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Zenless Zone Zero

Zenless Zone Zero
Developer(s)miHoYo
Publisher(s)
Producer(s)Li Zhenyu[1]
EngineUnity[2]
Platform(s)
ReleaseJuly 4, 2024
Genre(s)Action role-playing, hack and slash
Mode(s)Single-player

Zenless Zone Zero [a], abbreviated as ZZZ, is a free-to-play action role-playing game developed and published by miHoYo (with publishing outside mainland China under Cognosphere, d/b/a HoYoverse). The game was released on Windows, iOS, Android and PlayStation 5 on July 4, 2024.[3]

Gameplay

[edit]
Screenshot of the Chain Attack (featuring Ben Bigger) in Zenless Zone Zero

Zenless Zone Zero is an action role-playing game. The player assumes the role of a Proxy (the protagonist known as Wise or Belle), a character who helps others explore alternate dimensions called Hollows.[4][5] Over time, the Proxy will recruit new party members known as Agents to fight hostile entities called Ethereals and other enemies. In addition to the Proxy, players use rabbit-like robotic assistants known as Bangboos.[5]

The gameplay is split into two different modes: "TV Mode" and "Combat Mode." TV Mode gameplay resembles a 2D dungeon crawler game, with the Proxy roaming on tiles that resemble televisions to find treasure, solve puzzles and fight enemies. If the Proxy steps on an enemy tile, the party is sent to "Combat Mode," where they fight in a 3D hack and slash-like game mode.

By combining the abilities of different Agents and Bangboos, players can deal greater damage and combos (known as Chain Attack) onto enemies.[5][6][7] The game features an in-game clock system, with the days split into morning, afternoon, evening, and midnight.[5]

Plot

[edit]

Setting

[edit]

The game takes place in a post-apocalyptic futuristic haven known as New Eridu. Large pocket dimensions called Hollows plague the world, engulfing the land and spawning hostile monsters called Ethereals, who have wreaked havoc on humanity. After the fall of Eridu, a group of survivors established a bastion against the invaders known as New Eridu. The group survived the oncoming onslaught by extracting a substance called Ether from the Hollows, which is used as a potent energy source.[8]

Several factions are present in the game. The Cunning Hares, formally known as Gentle House, is an “odd jobs” agency from which the player obtains their first four agents. Belobog Heavy Industries and Victoria Housekeeping Co. specialize in construction and housekeeping, respectively. Hollow Special Operations Section 6 is a frontline unit of Hollow Special Operations, which is based in the original Eridu location. The Criminal Investigation Special Response Team is a branch of New Eridu Public Security. The Sons of Calydon is a biker gang.[9] Lastly, the Stars of Lyra are a famous music group based in New Eridu.

The story follows Wise and Belle, two siblings who are proxies and are secretly the legendary Phaethon. The siblings possess a special technology known as the Hollow Deep Dive System, which allows them to remotely monitor and navigate Agents within Hollows through the use of their Bangboo, Eous. As the player progresses through the game, their proxying capabilities are expanded with the addition of the A.I. Fairy, who can analyze Hollows.

Despite falling into the "futuristic" category, Zenless Zone Zero adopts a retro and analog aesthetic, which is explained by the notion that modern technology is susceptible to corruption from overexposure to Ether. Characters operate flip-phones or mobile phones reminiscent of models from the 2000s and 2010s. The two main protagonists reside in a video store (known as Random Play), where New Eridu citizens can rent VHS tapes.[10] CRT television sets reminiscent of those from the early 1980s and 1990s are commonly seen throughout the game. There are also references to 1990s media as well as grunge or street-style designs present throughout New Eridu.

