Zenless Zone Zero released in July 2024. It received mixed-to-positive reviews from critics, with praise of its gameplay, soundtrack, animation and characters, but criticized the fan-service.
Gameplay
Screenshot of the Chain Attack with Ben Bigger, Robin (Bangboo), and Vivian Banshee in Zenless Zone Zero
Zenless Zone Zero is an anime-styled action role-playing game. The player assumes the role of a Proxy (the protagonist known as Belle or Wise), a character who helps others explore alternate dimensions called Hollows.[5][6] 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.[6]
The gameplay is split into two different modes: "TV Mode" and "Combat Mode." TV Mode gameplay resembles a 2Ddungeon 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 3Dhack 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.[6][7][8] The game features an in-game clock system, with the days split into morning, afternoon, evening, and midnight.[6]
Plot
Setting
The game takes place in an dystopian universe that is a post-apocalyptic futuristic haven known as 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 for the entirety of New Eridu.[9]
The story follows Belle and Wise, 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, they meet new factions and 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 to the 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
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 siblings 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", one of the oldest and largest Hollows, which is located on the site of the old Eridu city which was destroyed in a massive Hollow disaster approximately 10 years before the events of the game.
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 unknown 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.
Phaethon is contacted by a cat 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 parts of Old Eridu to further expand New Eridu. 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 metro ruins and realize that Vision 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 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 crippled by the scandal.
In the aftermath, it is revealed that Nekomata's commission was a fabrication; Nekomata had intended to lead the Cunning Hares to their deaths in the Dead End Hollow in revenge of them killing Miguel Silver, the leader of the Red Fang Gang, 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.
Phaethon receives a commission request from Belobog Heavy Industries, a construction firm headed by Koleda Belobog. Despite taking over Vision Corporation's 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 that 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 into the Dead End 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. Belobog and the Proxy defeats the creature, and its remains are taken into custody by Public Security and Deputy Commander Justin Bringer.
Sometime after Public Security secures the creature's remains, the Proxy anonymously allies with 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 helps 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 and keep the creature contained, but he was murdered by an unknown party. Before his death, however, he managed to goad his assailant into revealing the name of the creature: Sacrifice.
In the aftermath of Vision Corporation's scandal, Nicole and the Cunning Hares intend to represent the survivors in the upcoming trial against Charles Perlman. Perlman, knowing that Sarah intends to have him scapegoated for the affair, threatens to blackmail Sarah 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 who disappeared shortly before, though Nicole has been getting blank messages from her phone which she interprets to be a distress call. Their 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, 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 had been released on the airship, knocking out everyone but himself, and that someone is remotely controlling the airship to steer it towards the Ballet Twins. As the Proxy and Victoria Housekeeping 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, Lycaon 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, they are ordered not to take action against them by their employer, who claims Phaethon may be a potential ally in the future.
In the "Outer Ring", a desert-like wasteland surrounding New Eridu, the biker gang "Sons of Calydon" find Perlman unconscious in the wreck of the airship he stole while fleeing the city, and take him back to Blazewood, a town in the Outer Ring and Calydon's base of operations. 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 Cinder Lake where the winner confirms their victory by tossing an explosive Sparkstone into the lake to clear Ether corruption, allowing Cinder Lake to continue providing fuel from the Outer Ring 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 Ring, 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 him to reach Cinder Lake first. Lucius then betrays Pompey, using a sabotaged Sparkstone to increase the ambient Ether activity with the intention of overwhelming Cinder with corruption to force the Outer Ring to become dependent upon New Eridu corporations for fuel. The high Ether activity also mutates Pompey into an Ethereal, which Lucius leaves behind 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 Cinder to clear the corruption, but a hidden Hollow fissure allows her to escape back to the surface. As the ones who successfully cleared Cinder Lake and Lucius having disappeared after betraying the Vanquishers, the Sons of Calydon are declared the victors and new rulers of the Outer Ring.
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.
