Despite already having several popular ARPG titles in their portfolio, including Honkai Impact 3rd and Genshin Impact, HoYoverse is gearing up for a new gaming experience with their upcoming title, Zenless Zone Zero (ZZZ). I finally had the opportunity to go hands-on with the game during the recent Tokyo Game Show 2023, where HoYoverse had a demo available at their exhibition booth. It allowed us to delve into the game's prologue and tutorial, explore the streets of New Eridu in the free exploration mode, as well as taking on a combat challenge mode.

The game presents a unique storytelling approach, with the plot primarily presented in a manga format featuring voiced character dialogues and captivating animated cutscenes. In my opinion, this style of storytelling effectively complements the game’s urban and street setting, immersing players in its world.

When compared to HoYoverse's other ARPG titles, ZZZ offers a noticeably faster and more fluid combat experience. Most characters feature shorter attack animations, and their Skills don't have cooldowns, enabling players to execute rapid combos that incorporate both normal attacks and Skills. This combat system makes the Skills function more akin to heavy attacks seen in other ARPGs. It also appears that using Skills at various phases within your normal attack sequence will yield different effects, encouraging players to strategically utilize different combos rather than resorting to mindless spamming.

Another crucial aspect of the game's combat system is the Break mechanic. Enemies are equipped with a Break bar that gradually fills as you attack them. Once the bar reaches its capacity, it illuminates in a vibrant rainbow of colors, signifying the activation of the Break effect. During this state, the enemy becomes stunned and immobilized.

The Break state presents an opportunity for players to initiate Chain Attacks via the special attack button. This action swaps in another party member with a spectacular animation and a barrage of attacks. These attacks will not only harm the broken enemy but also inflict damage on nearby enemies. What's even more satisfying is that if the enemy hasn't been knocked down yet, you can continue to swap in your other party members, resulting in a gratifying sequence of chain attacks.

As for the game's exploration, it gives off similar vibes as Persona 5, allowing players to traverse a bustling urban street teeming with pedestrians, street vendors, and shops. It seems that the game will feature a variety of restaurants serving cuisine that reflects the city's culture, such as ramen stalls in the Tokyo streets, as well as various arcade mini-games for players to explore. Unfortunately, during the demo, none of these exploration content was accessible, and I only had a brief glimpse of the game's environment. Hopefully, there will be more opportunities for us to delve deeper into the game before its official release.

With its remarkable storytelling approach and distinct departure from their previous titles in terms of combat mechanics, HoYoverse’s Zenless Zone Zero promises to provide players with a unique ARPG experience characterized by gratifying combat. The game is slated for release on PC, consoles, and mobile platforms, although its official release date is yet to be announced.