Story

[edit]

The player takes the role of the "Proxy", Belle or Wise (depending on the player's choice), one half of a sibling duo who are collectively known as the legendary "Phaethon". They operate a video rental shop called "Random Play" as a front for their undercover activities as Proxies; individuals who assist Hollow-raiding Agents in navigating the hazardous and ever-changing landscape of Hollows. To this end, Phaethon utilizes a Hollow Deep Dive System, or HDD, which allows them to project their consciousness in real-time into a small rabbit-like robot called a Bangboo, as opposed to other publicly-available Hollow observation systems which have a significant time delay on information going to and from a Hollow. As being a Proxy without authorization from New Eridu's Public Security is illegal, the twins use Random Play as a legitimate cover while they carry out commissions in the various Hollows both within and outside of New Eridu, though their Proxy career is secondary to their investigation into "Hollow Zero", the oldest and largest Hollow which is located on the site of the old Eridu city which was destroyed in a massive Hollow disaster approximately 15 years before the events of the game.

ChapterTitleRelease Date
0Business X Strangeness X JustnessJuly 4, 2024[11]

Anby and Billy Kid, two Agents for the "Gentle House" human resources group (also known as the "Cunning Hares") fall into a Hollow during a commission to recover a strongbox stolen from the Hollow Institute by a local gang of thugs. Their leader, Nicole, reaches out to Phaethon to locate the two Agents and escort them out of the Hollow, though the strongbox is lost in the process due to an attack by a powerful Ethereal.

Nicole contracts Phaethon to assist them in recovering the strongbox. However, during the mission, Phaethon's Hollow Deep Dive (HDD) system is hacked by an unknown assailant, who holds it (and by extension the safety of the Cunning Hares, who are still trapped inside the Hollow) for ransom in exchange for information about the strongbox's contents. Phaethon dumps their primary account information to the local authorities to force the hacker out, but in doing so they lose their navigation data, leaving them without a way to lead the Cunning Hares out of the Hollow. In a desperate bid, the Proxy uploads the data contained in the strongbox to their avatar Bangboo, Eous, but the process knocks them unconscious.

While unconscious, an entity forces them into accepting a "contract" with it; after awakening, the entity is revealed to be a powerful Artificial Intelligence called "Fairy", which has installed itself into Phaethon's HDD.
1Cat's Lost & FoundJuly 4, 2024[11]

Phaethon is contacted by a feline Thiren named Nekomata, who informs them that the Cunning Hares are trapped in the blast zone of a demolition project headed by Vision Corporation, as part of a larger effort to remove abandoned portions of Old Eridu's metro lines to further expansion of the city. According to Nekomata, Nicole accepted a job from her to recover a "family heirloom" from the Red Fang Gang -- the same gang that had initially stolen the strongbox containing Fairy from the Hollow Institute. Their search led them to the "Dead End Hollow", a large Hollow in New Eridu's old metro system which is overseen by a large, powerful ethereal called the Dead End Butcher, and through which Vision Corporation intends to send an unmanned train packed with explosives as part of their demolition plans.

The Proxy temporarily stops the train, but it is revealed that the supposedly "unmanned" train is filled with gunmen disguised as Public Security officers. While searching the Dead End Hollow, the Cunning Hares stumble across a large community of survivors living in the supposedly "abandoned" metro ruins and realize that Vision, also aware of the population, intends to kill them to cover up their presence from the rest of the city. The Cunning Hares, with the Proxy's and Nekomata's assistance, successfully evacuate the civilians through the Dead End Hollow (defeating the Dead End Butcher in the process) and capture Vision's CEO, Charles Perlman, intending to use him as a hostage to make Vision stand down their demolition plans. Perlman's secretary, Sarah, reveals herself as the mastermind behind the plan and orders her gunmen to kill the civilians and the Cunning Hares, but Public Security, following an anonymous tip from Phaethon, arrives on the scene. Although Sarah escapes, Perlman is arrested and Vision Corporation is racked with a massive scandal.

