Earlier this year, Genshin Impact developers HoYoverse announced their latest upcoming game, Zenless Zone Zero, a new action-RPG that trades in fantasy for sci-fi. Earlier trailers have shown plenty of the action and colorful anime-style characters HoYoverse is known for, but gameplay specifics remained a bit sketchy.
Well, this weekend HoYoverse released nearly 20 minutes of Zenless Zone Zero gameplay footage, showcasing a full mission. The footage shows main character Wise searching for his sister Belle, who has disappeared while looking for some new movies for their video rental store. This involves talking to various colorful NPCs in the city of New Eridu and a couple of trips to the other-dimensional “Hollows.” It’s in the Hollows that we see the game’s combat at play, which looks like a nice step up from Genshin in terms of speed and complexity. Everything culminates with a boss fight against a large industrial robot. You can check it all out for yourself, below.
Looking quite promising, I’d say. While the large open world of Genshin will be missed, Zenless Zone Zero’s city appears to be properly dense and detailed, and combat is looking slick. Haven’t been keeping up with ZZZ? Here’s an official description of the game’s world…
“Contemporary civilization has been destroyed by a supernatural disaster known as the ‘Hollows.’ They grow exponentially out of thin air, creating disordered dimensions where mysterious monsters dubbed the “Ethereal” roam. New Eridu, the last urban civilization that survived the apocalypse, managed to thrive by acquiring the technology to extract valuable resources out of the Hollows. As New Eridu came the city of miracle and attracted more resettled residents, it also started the massive exploration of the Hollows for its perpetual expansion. The Hollows then became industrialized and monetized under the city’s administration, which gradually led to the increasing tension between monopolistic enterprises, gangs, conspirators, and fanatics.
Players in the game take on the role of a ‘Proxy’ —a special professional who guides people in their exploration of Hollows. A great many people want to enter the Hollows for their own various reasons, and the “Proxies” are their indispensable partners. Players will help them explore the Hollows, battle their enemies, achieve their goals, and in the process learn more about their story.”
Zenless Zone Zero has been announced for PC and mobile devices. A closed beta for ZZZ was held back in August – further betas and a full release date have yet to be announced.
