Zenless Zone Zero: 5 things we learned from the Tokyo Game Show demo

It’s been more than a year since HoYoverse, the Chinese developer behind smash-hits Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, announced its new title Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ) back in May 2022.

With anticipation for the game building up, the developers are finally revealing more about the game in the most recent game conventions.

At the 2023 Tokyo Game Show (TGS), con-goers were able to play a 15-minute demo at the HoYoverse booth to have a sneak peek and get a feel of the game’s combat system. ZZZ also had a special segment at the HoYoverse Special Program.

So what’s new, and what have we learned so far? Here are five things we have discovered about ZZZ at TGS 2023:

The Proxy has a separate function

One of the newest things about ZZZ is the Proxy, who would be the equivalent of Genshin Impact's Traveler and Honkai Star Rail’s Trailblazer.

As HoYo enthusiasts are aware, the Traveler serves as Genshin's primary playable character, while the Trailblazer fulfils the same role in Honkai: Star Rail. In both games, players are presented with a choice of two characters at the beginning - one male and one female.

However, unlike the Trailblazer and the Traveler, ZZZ’s Proxy seems to have a separate identity and function in the game. On the ZZZ website, one feature says, "Live dual identities, two opposing personas: Behind seemingly peaceful streets, Proxies operate in a warped reality."

In an interview conducted by Pocket Tactics, ZZZ producer Zhenyu Li also confirmed this, saying that Proxies are “very independent roles and independent characters.”

And unlike the Traveler and the Trailblazer, players will have a bit of a say about the proxy’s character and image. “You might say that in ZZZ, ‘players create the Proxies themselves’,” Li added.

The little ramen guy serves some delicious-looking ramen… with upgrades

In the TGS preview, the setting seems to be familiar and closer to everyday reality, with it described as having an “urban fantasy” theme. So much so that we have seen a video game shop, a bus stop, and a convenience store.

What caught our eye, though, was a ramen shop with a tiny red-faced chef. The way the ramen was prepared looks absolutely mouthwatering, but our takeaway comes from the ramen choices: each choice seems to come with a boon, whether it be additional HP, a status effect, or other special upgrades that you may be able to use in your next run.

It's very similar to a system used in Capcom's Monster Hunter series, where players are able to eat meals in a canteen that grants them bonuses to HP, stamina, and other stats.

In ZZZ's case, the ramen shop hints at the roguelike element of the game — from what the demos and in-game footage show, each separate run can be done with a different set of characters and some upgrades or boons. This sort of format is reminiscent of Honkai Star Rail’s “blessings,” which are usually selected in every Simulated Universe run.

The combat system is unique, more fluid, and aggressive

Another fresh take that sets ZZZ apart from its HoYo counterparts is the combat system. In ZZZ, a dynamic and cinematic action-based combat system is introduced.

When facing enigmatic creatures referred to as "Ethereal," players can switch between different characters, enabling them to employ a combination of abilities and a variety of Quick Time Event (QTE) combos.

The game’s dodge seems to be more flawless, too and perfect dodging also gives you an opportunity to counter-attack.

The Combo Attack system, which forces character swaps, is also a welcome change, as it keeps the player on their toes throughout combat by forcing them to constantly reevaluate their tactics and come up with new combinations of attacks.

Players may also train their ability to seamlessly swap between characters by practising in-game. It's an intriguing framework that unifies a variety of mechanics from different action genres.

Enemies can be placed in a “Staggered” state

Probably one of the newest features ZZZ introduced is the stagger system. Bosses feature a yellow stagger gauge beneath their health, and inflicting sufficient damage to it results in a staggered state, allowing you to unleash a flurry of attacks for bonus damage as much as you desire.

Furthermore, employing special attacks in this situation will activate the Chain Attack, which is a rapid QTE, enabling you to swap in another team member for substantial damage against the target.

ZZZ also encourages players to make teams with diverse elemental compositions, as combining different elements will yield stagger multipliers.

ZZZ is coming to console, PC, and mobile

Of course, one of the biggest announcements made at TGS would be the platforms where ZZZ will be released. Players can expect the game to be accessible on PC, mobile, and console.

However, the announcement didn’t specify which consoles ZZZ will be available to play, but we’re assuming that it may be available on PS5, given that Honkai: Star Rail is set to launch its PS5 port.

It’s also possible that the game will also come out on Switch (or Switch 2, whenever it’s released in 2024), given HoYoverse’s attempts to port Genshin Impact to Switch in the past. However, this is also not confirmed.

It’s just a shame that the announcement didn’t include a release date yet because, based on the gameplay and everything I’ve seen so far, it seems to be worth all the hype.

Anna is a freelance writer and photographer. She is a gamer who loves RPGs and platformers, and is a League of Legends geek. She's also a food enthusiast who loves a good cup of black coffee.

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