In the aftermath, it is revealed that Nekomata's commission to recover her "heirloom" was a fabrication; she once had been raised by Miguel Silver, the leader of the Red Fang Gang whom the Cunning Hares had been forced to kill in self-defense after he become corrupted into an Ethereal during their mission to recover the strongbox. Nekomata had intended to lead the Cunning Hares to their deaths in the Dead End Hollow in revenge, but upon realizing the Hares' virtuousness and the circumstances behind Miguel's death, she changed her mind and instead decided to join them. Nicole also reveals that Miguel was contacted by an "unknown party" to steal the strongbox in the first place.
2A Call From The Hollow's HeartJuly 4, 2024[11]

Phaethon receives a commission request from Belobog Heavy Industries, a construction firm headed by Koleda Belobog which specializes in construction and demolition projects both inside and outside Hollows. Despite taking over Vision Corporation's construction projects after the latter's collapse in the aftermath of the scandal, Belobog is suffering from financial and reputation difficulties, especially after rumors surfaced that Kohrs Belobog, Koleda's father and the previous owner, disappeared after embezzling money from the company during the Hollow Incident that swallowed old Eridu. After the Proxy visits Belobog's main construction site, Koleda informs them their commission is to assist the company in locating three of their automated construction machines, designed specifically for working in the Hollows after they went out of control and disappeared inside a Hollow.

After subduing the machines, it is revealed that shortly before losing control, they received an encrypted transmission from deeper inside the Hollow, supposedly from Kohrs Belobog himself, and they were attempting to reach him. Belobog, with the Proxy, investigates and finds that the origin is a prototype construction machine designed by Kohrs, who used Belobog's money to complete it rather than embezzling it for himself, holding up the remains of a damaged monument. While trying to recover the prototype, the monument is dislodged, revealing an unknown creature that fuses with Belobog's machines and attacks the group. With the help of Koleda at the controls of the prototype, Belobog and the Proxy are able to defeat the creature, and its remains are taken into custody by Public Security and Deputy Commander Bringer.

Sometime after Public Security secures the creature's remains, the Proxy befriends Zhu Yuan and Qingyi, two Public Security officers who accompanied Commander Bringer after the officers saved them from a car crash caused by an EMP. With the Proxy's help, the officers discover the recent EMP attacks in the city are part of a secret plot to steal the creature's remains before it arrives at HAND (Hollow Affairs & Neutralization Department) headquarters. Despite Zhu Yuan and Qingyi going alone to stop the criminals, the Proxy decides to secretly help them without exposing their identity using Eous to help them escape after falling into a trap.

Afterward, Koleda discovers a recording taken by the prototype, which reveals Kohrs was using the machine to stop the monument from collapsing to keep the creature contained, but he was murdered by an unknown party. Before his death, however, he gets his assailant to reveal the name of the creature: Sacrifice.
3The Midnight PursuitJuly 4, 2024[11]

In the aftermath of the Vision Corporation's scandal, Nicole and the Cunning Hares intend to represent the survivors in the upcoming trial against Charles Perlman, though Perlman, knowing that Sarah intends to have him scapegoated for the affair, threatens to blackmail her with knowledge about her involvement in exchange for helping him escape.

As the Cunning Hares prepare for the trial, Nicole approaches Phaethon to investigate the disappearance of Rain, a hacker friend of hers who disappeared shortly before, though Nicole has been getting strange messages from her phone which may be a distress call. Phaethon's and the Hares' investigation leads them to the Ballet Twins, a pair of massive skyscrapers that have been partially swallowed up by an encroaching Hollow, where they encounter the Victoria Housekeeping Company, led by Lyacon, who are tasked by their anonymous employer with the upkeep of the Twins and to keep intruders out. Nicole and the Cunning Hares are called away to board the airship taking them and Perlman to the courthouse, but Victoria Housekeeping agrees to accompany the Proxy in their continued investigation into Rain's whereabouts.

The search leads the Proxy and Victoria Housekeeping higher up the Twins, towards the top of the buildings which are exposed outside the Hollow. They receive a distress call from Billy Kid, who informs the Proxy that sleeping gas has been released on the airship, knocking out everyone, and that someone is remotely controlling the airship to steer it towards the Ballet Twins. As the Proxy and Victoria race to the top, they discover armed mercenaries who are responsible for both Rain's kidnapping and the remote hijacking of the airship, and who intend to kill everyone aboard by forcing Rain to take control of the airship and crash it into the Hollow. After rescuing Rain from her captors, Lyacon is able to jump aboard the airship and regain control, landing it safely on the roof and evacuating the passengers. After waking up, however, Perlman, realizing that the mercenaries had been hired by Sarah to eliminate him as a loose end rather than secure his freedom, sneaks back aboard the airship and steals it, piloting it out of New Eridu.

