Zenless Zone Zero, MiHoYo’s 2024 Action RPG, came pretty out of left field for me. I had tried out their other major titles, 2020’s Genshin Impact and 2023’s Honkai: Star Rail, but neither game caught my attention too much. I had played them for a while, and then they fell off my radar. Zenless Zone Zero initially caught my attention through its style, the fluid animation and strange, urban setting convincing me to give it a try on launch. And I’ve been playing it since.
One of the biggest appeals to me in any game is the writing, especially character writing. It’s fun for characters to bounce off of each other, but you rarely get that sort of interaction in tandem with combat. There might be some basic callouts, or special events with scripted dialogue from a specific party member, but character interactions tend to be kept to designated moments or cutscenes. Those are good, but it’s nice to have something more. Zenless Zone Zero is one of the few games I’ve played that really blends those fun character moments with quick gameplay, and it flaunts it too.
In Zenless Zone Zero, you bring a team of three agents into combat. You can swap between them at any time, with a special bonus if those characters are part of the same faction, or otherwise know each other; a quick comment. It sounds small, and it is, but its a small thing that makes a big difference. It reinforces that these characters aren’t just stats and attack animations, but have their own histories and interactions with each other. There’s something special about one character telling another to fall back while using a cute nickname, or telling another to reload, or just chuckling and reassuring their teammate that they can handle things for a while.
Character swapping doesn’t just provide comments or a way to switch up your gameplay, it also provides a defense; by swapping characters right as an enemy attacks, a Perfect Assist is triggered. The character being swapped in will either block or dodge the attack, and be in a prime position to retaliate. By directly tying a powerful defensive option to swapping characters, it reinforces this idea of teamwork that you don’t usually see in single player action games. Characters aren’t just avoiding damage, they’re protecting each other.
Are there any teamwork-related mechanics you’re really fond of in gaming? Feel free to share them down in the comments, or join us and add your own two cents to the discussion in the Boss Rush Discord.
Featured Image: HoYoverse
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