Summary
WhenZenless Zone Zeroreleased, most critics familiar with the action-RPG genre knew what its immediate point of comparison would be for its potential audience. As a HoYoverse game,ZZZexists in a world whereGenshin Impactis the bar for every release from the developer following it. WhileHonkai: Star Railwas different enough that judging the two games side by side was pretty quickly dismissed,Zenless Zone Zeroisn’t turn-based, and its reliance on satisfying, quick combat is certainly more reminiscent of its older sibling.
That being said, how muchZenless Zone Zerois likeGenshin Impactmatters a lot for many interested in the former.Genshin Impactwas the introduction to gacha gaming for many, so its often considered the standard for the genre, even though there have been many that have come before it (and since).Genshin Impactis also some people’sonlydaily/live service game, so the idea of adding another title that isn’t at least partially relatable can be daunting. To answer the question ofZZZandGenshin Impact’s similarities, it’s easier to break down both the familiar and the new.
Zenless Zone Zero Protagonist: Should You Pick Belle Or Wise?
Should you pick Belle or Wise in Zenless Zone Zero? It’s much different from picking protagonists in other HoYoverse games, so take note.
Every Major Way Zenless Zone Zero Is Similar To Genshin Impact
Action, Gacha, & Quality
The most obvious comparison betweenZenless Zone ZeroandGenshin Impactis the genre - they’re both action-RPGs, though they differ wildly in their implementation of that gameplay.At their core, however, they both feature fast-paced, enjoyable combat that centers around chaining attacks togetherby multiple team members to create synergetic reactions. Both games have dodge mechanics, thoughZZZ’s is more stylish, and they feature equipment and skill loadouts that can be improved to further raise the efficiency of a given combination of party members.
There’s also another obvious similarity -Zenless Zone ZeroandGenshin Impactare HoYoverse games. The developer is known for its quality and that’s present inZZZ, with gorgeous world design, memorable character aesthetics, a memorable OST, and the level of polish players have come to expect from HoYoverse releases. Presumably, the game will also follow a familiar release schedule for its content, alongside plans that are consistent with what players have seen inGenshin- a new rate-up banner every three weeks or so, for instance, and re-runs as the game’s cast grows more expansive.
It’s familiar territory for anyone who has played a HoYoverse game (or many of their counterparts), but it can still be a dealbreaker for many, so it’s important to note.
Finally - at least for the big, important likenesses betweenZenless Zone ZeroandGenshin Impact- they’re both gacha games.That means monetized in-game currency systems, slot machine-like character acquisition, and battle passesto help keep players invested in completing daily, weekly, and patch-long content. It’s familiar territory for anyone who has played a HoYoverse game (or many of their counterparts), but it can still be a dealbreaker for many, so it’s important to note.
Zenless Zone Zero Pity System Explained
Zenless Zone Zero is an exciting new project from HoYoverse, but like the studio’s other games, it also includes a somewhat complicated pity system.
Every Big Difference Between Zenless Zone Zero & Genshin Impact
World Design, Multiplayer, Lore, & Teams
The biggest difference betweenZenless Zone ZeroandGenshin Impactis in its world design -the former is on-the-rails exploration with a roguelite twist on its dungeons, while the latter offers significantly more freedom, with plenty of secrets to uncover and places to visit that exist outside of the main story.Honkai: Star Railintroduced a more restricted exploration system for HoYoverse followingGenshin, andZZZincreases that more, keeping players in New Eridu and recycling many of the same areas in its combat zones, too. It makes the game feel much smaller thanGenshin- which is fair, because it is - and also raises questions about what its future major content updates might look like.
Zenless Zone Zero’s multiplayeris also dramatically different fromGenshin Impact.While both offer co-op to some degree,ZZZ’s co-op is restricted to arcade minigames and Reckless Challenge, the latter of which doesn’t even let players choose their friends as potential partners. This is a stark contrast toGenshin’s painless integration of co-op world exploration, allowing players to not only visit friends and get materials from their world to bring back to their own, but assist them through content and simply explore the map, too.
Zenless Zone Zero: All Weapon & Character Pull Rates Explained
Like other HoYoverse-developed gacha games, Zenless Zone Zero features relatively low pull rates, with a few ways to get guaranteed rewards.
Another point of contention for those looking to come over fromGenshin Impactto adopt New Eridu as a future home will be the game’s story.ZZZ’s narrative is much more light-hearted thanGenshin’s to begin with, and has a more urban, punk-y vibe to many of its character interactions. It’s a far cry from high fantasy, to be sure.
Finally,Zenless Zone Zerois likeGenshin Impactin that it features team compositions, but the former only lets players use three heroes rather than the four offered by the latter. Because the two games are obviously designed around these numbers, it doesn’t ultimately impact the way they’re played other than thatZZZis more restrictive in team deployment, which could matter to those who want to see their well-built characters as often as possible.Zenless Zone ZeroandGenshin Impacthave some big elements they share, but they’re different in many more ways.