After the incident is resolved, Victoria Housekeeping follows Phaethon back to Random Play, unbeknownst to the siblings, and discovers their identities. However, he is ordered not to take action against them by his employer, who claims Phaethon may be a potential ally in the future.
4Tour De InfernoSeptember 25, 2024[12]

In the "Outer Rim", a desert-like wasteland surrounding New Eridu, the biker gang "Sons of Calydon" consisting of the leader Caesar, her bodyguard/champion Lighter, second-in-command Lucy, truck driver Piper, and bartender Burnice find Perlman unconscious in the wreck of the airship he stole while fleeing the city. Billy Kid, a former associate of Calydon, informs the siblings of the discovery and agrees to transport the Proxy to Blazewood, but while en route they are ambushed and forced to crash into a Hollow by Lucius, second-in-command of the rival biker gang, the Vanquishers.

With the Proxy's help, Billy Kid is able to hold off the Ethereals in the Hollow long enough for the Sons of Calydon to mount a rescue mission, but the Proxy passes out due to overexposure to Hollow corruption. When they wake up, the Sons of Calydon have transported them to Blazewood and called for the other Phaethon sibling to meet up. Caesar informs Phaethon that Perlman is still unconscious, but agrees to look after him in exchange for working for them as Proxies during the "Tour De Inferno", a large motorcycle rally race through a Hollow, terminating at Cinderglow Lake where the winner confirms their victory by tossing an explosive Sparkstone into the lake to clear Ether corruption, allowing Cinderglow Lake to continue providing fuel from the Outer Rim and thus keeping the region independent of New Eridu's Ether-based fuels; the victor is also declared the de facto ruler of the Outer Rim, the current of which is Pompey, leader of the Vanquishers.

Despite numerous setbacks and incidents of sabotage carried out by Lucius, the Sons of Calydon successfully prepare for the Tour De Inferno with Phaethon's assistance. However, during the race, Lucius uses explosives to delay Calydon, allowing them to reach Cinderglow Lake first. Lucius then betrays Pompey, using a sabotaged Sparkstone to increase the ambient Ether activity with the intention of overwhelming Cinderglow with corruption to force the Outer Rim to become dependent upon New Eridu corporations for fuel. The high Ether activity also mutates Pompey into an Ethereal, which Lucius leaves to deal with the arriving Sons of Calydon. Calydon defeats Pompey, and Caesar seemingly sacrifices herself to deliver an intact Sparkstone to the depths of Cinderglow to clear the corruption, but a hidden Hollow fissure allows her to escape back to the surface. As the ones who successfully cleared Cinderglow Lake and Lucius having fled, the Sons of Calydon are declared the victors and new rulers of the Outer Rim.

During their return to the City, the siblings detour to an old monument overlooking the destroyed old Eridu City. After paying their respects, they reveal themselves to be the students and adopted children of "Carole Arna", a former Hollow Institute professor who was blamed for the incident that destroyed the old city and formed "Hollow Zero". As the siblings believe her to be innocent, they reaffirm their intentions to investigate the Hollow Disaster themselves to uncover the true circumstances of the old city's destruction.
5A Storm of Falling StarsDecember 18, 2024[13]

Nicole contacts Phaethon and informs them that Perlman has woken up. The Proxy travels to Blazewood with the Cunning Hares to interrogate him, where he reveals that his position as CEO of Vision Corporation was only as a figurehead, and that his secretary, Sarah, was the one running the company, as well as the one in charge of the conspiracy behind Vision. He also reveals that New Eridu Public Security's Deputy Commander Bringer is complicit with her. Believing Public Security to be compromised, Nicole contacts Sector 6, an elite government special operations outfit, to take Perlman into custody, but Sector 6 attempts to arrest the Proxy as well under suspicion of their illegal activities. The Cunning Hares intervene, forcing a standoff which is broken when an unknown third party attacks the group. During the chase, the Proxy's truck wrecks and falls into a Hollow, with Sector 6's Miyabi in pursuit.