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. The Proxy assists Miyabi in navigating the Hollow, and in stopping Tailless, the entity contained in Miyabi's sword, from overwhelming her, but they pass out from Ether exposure. Miyabi rescues the Proxy from the Hollow, and, out of gratitude for their assistance, Miyabi allows the Proxy to leave. However, Nicole tells them that the unknown third party has captured Perlman in the aftermath.
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, Section 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.
Following the Inspector Bringer incident, Phaethon is contacted by Lycaon, who says that his employer, the current Mayor of New Eridu, wishes to speak with them. The Mayor reveals he is an old friend of Carole Arna, and sympathizes with the siblings' goal to clear her name. As a token of goodwill, he gives their H.D.D. system and ocular implants an upgrade which restores their Ether resistance, allowing them to enter Hollows in-person without risk. He also requests their assistance in obtaining a gem, containing the core of the Sacrifice creature subdued by Belobog during the battle at the monument. The core, which does not draw energy from the Hollows like other Ethereals, would allow for the Sacrifice to manifest outside of the Hollow, but it has been stolen from Public Security and is said to be auctioned off soon. Fearful that the Exaltists, the cult behind Vision Corporation, may obtain the gem to unleash the Sacrifice upon the populace, the Mayor requests for Phaethon to attend the auction and bid for the item on his behalf.
The Proxy also meets Hugo Vlad, leader of the phantom thief organization known as "Mockingbird", posing as an art gallery owner, who takes an interest in the siblings and provides them tickets to the auction. At the auction, the siblings locate the gem, but are outbid on it by Hartmann Ravenlock, the current head of the Ravenlock family. However, Hugo then appears and steals the gem, escaping into a Hollow. The Proxy, with Lycaon, pursue him, where it is revealed that Lycaon is also a former member of Mockingbird, but left after Hugo broke their late master's promise of not killing people, though Hugo himself accuses Lycaon of betraying Mockingbird by accepting the Mayor's employment. The two fight, though Hugo ultimately manages to escape Lycaon and elude capture.
After the Proxy reports the events of the auction to the Mayor, they are approached by Vivian, a girl who has the ability to foresee death and disasters, who offers to assist them in investigating Bringer's belongings. After discovering a hidden recording which indicates Bringer witnessed "a miracle" in a Hollow which caused him to join the Exaltists, they find Bringer's notebook, which contains a list of locations containing dormant Sacrifices. The Proxy, Vivian, Hugo, Lycaon, and Anby trace one of the locations to the Ballet Twins Hollow, where they locate a dormant Sacrifice. Hugo then betrays the group, having struck a deal with the Ravenlock family to turn over both the gem and the dormant Sacrifice to Hartmann, who is in league with the Exaltists.
Hartmann and Hugo take the dormant Sacrifice to the roof of the Ballet Twins, where Hugo reveals himself to be the illegitimate son of the previous Ravenlock patriarch, and attempts to kill Hartmann, though Lycaon intervenes. During their duel, Vivian manages to steal back the gem from Hugo, but Hugo takes the Proxy hostage to force her to return it; when Hugo tries to kill the Proxy anyways, Lycaon apparently kills him and tosses him into the Hollow below. Hartmann, the Sacrifice, and the gem vanish, though Lycaon states he will report the incident to the Mayor and vows to pursue Hartmann. The Proxy and Vivian return to Random Play, where the siblings allow Vivian to stay. Unbeknownst to them, Vivian has a vision of "fear, suffering, despair, and destruction" involving Phaethon.
Vivian reveals to Phaethon the other locations of dormant Sacrifices within the Ballet Twins Hollow, but when they investigate, the Sacrifices are already missing. They discover the Sacrifices were destroyed by an Exaltist named Camille, and Vivian admits she and Camille used to be members of the Janus Quarter Exaltist chapter, along with Dina, the daughter of the chapter leader Landon and Vivian's former friend; Vivian eventually left the organization after discovering Landon was using her precognition "blessing" to choose unsuspecting cult members for his Ether serum experiments, and in the ensuing confrontation, Landon was killed by Camille in self-defense, with Dina blaming Vivian for Landon's death. Vivian and the Proxy later intercept a meeting between Hartmann and Dina to hand over the stolen core gem, but Dina reveals the core gem to be a fake and says she intends to continue Landon's experiments, before leaving the pair to be ambushed by Ethereals. They are rescued by Yixuan, a member of the mystic sect Yunkui Summit who is assisting the Mayor with the investigation, and return to Random Play to discuss their next steps.
