zero is HoYoverse’s latest game after Honkai Star Rail, the studio behind the successful action RPG Genshin Impact.

Zenless Zone Zero is another action RPG set in an urban fantasy city called New Eridu, the last metropolis that still exists after an apocalyptic catastrophe.

In the game world, “Hollows” open, dimensional portals that devour everything that comes too close. Through these portals, the valuable but dangerous resource “Ether” can be harvested. However, the Hollows are also home to dangerous monsters, the Ethereals. In the game, you play the role of a Proxy. You will be accompanied by unique characters and explore the Hollows.

Whose opinions are being expressed? We have summarized some initial international impressions of Zenless Zone Zero – including IGN, Polygon, and PCGamesN.

Here you can watch the official release trailer of Zenless Zone Zero to get a first impression:

Zenless Zone Zero: New game from the creators of ‘Genshin Impact’ focuses on Cyberpunk instead of Fantasy – Trailer

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What do the first impressions say? The initial opinions on Zenless Zone Zero are mostly positive. The fast-paced fights and the story are particularly highlighted. However, there are some drawbacks. Critique has been directed at the hacker puzzles and missing practical features.

IGN’s first impression of Zenless Zone Zero is largely positive. While there is some criticism about the depth and the hacker puzzles, which are said to be ‘arbitrary and ruin the momentum’, the game still convinces with its charm and appealing characters. IGN rates the game a 8 out of 10 and writes: ‘By combining nostalgia from the early 2000s with a stylish vision of the future, Zenless Zone Zero creates a unique world that is easy to dive into. Exploring New Eridu and getting to know these charming characters both in and out of combat has been an exciting journey that I wanted to continue for hours.’

Polygon is also impressed by Zenless Zone Zero, praising especially the fast fights and the story. Zenless Zone Zero captures the perfect action game flow. The overall first impression is very positive, even though some menus and additional tasks are perceived as occasional obstacles. Polygon writes: There are many in-game activities that fill the gameplay experience, along with a fully voiced story told through comic stills or dialogues. Often, I just wanted to get back to fighting, and sometimes the multitude of things – and the endless menus for upgrading my characters and weapons – felt like barriers to the core of battling and puzzles.

At PCGamesN, they apparently did not want to stop playing, even though there were deductions for missing quality-of-life features. Again, the combat system is particularly praised: The combat system in Zenless Zone Zero surpasses everything that has existed so far in the HoYoverse ecosystem. It is based on Street Fighter 6, with design principles that promote feedback from animation frames. […] The story and the world may be smaller than what we are used to from HoYoverse, but Zenless Zone Zero has the style, substance, and genre variety to step out of the shadow of its predecessors. It may not be for everyone, but I admit: I can’t stop playing it. PCGamesN rates the game a 8 out of 10.

GameSpot is convinced by the aesthetics, but there are deductions for the lack of depth in the combat system, among other things. Overall, GameSpot gives the game a 7 out of 10. The following is emphasized: The aesthetics of Zenless Zone Zero captivates me, but I don’t know if I’ve found what makes me a daily player who might even spend a little money. It feels like it should be the combat system, but encounters with enemies feel too easy and are too rare – while, of course, you progress through the main story before unlocking Hollow Zero and Shiyu Defense. Most of the time, I just enjoyed the retro-futuristic atmosphere. […] Despite these criticisms, Zenless Zone Zero, starting with version 1.0, is another solid example in the HoYoverse portfolio, and the potential is obvious when new agents are introduced alongside story missions. It is a pity that the positive aspects are overshadowed by the lack of challenging tasks – both in puzzles and in combat – in the early chapters of the game. But the current experience still shines through the fun and liveliness present in all areas of the game.