Inside the Hollow, the Proxy assists Miyabi in navigating the Hollow, and in containing Tailless, the entity contained in her sword, which almost overwhelms her, but passes out from Ether exposure. Miyabi rescues the Proxy from the Hollow, but it is revealed Perlman was captured by the unknown gunmen that attacked them. Out of gratitude for their assistance, Miyabi allows the Proxy to leave. However, upon returning to Random Play, Fairy mysteriously shuts down and the store is subjected to a random search by Public Security which almost exposes their Proxy operations. The search is thwarted at the last moment by the arrival of Zhu Yuan and Qingyi, and the siblings admit to them their alter-ego as Phaethon; while initially dismayed that the siblings did not confide to them sooner, Zhu Yuan and Qingyi agree to assist them in locating Perlman.

The search leads Phaethon to the Ballet Twins, but after recovering Perlman they are confronted by Bringer, who takes Miyabi into custody. Miyabi is brought to Sarah, who reveals she was the actual target of their plans; using Miyabi's stolen biometric data, Sarah unlocks Tailless from her sword and releases Miyabi at a public rally organized by Bringer, leaving her to be possessed by Tailless and cause a massacre of civilians. The Proxy and Zhu Yuan catch up to Miyabi and, as Miyabi mentally struggles to control Tailless, push her into a Hollow to get her away from innocents and give her a chance to regain control. Miyabi manages to calm Tailless down and regain control, but it is revealed that after the rally, Bringer is attempting to flee the city in the aftermath of the plan's failure.

Bringer is chased down and cornered within a Hollow, but he invokes an entity he calls the "Creator" and injects himself with a serum that mutates him into a massive Sacrifice creature - similar to the one that attacked Belobog. With the combined efforts of the Cunning Hares, Belobog Heavy Industries, New Eridu Public Security, Victoria Housekeeping, Sons of Calydon, Sector 6, and Miyabi wielding a fully-powered Tailless, Bringer is defeated, though Sarah once again disappears.

After a brief celebration, Phaethon secretly enters the Hollow in person to confront a dying Bringer, having recognized his Sacrifice form as the creature they witnessed capturing Carole Arna during the old Eridu Hollow disaster. Recognizing the siblings as the "students of the guilty", Bringer attempts to kill them in a self-sacrificial attack, but they survive without harm due to an unknown power. Later, while revisiting the monument to old Eridu, Phaethon encounters Miyabi, who reveals her mother was killed by the disaster and she intends to find the culprit responsible. As a gesture of trust, the Proxy reveals their and their siblings' identity as Phaethon and their goal of investigating Hollow Zero to clear Carole Arna's name and find the true culprit. In response, Miyabi admits that the truth may be more complex than either side realizes and declares the siblings to be under her family's protection.

Characters

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Playable

[edit]

All playable characters are associated with a faction. Agents wield one of five attributes: Electric, Ether, Fire, Ice, or Physical. Additionally, each Agent adopts one of five combat styles: Anomaly, Attack, Defense, Support, or Stun.[14]

Random Play

[edit]

Random Play is a video store in New Eridu where Belle and Wise rent out VHS tapes while living on the second floor above their business. The staff room in the back of the store doubles as a base for their Proxy work.

Name Voice Actor Description Cits
Wise
The main protagonists of the game, are two siblings who secretly perform Proxy work under the codename "Phaethon." Neither of the siblings participates in combat; instead, they sync with their Bangboo, Eous, to guide their clients through the Hollows, via their unique "HDD" system. Players can choose between Wise (male) and Belle (female) as the player character. Whoever is not picked will serve as the player character's assistant throughout the game. [9]
Belle

Cunning Hares

[edit]

Cunning Hares (formerly known as Gentle House) is a small-scale temp work agency that takes on various commissions for clients who cannot or will not hire a larger (or more reputable) agency. This faction was released in July 2024.