Lycaon reveals that, Hartmann, in a desperate last-minute bid to regain his faltering influence with TOPS, is holding a banquet at his mansion to allay the concerns of the Ravenlock family, which Vivian and the Proxy use to infiltrate the mansion to try to locate the real core. They are caught by Hartmann, who reveals the banquet was a trap to lure them in, but is stopped by the sudden appearance of Hugo, who reveals he, with Lycaon's assistance, faked his death to go into hiding and investigate Ravenlock's ties with the Exaltists. Having discovered that Ravenlock was using employees as test subjects for Dina, he turns the evidence over to TOPS, who disavows the Ravenlock family and ejects them from the organization. Hugo, in turn, disowns his Ravenlock surname and assists the Proxy and Vivian with escaping the mansion.
Phaethon and Vivian discover the location of Dina's experiments, and rush to stop her and destroy the serum before she perfects it. After getting cornered, Camille beseeches Dina to flee with Vivian while she takes the public blame for the incident and sacrifices herself to destroy the last of the experiments. Dina, unwilling to forgive Vivian, instead injects herself with her own serum and transforms into a powerful Ethereal, attacking Vivian and the Proxy. Vivian also injects herself with a stolen vial of Dina's serum, using it to protect the Proxy and defeat Dina. As she succumbs to the Ether corruption, the Proxy's unwillingness to let her die unlocks an unknown power that cures Vivian's corruption, though the effort knocks them out.
Upon waking up back at Random Play, they are informed by their sibling that both they and Vivian were found unconscious, though Vivian later recovered. Hugo reveals that the real core was hidden behind a trinket from the auction that Vivian had gifted Phaethon, and agrees to turn it over to the mayor for safekeeping. Lycaon informs the Phaethon siblings that they have the power to manipulate Ethereal energies, explaining how they were able to reverse Vivian's corruption. The mayor directs Phaethon in the direction of Yixuan, who notes similarities between Phaethon's implants and Yunkui Summit's own procedures, and offers to assist their investigation.
Phaethon is contacted again by the Mayor, who briefs them on Yunkui Summit's investigation of an incident that occurred the Lemnian Hollow, a large Hollow on the Waifei Peninsula. He also reveals that a photograph was recovered from the Hollow depicting Carole Arna, though the origins are unknown. To assist the investigation without drawing undue attention, Yixuan declares the Proxy and their sibling as official disciples and escorts the Proxy to Suibian temple in the city of Failume Heights via airship. While enroute, their airship is shot down over the Lemnian Hollow by Sarah, though Yixuan and the Proxy are able to escape unscathed and make it to the city.
Yixuan reveals that the incident they're investigating started when several Hollow miners unknowingly consumed defective Ether resistance medicine and became corrupted. Despite multiple injuries and sicknesses, the mining company is stalling the compensation payments due to the ongoing investigation, prompting the local mining union to ask the Mayor and Yunkui Summit to investigate and expose a possible coverup by the company. The mining union's efforts are also being sponsored by Dr. Lohr, an unlicensed practitioner who provides the miners with a low-cost alternative to the mining company's medicine.
During the investigation, it is discovered that Dr. Lohr is with the Exaltists, who are influencing the mining union and providing tainted medicine to corrupt the miners and citizens of Failume Heights. Yunkui Summit manages to narrowly avert the resulting corruption outbreak, but Yixuan is severely injured by Ether corruption. She reveals to the Proxy that the Yunkui Summit was last active in Failume Heights during the Hollow Zero crisis, but most of the temple's members, including Yixuan's sister, were killed while attempting to rescue civilians from the Hollow; as a result, the Yunkui Summit abandoned Suibian temple, only having recently returned. She appoints the Proxy to temporarily lead the investigation while she recovers, having personally trained them to better utilize their Ether-influencing powers.
