Summary
Trust me, I want theZenless Zone ZeroandGenshin Impactcomparisons to stop just as much as you probably do. While it’s pretty obvious that theHoYoverse games have a few similarities, they’re quite different overall, and I’m a big proponent of letting live service games breathe and find their identity before immediately trying to slot them in alongside would-be competitors. It’s important to giveZZZtime to find its footing, even with a strong launch that has been largely well-received, even though it’s perhaps a bit more divisive than its HoYo siblingsGenshinandHonkai: Star Rail.
That said…Zenless Zone Zero’s launchhas already made it abundantly clear that it’s the best HoYoverse game for a specific element: social simulation. New Eridu’s design is immaculate, with NPCs bristling with style, even if the actual conversations to be had can be a little fluffy. New Eridu features culture and aesthetic that are in line with a lot of what major gacha games offer as side content anyways, whether that be picture-taking opportunities, side games a la old school flash offerings, or character hangouts. ButZZZis an absolutely perfect fit for one ofGenshin Impact’s best features.
One Smart Zenless Zone Zero Story Change Sets It Apart From Genshin Impact & HSR
Zenless Zone Zero starts its story off differently than Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, and the new direction makes a lot of sense.
Zenless Zone Zero Needs Its Own Genius Invokation ASAP
There’s Never Been A Better HoYo Game To Play A TCG In
Zenless Zone Zerois the perfect home forGenshin Impact’s Genius Invokation TCG. The thought struck me as I was happily scouring the streets of New Eridu in search of another interesting NPC or small nod to the world’s lore, and hasn’t left my head since. Here is a city where its community would collectively be passionate about the same pastimes - it’s humanity’s last bastion of hope, and that collective pursuit of a better future needs distractions from its severity. That’s present on every street in New Eridu, where the twins' video rental store shows just how much the citizens prize their personal enjoyment and hobbies.
New Eridu is also teeming with NPCs that are recognizable just by appearance. WhileGenshin Impactcertainly has no shortage of these after many years of content updates,Zenless Zone Zerostarts with a city full of familiar faces after just a few playthroughs. The Genius Invokation challenge mechanic would make perfect sense, given that so many of the people inhabiting these streets know each other, whether its directly or just by word of mouth. In a city where people challenge each other to arcade game high score contests and more, Genius Invokation slots in beautifully for the same kind of pursuit.
I can already envision a world where Bangboos are running their own TCG tournament.
It isn’t just based on aesthetic or lore, though. AZenless Zone ZeroTCG also makes sense from a gameplay perspective. The smaller, more instanced zones of New Eridu are already pre-built to house a more condensed gameplay offering, whereasGenshin Impactoften needs to create new hubs for games like Genius Invokation to be played in, like the Cat’s Tail Tavern becoming its home.ZZZalready has the sort of closed-space environments that thrive by providing multiple gameplay modes and variations through NPC interactionsor entering a new business on the same street.
Zenless Zone Zerois also largely singleplayer, so a TCG might help create the sort of PvP vibe that fits a game all about taking time, relaxing when you can, and pursuing personal goals on top of professional ones. I can already envision a world where Bangboos are running their own TCG tournament, or a cup of coffee at Coff Cafe is accompanied by a quick game of cards with the friendly robot serving me my drink. With so many distractions forming a fundamental core ofZZZ’s gameplay, taking a break to play cards makes more sense alongside taking pictures of cats and deciding what video rentals people might want for the week.
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.
Zenless Zone Zero Could Also Incorporate Genius Invokation Itself
Bold New Territory For HoYoverse Game Crossovers Is Possible
I also think there’s potential forZenless Zone Zeroto just adoptGenius Invokation as a gameplay modein New Eridu, too. While it would undoubtedly represent one of the biggest crossovers between HoYoverse games, it’s also the one that makes the most sense with the least potential to actually impact lore in any way. In fact, I can think of a great way to introduce theGenshin ImpactTCG intoZZZ:it can be the latest fantasy tabletop property to get big, likeMagic: The Gathering. Just because these high fantasy cards are familiar to us as players doesn’t mean they need to be any more than pretty pictures and interesting storytelling in-universe for New Eridu.
Of course, adopting a pre-existing TCG mode from a different game is a big ask, and one that isn’t exactly the most realistic. It would make a lot more sense forZenless Zone Zeroto invent its own TCG - or just use the same mechanics from Genius Invokation but usingZZZcharacters, operating almost like an expansion back for the base game that exists withinGenshin Impact. I think tying the two games together in a way like this, that isn’t intrusive or something every playerneedsto engage with, would be an unprecedented and savvy move from the developer, however.
Getting more eyes on a game that already exceeded 50 million downloads might seem excessive, but when that game is part of a family that includesGenshin ImpactandHonkai: Star Rail, the sky is truly the limit. ConnectingZZZandGenshin Impactthrough a shared TCG build would also just be one of the most interesting things a live service game developer has done in quite some time, too, and I’d like to see the space shaken up more now that HoYoverse has so firmly entrenched itself as the biggest studio in this space.
Whether or not it happens, I think the fact I’m so keen on this idea is representative of how successfulZenless Zone Zerohas been at creating a game world that really encourages players to chase distractions or side content.It’s a great environment not necessarily for the exploration thatGenshinImpactbecame famous for, but rather for a steady, methodical immersion into its cultural inspirations and gameplay modes. Seriously, though. The game is begging for a TCG mode, even if it’s closer to Triple Triad inFinal Fantasy. As long as it isn’t a post-apocalyptic Go Fish, I’ll be happy to play whatever HoYoverse cooks up next forZenless Zone Zero.