Name Attribute Style Voice Actor Description Cits
Anby Demara Electric Stun
A calm and collected young girl who is unusually competent and efficient in combat using an electrified sword, but struggles in other aspects. Anby attempts to improve her social skills by imitating scenes from popular movies but with little success. [9][16][17]
Billy Kid Physical Attack
A cyborg gunslinger with a surprisingly casual and carefree personality. A Starlight Knights superfan who refers to his custom revolvers as his "girls." [9][16][17]
Nekomiya "Nekomata" Mana Physical Attack
The mischievous catgirl Thiren of the group who wields dual blades. Initially, she planned to have the Cunning Hares killed in the Hollows for their role in killing her former gang-mate Silver, but after seeing them try to rescue her former neighbors from the Vision Corporation's scheme, she decided to join them instead. [9][16]
Nicole Demara Ether Support
The founder of the Cunning Hares who struggles to keep her group afloat financially. She wields a large handbag that doubles as a gun. [9][16][17]

Belobog Heavy Industries

[edit]

Belobog Heavy Industries is a company specializing in In-Hollow construction. This faction was released in July 2024.

Name Attribute Style Voice Actor Description Cits
Anton Ivanov Electric Attack
The sharp-tongued project manager who refers to his wrist-mounted drill as his "bro." [9][16]
Ben Bigger Fire Defense
An anthropomorphic brown bear Thiren who works as an accountant. Despite his imposing presence, Ben rarely gets angry outside of combat. He wields a handheld compactor pillar. [9][16]
Grace Howard Electric Anomaly
The kindhearted and quirky mechanic of the group, her enthusiasm for all things mechanical has led her to design and program various heavy machinery for Belobog, referring to them as her "children." She wields a rapid-firing nail gun and electrified grenades. [9][16][18][19]
Koleda Belobog Fire Stun
Grace's unofficial sister and the President of Belobog Heavy Industries who wields a hammer and wrench. She blames her father for disappearing one night with a bag full of money, thinking he was responsible for embezzling company funds and nearly ruining everything while she had to slowly rebuild Belobog's reputation afterward. [9][16]

Victoria Housekeeping

[edit]

Victoria Housekeeping is an agency specializing in housekeeping services, though they will also take on jobs that require venturing into the Hollows to acquire items for their client. This faction was released in July 2024.

Name Attribute Style Voice Actor Description Cits
Alexandrina "Rina" Sebastiane Electric Support
The gentle and delicate Head Maid, often accompanied by two floating Bangboo puppets named Drusilla and Anastella. [9][16][18]
Corin Wickes Physical Attack
A timid and anxious maid who wields a very large buzz saw as her main tool. [9][16]
Ellen Joe Ice Attack
A shark Thiren who prefers hanging out with her friends to doing extra work or club activities. She wields an oversized pair of pruning shears. [9][16]
Von Lycaon Ice Stun
An anthropomorphic white wolf Thiren who acts as the Head Butler, using a kick-based fighting style to dispatch enemies with his cybernetic legs. [9][16]

Hollow Special Operations Section 6

[edit]

Hollow Special Operations Section 6 (also known as Section 6) is a frontline operational unit of the Hollow Special Operations. This faction was released in July 2024.

Name Attribute Style Voice Actor Description Cits
Asaba Harumasa Electric Attack
A member of Section 6 who likes to drink coffee. He has a terminal illness, and as a result, has to take frequent off days from work. He fights with a custom bow that can be dismantled into two swords. [20][21]
Hoshimi Miyabi Frost Anomaly
The Chief of Section 6 and a Fox Thiren who came from a famous martial arts family. She wields a katana. She is 170cm in height—if her ears are included. [9]
Soukaku Ice Support
A blue oni girl who prefers talking about eating more than anything else. She wields a large cleaver. [9][16]
Tsukishiro Yanagi Electric Anomaly
The Deputy Chief of Section 6 and voice of reason in the unit. She is a half oni as the result of the war she was involved in the past. She fights with a naginata. [22][23]

Obol Squad

[edit]

Obol Squad is a part of the New Eridu Defense Force Obsidian Division. This faction was released in July 2024.