The Proxy and Yunkui Summit discovers that the Exaltists, commanded by Overseer Mevorakh, are gathering large amounts of Miasma, a dangerous form of concentrated Ether, and luring members of the mining union, under the guise of a rally to protest the mining company's supposed involvement in the corruption incident, into the Lemnian Hollow. Led by a recovered Yixuan, Phaethon and the rest of Yunkui Summit go into the Hollow, providing evidence of Exaltist involvement to the miners to convince them to evacuate before confronting Mevorakh, whom Yixuan defeats. In the process, they recover an unknown device in the Exaltists' stronghold, which they take back to the temple to investigate.
Back in Failume Heights, Yunkui Summit receives news that the mining company has released the compensation to the miners, while Phaethon notes that they were unable to make progress on the origin of Carole's photograph; despite this, they resolve to continue investigating. Meanwhile, deep in the Hollow, Mevorakh is revealed to have survived his battle with Yunkui Summit and meets with Sarah, and the two of them prepare for the next step of their plans.
Yunkui Summit is invited to a conference regarding the investigation into the Exaltists' infilitration of the mining union and the corruption outbreak in Failume Heights by Porcelumex, the primary company in charge of mining in the Lemnian Hollow. With Yixuan away on an independent investigation, Phaethon volunteers to serve as Yunkui Summit's representatives. At the conference, they meet Porcelumex co-CEOs Ferox and Lucro, as well as a Thiren girl named Alice Thymefield, a Hollow investigator who is there on behalf of her ailing grandfather to represent the influential Thymefield family.
Following the conference, Phaethon is approached by Alice, who seeks Yunkui Summit's help investigating an overnight "prank" that leads them to Ukinami Yuzuha, the leader of the paranormal investigation team Spook Shack. While Yuzuha denies direct involvement, she shows them a fragment of a machine called an "Obscura" which is used to remove Ether from a Hollow for observation. As Obscuras are heavily controlled by TOPS, the group suspects that someone within Porcelumex is illegally manufacturing the devices for an unknown purpose.
Their investigation into the Lemnian Hollow leads them to a hidden Obscura manufacturing facility. Further investigation reveals a testing laboratory deeper in the facility, containing documents that indicate Porcelumex was using the facility to make Obscuras for the Exaltists, and to conduct Ether experiments on orphaned children. Their investigation is interrupted when they are attacked by a dangerous Sacrifice called the "Miasmic Fiend", created from Yixuan's memories of her sister, which they manage to escape from, but the sound of the battle attracts the attention of Porcelumex guards. With the group cornered in the depths of the complex, Yuzuha leads them to a secret escape route, revealing to Alice that she is the sole survivor from Porcelumex's child experiments, but Alice's father discovered her, and gave his own life to ensure her escape. Yuzuha then stays behind to stall the guards and turns herself over to Ferox, revealed to be the Exaltist collaborator within Porcelumex.
Outside the Hollow, Alice and Phaethon, unwilling to leave Yuzuha in danger, secure the assistance of the Obol Squad, the rest of Yunkui Summit, and Porcelumex general manager Damian Blackwood to re-enter the testing facility and rescue Yuzhua before Ferox destroys the entire complex to cover up his involvement with the Exaltists. Going back into the Hollow, they are attacked again by the Miasmic Fiend, but with Yixuan's assistance they are able to defeat it and subdue Ferox before he can escape. In the aftermath, Ferox and his surviving guards are brought out of the Hollow to be arrested while Alice ensures Yuzuha gets medical treatment, though it is revealed that a large number of the Obscuras manufactured in the illegal Porcelumex facility were removed before their discovery and distributed to unknown locations across the Waifei Peninsula.
