How to Play Zenless Zone Zero
The Hoyoverse has officially expanded! If you’re wondering how to play Zenless Zone Zero, whether it’s for you, and what all the fuss is about, read on!
What is Zenless Zone Zero?
Zenless Zone Zero is Hoyoverse’s latest free-to-play Hero Collector game, following hot on the heels of Star Rail and Genshin Impact. In Zenless Zone Zero, you’ll collect and control various heroes, or “Agents” based in the city of New Eridu.
New Eridu is a cyberpunky, post-apocalyptic city plagued by both crime and supernatural, interdimensional portals that lead to the “Hollows”. The Hollows are infested with Ethereals, hostile entities that can take over and transform humans into monstrosities. The Ethereals have already destroyed most of the world, with New Eridu standing as the last bastion of humanity.
Players take the role of a “Proxy”, who helps guide teams of Agents through Hollows to complete missions (known in-game as “Commissions”) for various interested parties in New Eridu.
Getting Started in Zenless Zone Zero
You can play Zenless Zone Zero on the following platforms:
- PS5
- iOS
- Windows
- Android
Zenless Zone Zero is available from the following stores, and is free to download and play:
If you’re planning on playing on PC, you can also download the game using Hoyoverse’s own launcher.
Do note you can also link your Hoyoverse Account to continue your progress across multiple platforms too. You can do this by logging in to your Hoyoverse account, then choosing which other accounts you want to link (Google, PSN, etc).
Zenless Zone Zero Gameplay
There are three key elements to Zenless Zone Zero’s gameplay: Agents, W-Engines, and Battery Charges. These are your playable characters, their weapons, and your energy for activities respectively. Your account level is represented by your “Inter-knot Level”.
Top Tip: Your Battery Charge caps at 240, and any excess will be wasted! Make sure to use your Battery Charge regularly, in HIA Club activities for example, to avoid losing Charges.
W-Engines come in three ranks: S-Rank being the best, A-Rank the middle ground, and B-Rank the lowest.
Agents come in two tiers: S-Rank and A-Rank. S-Rank are the strongest (and also the ones you’ll need to roll the dice for, as it were), but A-Rank will generally see you through the main story content.
Zenless Zone Zero is an action RPG, meaning you directly control a single Agent (although you can swap between Agents on the fly – more on this later), executing attacks, special moves, and dodges in real-time combat.
Combat is essentially arena-based, on set mission maps, so there’s no open world roaming here. When not in combat, you’ll navigate through the mission area via a series of video screens that represent “rooms”. Some rooms will have rewards, some combat encounters, and so on.
Between Commissions, you’ll be free to roam several districts in New Eridu, including your video store headquarters where you can manage your Agents, pick up new Commissions, or take a nap on the sofa.
You can also pick up Buffs at the Noodle Shop, earn items, get new Commissions, and lots more while exploring the city. It’s definitely worth wandering New Eridu’s streets and getting acquainted with the activities and events available early on.
Zenless Zone Zero Combat Basics
While skill is certainly a factor in combat, your Agent’s experience and weapon levels will matter. There are also a few key things to keep in mind during combat.
You can use Standard Attacks, Special Attacks, and Ultimate Attacks to damage enemies. The more you use Standard Attacks, Dodge, and Dodge Counters, and so on, the more Energy you will accumulate. Energy will also regenerate slowly in combat. When your energy “overflows”, you can unleash a more potent EX Special Attack.
Ultimates, meanwhile, can be used by building up your “Decibel Rating”. This is filled by performing successful hits against enemies, as well as more advanced techniques such as:
- Chain Attacks, which are triggered when you hit a Stunned enemy with a Special Attack. This enables you to switch Agents for a powerful Chain Attack
- Dodge Counters, performed by dodging just before your Agent is hit, then using a Standard Attack
Timing and Energy management are therefore the key to making sure you do as much damage as possible.
That’s everything you need to get started in Zenless Zone Zero!
If you want to keep up to date with more gaming news and tips like this, make sure to subscribe to the HH Gaming newsletter. Check out Nub Raid’s first impressions (and his first S-Rank Agent!) in the video below, too.