Name Attribute Style Voice Actor Description Cits
Soldier 11 Fire Attack
The composed leader of Obol Squad who wields a superheated sword. Her real name is unknown. She has a love of spicy noodles and cats. [9][16]

Criminal Investigation Special Response Team

[edit]

The Criminal Investigation Special Response Team (part of New Eridu Public Security or PubSec) is an agency specializing in law enforcement. This faction was released in July 2024.

Name Attribute Style Voice Actor Description Cits
Jane Doe Physical Anomaly
A cunning rat Thiren criminal behavior specialist of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team and undercover operative for PubSec who uses her wits and her prehensile tail to destroy criminal gangs from the inside. She wields two sheepsfoot knives shaped like a rat's skull. [9][24]
Qingyi Electric Stun
An android member of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team who wields a three-sectioned-staff. [9][24]
Seth Lowell Electric Defense
Fluffy-eared member of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team who wields a stun baton and shield. [9][24]
Zhu Yuan Ether Attack
The leader of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team who uses a pistol with Ether-infused bullets. [9][16][24]

Sons of Calydon

[edit]

The Sons of Calydon is a biker gang that resides in the Outer Ring of New Eridu. This faction was released in July 2024.

Name Attribute Style Voice Actor Description Cits
Burnice White Fire Anomaly
The bubbly barista of the Sons of Calydon who wields dual flamethrowers. She is a very sociable woman according to her groupmates. [25]
Caesar King Physical Defense
A spunky woman who uses a spiked shield and sword. Although she's the leader of the Sons of Calydon, Lucy claims she's as "simple" as a Caesar salad. [26][27]
Lighter Fire Stun
According to other characters, he's incredibly strong and is called the Champion. Big Daddy says Lighter possesses overwhelming force and strength that he uses to solve problems in the Outer Ring. [28]
Luciana "Lucy" de Montefio Fire Support
A rebellious, blonde girl who travels with three tiny boar Thirens named "Grassy, "Woody" and "Bricky" and wields a baseball bat. She has a surprisingly refined demeanor in contrast with her appearance. [9][16]
Piper Wheel Physical Anomaly
A petite, laid-back woman who maintains a big rig she named "Steeltusk" for the Sons of Calydon. She prefers resting when not actively on the job and wields a great axe. [9][16]

Stars of Lyra

[edit]

This faction was released in December 2024.

Name Attribute Style Voice Actor Description Cits
Astra Yao Ether Support
A famous singer and actress in New Eridu. [29]
Evelyn Chevalier Fire Attack
The manager and bodyguard of Astra Yao. [30]

Non-playable

[edit]
Voiced by: Allegra Clark (EN)
AI companion of Proxy in Hollow Deep Dive (HDD) system.[31][32]
Voiced by: Tim Heller (EN)
A robot barista and owner of Coff Cafe coffee shop.[33][34]
Voiced by: Tiana Camacho (EN)
A cat mascot of New Eridu Public Security.[35][36]

Development

[edit]

The development team cited Persona 5, Digimon World, and Street Fighter as influences for Zenless Zone Zero, influences from Street Fighter can be seen within the animation of characters during combat while the influences of Digimon World can be seen in the implementation of the in-game clock system. The development team stressed that Zenless Zone Zero has a unique style.[37][38]

Characters in Zenless Zone Zero have different designs based on their faction; For instance, the design for Victoria Housekeeping characters is based on Victorian-era butlers and maids with tropes from horror movies.[10] There is an emphasis on quality over quantity regarding the development of characters.[37]

Unlike the character designs in MiHoYo's previous games such as Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, Zenless Zone Zero took a different direction with its variety of playable characters; There are non-human playable characters such as Ben Bigger, a grizzly bear, Soukaku, a blue-colored oni, and Billy Kid, a cyborg gunslinger.[39][40] During the planning stages, these non-human characters were not intended to be present in the game but the team did find them fun and later incorporated them into the game.[41]

According to the producer Li Zhenyu main protagonists Wise and Belle have independent roles from each other.[42]

Marketing and release

[edit]
People playing Zenless Zone Zero and waiting at the main stage of the Welcome To New Eridu event in Jakarta

MiHoYo revealed the game in May 2022 and began holding closed beta tests, known as "Tuning Tests", for PC and iOS in August of the same year.[43] A second closed beta test, called an "Equalizing Test", was also held for PC and iOS in November 2023.[44] A third beta test, called an "Amplifying Test", was held for Android, PC, and iOS, in April 2024.[45] During PlayStation's State of Play presentation in January 2024, a PlayStation 5 port of the game was announced as a timed console exclusive.[46] A technical test was held for the PS5 in April 2024. The release date was announced in late May of that same year.