Characters
Playable
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 six combat styles: Anomaly, Attack, Defense, Rupture, Support, or Stun.[18]
Random Play
Random Play is a video store in New Eridu where siblings Wise and Belle 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.
Wise (哲; Zhé) and Belle (铃; Líng)
Voiced by: Lin Jing (Chinese); Stephen Fu[19] (English); Atsushi Abe[19] (Japanese); Lee Sang-Ho (Korean) (Wise)
Voiced by: Hou Xiaofei (Chinese); Courtney Steele[19] (English); Sayaka Senbongi[19] (Japanese); Lee Sae-ah (Korean) (Belle)
The main protagonists of the game. They are 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 Belle (younger sister) and Wise (older brother) as the player character. Whoever is not picked will serve as the player character's assistant throughout the game.[20]
Cunning Hares
The Cunning Hares (formally 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.
Voiced by: Yanning (Chinese); Sam Slade[19] (English); Atsumi Tanezaki[19] (Japanese); Kim Bo-na (Korean)
A calm and collected 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.[20][21][22] In her alternate form called Soldier 0, it was revealed that she was the captain of Silver Squad, a special forces unit of clone soldiers. However, when the unit was disbanded due to cost and the higher ups only wanted one clone to keep alive, Anby attempted suicide to save her surviving sister, Soldier 11, before being found and rescued by Nicole (and also adopting her family name). As Soldier 0 she wields dual swords in battle.[23][24]
An energetic intellectual construct gunslinger who refers to his custom revolvers as his "girls" and is a superfan of a Super Sentai-like franchise called "Starlight Knights".[20][21][22]
Nekomiya Mana (猫宫又奈; Māogōng Yòunài) a.k.a.Nekomata (猫又; Māoyòu)
Voiced by: Hualing (Chinese); Alice Himora[19] (English); Sayuri Hara[19] (Japanese); Lee Bo-hee (Korean)
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.[20][21]
The savvy founder of the Cunning Hares who struggles to keep her group afloat financially and Anby's adopted sister. She wields a large handbag that doubles as a chargeable energy gun.[20][21][22]
Belobog Heavy Industries
Belobog Heavy Industries is a company specializing in In-Hollow construction. This faction was released in July 2024.
The sharp-tongued and masculinity obsessed project manager who refers to his wrist-mounted drill as his "bro."[20][21]
Ben Bigger (本•比格; Běn Bǐgé)
Voiced by: Meng Xianglong (Chinese); Henry Schrader[19] (English); Kenji Hamada[19] (Japanese); Han Bok-hyun (Korean)
A hard-working 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.[20][21]
The quirky engineer of the group with an enthusiasm of all things mechanical. She designs and program various robotic heavy machinery for Belobog, referring to them as her "children." She wields a rapid-firing nail gun and electrified or EMP grenades.[20][21][25][26]
The feisty 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.[20][21]
Victoria Housekeeping
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.
The gentle and soft-spoken head maid, often accompanied by two floating Bangboo puppets named Drusilla and Anastella. In battle, she uses an anti-gravity belt to float and shoot lightning on her enemies, while using her Bangboo as secondary weapons.[20][21][25]
Corin Wickes (可琳•威克斯; Kělín Wēikèsī)
Voiced by: Mu Fei (Chinese); Chloe Eves[19] (English); Hiromi Igarashi[19] (Japanese); Cho Kyung-yi (Korean)
A timid and anxious maid who wields a very large buzz saw as her main tool.[20][21]
A deadpan mako shark Thiren girl who prefers resting and hanging out with her friends to doing extra work or club activities. She wields an oversized pair of pruning shears.[20][21]
A refined white wolf Thiren who acts as the Head Butler, using a kick-based fighting style to dispatch enemies with his cybernetic legs. He is also a former member of Mockingbird.[20][21]
Criminal Investigation Special Response Team
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.
