Zenless Zone Zero Review (PS5) | Push Square

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Live service may as well be a curse word among some enthusiast circles, but Chinese titan HoYoverse has the model on lock. The company’s cringey corporate motto exclaims “tech otakus save the world”; in truth, it just wants to take over the world. Indeed, with the introduction of Zenless Zone Zero, its current cadence will see it cycle through one major update for each of its flagship games every two weeks. If you already find most of your playing time monopolised by Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, then this all-new urban fantasy RPG will practically incarcerate your PS5 and throw away the key.

You play as a Proxy named Phaethon who’s an acclaimed problem-solver in the challenged setting of New Eridu City. The developer’s penchant for proper nouns means there’s an abundance of gobbledygook to sift through here, but effectively daily life has been disrupted by the existence of Hollows, strange otherworldly portals which transform their occupants into Ethereals – or, in simpler terms, angry, aggressive monsters. Working remotely using a souped-up super computer, you’re able to infiltrate these gateways and complete Commissions – effectively odd jobs or quests, to use tired gaming terminology.

The gameplay is perhaps the most stylish of all HoYoverse’s efforts yet, and feels like an evolved version of one of the studio’s older titles, Honkai Impact 3rd. However, considering many of you will be unfamiliar with that game, it works a little like a Devil May Cry-style character action affair, where quick transitions between Agents buff you in a variety of different ways. Much like with Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, the moment-to-moment gameplay is relatively basic, but it’s the unique possibilities made possible through pairing different combinations that elevate it beyond its core.

That’s not to say this is a simplistic button masher – it’s not. Characters handle differently and have unique advantages and disadvantages: Lucy, for example, is a baseball