The game was released on July 4. To promote the game, HoYoverse collaborated with several graffiti artists to create Zenless Zone Zero-themed graffiti in 19 cities in Indonesia.[47] An advertisement campaign on the Manila Light Rail Transit in the Philippines was held.[48] A series of launch events titled "New Eridu City Tour" is being held in 19 locations worldwide.[49] Another series of events titled "Zenless Dazzle Expo" is held within six comic conventions.[50]

In July 2024, HoYoverse, through a collaboration between them and Lofi Girl, released a Zenless Zone Zero-themed Lofi Girl video featuring the character Belle though its HoYoFair YouTube channel, which features lo-fi remixes of select Zenless Zone Zero soundtracks.[51][52][53][e]

Reception

[edit]

Prior to the game's release, the Chinese video game news website 17173 noted that HoYoverse had significant experience with action games, considering Zenless Zone Zero as both a return to the genre and a potential breakthrough for the company. They believed that HoYoverse had yet to encounter significant rivals in the action game category and that Zenless Zone Zero could "stabilize and expand the user market." 17173 also emphasized the game's strong stylized design and trendy visual elements, noting that it inherited HoYoverse's expertise in the action category while presenting a distinct and unique work.[56]

Eurogamer called the combat and day-to-day exploration exciting, and the world setting unique and immersive.[14] Kotaku said its combat system is similar to miHoYo's previous game, Honkai Impact 3rd.[39]

Paste, in its more critical review, praised the character design and variety, while calling the starter playable characters' usage repetitive and the TV mode dull and uninspiring.[57] PC Gamer criticized the combat system by called it "mindless mouse clicking".[58]

Zenless Zone Zero has surpassed 50 million downloads around the world just three days after launch.[59] The mobile version of the game grossed almost US$52 million in its first 11 days and US$100 million in its first month.[60][61][62] Chinese video game news website GameLook estimated the total revenue from all platforms of the game for July 2024 to exceed CN¥ 2.2 billion (US$306 million.)[63]

Accolades

[edit]
Year Award Category Result Ref(s).
2024 China Game Innovation Competition Best Innovative Game Award Won [64]
Gamescom Awards Best Mobile Game Nominated [65]
App Store Awards iPhone Game of the Year Nominated [66]
PlayStation Partner Awards Partner Award Won [67]
The Game Awards 2024 Best Mobile Game Nominated [68]
Players' Voice Nominated
UCG Game Awards Best Mobile Game Won [69]
2025 New York Game Awards 2024 A-Train Award for Best Mobile Game Won [70]

Controversies

[edit]

Concept art of an unannounced idol faction and Sons of Calydon was leaked on the internet prior to the release of the game. Zenless Zone Zero development team released a statement on Bilibili expressing their disappointment.[71]

Notes

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  1. ^ Chinese: 绝区零; pinyin: Jué Qū Líng
  2. ^ Voiced by Du Mingya during the beta tests, reasons replaced unknown.
  3. ^ Soukaku's English VA is currently unknown. She has gone through 3 different voice actors, with each being replaced in versions 1.1 and 1.3 respectively.
  4. ^ In the English version of the game, Lucy was originally voiced by Courtney Lin. However, due to unspecified reasons, she was replaced by Lovelock.
  5. ^ The HoYoFair program was created by HoYoverse to showcase fan art and animations that are made by creators inside/outside the Hoyoverse community based on games developed by miHoYo / HoYoverse. These submissions are often featured on HoYoFair's YouTube channel while some of these submissions have been used to advertise their games in the form of community-driven advertising.

See also

[edit]

References

[edit]
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