A cunning rat Thiren who is a 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.[20][28]
Qingyi (青衣; Qīngyī) /01 Neo-Genesis VI
Voiced by: Hao Sibai (Chinese); Kira Buckland[19] (English); Maria Abo[19] (Japanese); Kim Soon-mi (Korean)
The dutiful leader of the Criminal Investigation Special Response Team who uses a modifiable pistol with Ether-infused bullets.[20][21][28]
Sons of Calydon
The Sons of Calydon is a biker gang that resides in the Outer Ring of New Eridu. This faction was released in July 2024.
Burnice White (柏妮思•怀特; Bǎinīsī Huáitè)
Voiced by: Ge Zirui (Chinese); Risa Mei (English); Karin Takahashi (Japanese); Bae Ha-gyoung (Korean)
A bubbly and enthusiastic girl who wields dual flamethrowers. She is a very sociable woman according to her groupmates.[29]
Caesar King (凯撒•金; Kǎisā Jīn)
Voiced by: Su Ziwu (Chinese); Jennifer Sun Bell (English); Rina Satō (Japanese); Kim Bo-Min (Korean)
A spunky woman who uses a sword and spiked shield. Although she's the leader of the Sons of Calydon, Lucy claims she's as "simple" as a caesar salad. She has a prosthetic arm that came from Billy Kid.[30][31]
An even-tempered and reticent man who serves as the Sons of Calydon's Champion, Caesar's right hand man and the gang representative. Lighter possesses overwhelming force and strength that he uses to solve problems in the Outer Ring. He uses his fire gauntlet in battle.[32]
Luciana "Lucy" Auxesis Theodoro de Montefio (露西亚娜•奥克希斯•提奥多•德•蒙特夫; Lùxīyànà Àokèxīsī Tí'àoduō dé Méngtèfū)
Voiced by: Xian Ta Wutong (Chinese); Elsie Lovelock[f] (English); Ayaka Asai[19] (Japanese); Kim Mi-so (Korean)
A rebellious blonde girl who travels with three tiny boar Thirens named "Grassy, "Woody" and "Bricky" and wields a baseball bat and using the three boar Thirens as her projectiles and secondary weapons.[20][21]
A petite young woman who maintains a big rig she named "Steeltusk" for the Sons of Calydon. She acts and speaks like an old woman, prefers resting when not actively on the job and wields a great axe in battle.[20][21]
Pulchra Fellini (波可娜•费雷尼; Bōkěnà Fèiléiní)
Voiced by: Pan Danni (Chinese); Marissa Lenti[33] (English); Natsumi Fujiwara (Japanese); Son Seon-young (Korean)
A sand cat Thiren. Initially working for a rival biker gang, she eventually joined the Sons of Calydon due to their ideals. She uses dual wielded revolver/blade as weapons.[34]
Hollow Special Operations Section 6
Hollow Special Operations Section 6 (usually shortened to Section 6) is a frontline operational unit of the Hollow Special Operations. This faction was released in July 2024.
An easygoing 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.[35][36]
The solemn Chief of Section 6 and a fox Thiren and swordswoman who wields the Hoshimi Family's heirloom katana Tailless. She is 170cm in height—if her ears are included.[20]
Soukaku (苍角; Cāngjiǎo)
Voiced by: Liu Wen (Chinese); Rogin Rashidan (English); Machico[19] (Japanese); Lee Ji-hyeon (Korean)
A blue oni girl who prefers talking about eating more than anything else. She wields a large cleaver. She is also Yanagi's adopted sister.[20][21]
The methodical Deputy Chief of Section 6 and voice of reason in the unit. A veteran of the war between New Eridu and the Oni people, she was able to end the war by becoming the chief of the Oni tribe after the previous leader, Soukaku's older sister, sacrificed herself by giving her blood to Yanagi and making her half oni. She fights with a retractable naginata.[37][38]
Stars of Lyra
The Stars of Lyra are a famous musical group in New Eridu. This faction was released in December 2024.
Astra Yao (耀嘉音; Yào Jiāyīn)
Voiced by: Xiao N (Jiang Li) (Chinese); Molly Zhang (English); Aya Endō (Japanese); Yoon A-yeong (Korean)
The famous and carefree singer and actress in New Eridu.[39][40] She uses her voice in battle, amplified with her microphonewand.
The elegant manager and chaperone of Astra Yao. She is a former spy originally planted by a rival company with the codename "Scheele's Green", but later defected to Astra's side.[41][42] She uses a sharp and durable knife-and-cord combo weapon.
New Eridu Defense Force
The New Eridu Defense Force is a military organization under the New Eridu City Administration, which contains the Obol Squad and the former Silver Squad. This faction was released in July 2024.
Two conjoined members of Obol Squad. Magus, the captain of Obol Squad, is Orphie's tail, who is an underling.
Seed (席德; Xídé)
Voiced by: Su Wan & Zhao Zihan (Chinese); Unknown (English); Kiyono Yasuno & Tesshō Genda (Japanese); Yu Hye-ji & Gu Won (Korean)
A member of Obol Squad. Seed is actually two people: A giant male robot named Seed Senior and his pilot also name Seed, a young whimsical girl who rides a hover scooter.
A member of Obol Squad who wields a superheated sword. She has a love of spicy noodles and cats. She is also a former member of Silver Squad, and Anby's sister.
A blind sniper in Obol Squad and friend of Soldier 11. A veteran soldier who was blinded by a Ethereal attack during the Hollow Zero incident, her injures led to her other senses being heighted. In battle she uses a variable sniper rifle with a blade attached on the gun.
Mockingbird
Mockingbird is a notorious phantom thief syndicate in New Eridu. This faction was released in April 2025.
Hugo Vlad (雨果•维拉德; Yǔguǒ Wéilādé)
Voiced by: Liang Dawei (Chinese); Jimmie Yamaguchi (English); Jun Fukuyama (Japanese); Kim Hye-sung (Korean)
A gentleman thief and former illegitimate member of the Ravenlock family. He founded Mockingbird alongside Von Lycaon.[44] He uses a retractable scythe in battle.
A mysterious woman with a great obsession with Phaethon. She has the ability to see people's deaths in the future.[45] She uses her parasol and thrusters under her dress in battle.
Yunkui Summit
Yunkui Summit is a Taoism-themed agency based in the Waifei Peninsula. This faction was released in June 2025.
Ju Fufu (橘福福; Jú Fúfú)
Voiced by: Xie Ying (Chinese); Lindsay Sheppard (English); Ayaka Suwa (Japanese); Kim Ye-ryeong (Korean)
A South China tiger Thiren who is the disciple of Yixuan. She uses a mechanical tiger popcorn maker and blades brass knuckles as her weapons.[46]
Pan Yinhu (潘引壶; Pān Yǐnhú)
Voiced by: Wang Xigua (Chinese); Philip Sacramento (English); Ryōta Takeuchi (Japanese); Oh Gun-woo (Korean)
A panda Thiren that is also the monastery's cook. He uses a wok as a weapon.[47]
The 13th High Preceptor of Yunkui Summit and mentor of Ju Fufu. She uses her unique Ether ability Auric Ink as her weapon.[48]
Spook Shack
Spook Shack is an online forum dedicated to sharing and solving supernatural mysteries and unexplained phenomena. This faction was released in July 2025.
A fussy bunny Thiren who is a member of the prestigious Thymefield family. She uses a rapier as her weapon.
Ukinami Yuzuha (浮波柚叶; Fúbō Yùyè)
Voiced by: Jin Na (Chinese); Kimberly Tierney (English); Ikumi Hasegawa (Japanese); Kim Seon-joo (Korean)
A sassy young woman who is accompanied with her pet tanuki named Kama that is strapped to her back. She uses her parasol as a weapon and Kama to assist her.
A senior officer of NEPS and a member of the Exaltists. He turned himself into a powerful Sacrifice with the help of Sarah but was defeated by Hoshimi Miyabi, and later self-destructed in a failed attempt to kill Phaethon. He serves as one of the main antagonists of Season 1.
An elderly businessman who is Nekomata's adopted father and the leader of the Red Fang Gang. Transformed into a Dullahan Ethereal when he and the Cunning Hares fell down onto a Hollow.
The brutish leader of The Vanquishers biker gang. After transforming into an Ethereal as a result of a betrayal by his fellow gang member Lucius, he was defeated by Caesar.
A mysterious businesswoman who is a member of The Exaltists. She serves as one of the main antagonists of the game.
Development
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.[50][51]
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.[50]
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.[52][53] 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.[54]
According to the producer Li Zhenyu main protagonists Wise and Belle have independent roles from each other.[55]
Marketing and release
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.[56] A second closed beta test, called an "Equalizing Test", was also held for PC and iOS in November 2023.[57] A third beta test, called an "Amplifying Test", was held for Android, PC, and iOS, in April 2024.[58] During Sony Interactive Entertainment's State of Play presentation in January 2024, a PlayStation 5 port of the game was announced as a timed console exclusive.[59] 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.[60] An advertisement campaign on the Manila Light Rail Transit in the Philippines was held.[61] A series of launch events titled "New Eridu City Tour" is being held in 19 locations worldwide.[62] Another series of events titled "Zenless Dazzle Expo" is held within six comic conventions.[63]
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.[64][65][66][h]
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.[76]
Eurogamer called the combat and day-to-day exploration exciting, and the world setting unique and immersive.[18]Kotaku said its combat system is similar to miHoYo's previous game, Honkai Impact 3rd.[52]
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.[77]PC Gamer criticized the combat system by calling it "mindless mouse clicking".[75]
In Japan, four critics from Famitsu gave the game a total score of 34 out of 40.[72]
Zenless Zone Zero has surpassed 50 million downloads around the world just three days after launch.[78] The mobile version of the game grossed almost US$52million in its first 11 days and US$100million in its first month.[79][80][81] Chinese video game news website GameLook estimated the total revenue from all platforms of the game for July 2024 to exceed CN¥2.2billion (US$306million.)[82]
Concept art of then unannounced factions now known as the Angels of Delusion and the Sons of Calydon was leaked on the internet prior to the release of the game. The Zenless Zone Zero development team released a statement on Bilibili expressing their disappointment of the leak.[91]
Although Zenless Zone Zero was not explicitly targeted in the SAG-AFTRA strike, multiple English voice actors in support of the strike stopped voicing their assigned characters. HoYoverse responded by recasting most of them, including the English voice actors for Lycaon and Soldier 11.[92][93]
Following the strike's suspension, most English voice actors previously uncredited came out with their respective roles. Additionally, some voice actors resumed voicing their assigned characters, including Kelsey Jaffer, the voice for Jane Doe.
Notes
↑ Also abbreviated as ZZZ or sometimes shortened to "Triple Z". Chinese:绝区零; pinyin:Jué Qū Líng; lit.'Absolute Zone Zero'
↑ Shipman replaced Chelsea Kwoka, the original voice actor, due to unspecified reasons.
↑ Originally voiced by Katie Cofield. However, due to unspecified reasons, she was replaced by an unknown voice actor.
↑ Lauré replaced Crystal Lee, the original voice actor, due to unspecified reasons.
↑ De Renzy-Martin replaced Nicholas Thurkettle, the original voice actor, due to him withholding his work to support the 2024-2025 SAG-AFTRA strike.[27]
↑ Lovelock replaced Courtney Lin, the original voice actor, due to unspecified reasons.
↑ Originally voiced by Emeri Chase. She was replaced due to her withholding her work to support the 2024-2025 SAG-AFTRA strike.[43]
↑ 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
Honkai Impact 3rd, a similar game also created by miHoYo and part of the Honkai franchise
↑ 猛鲨男鱼王 (August 24, 2024). "2024年科隆展获奖名单公布：《怪物猎人：荒野》领跑". Gamersky (in Chinese). Archived from the original on December 19, 2024. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
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