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The first few minutes (even hours) of Genshin Impact are breathtaking. Players compare Teyvat to Hyrule for good reason: they’re both sprawling, open-world settings with a bright palette and cheery aesthetic. In many ways, however, it’s a bad comparison. Genshin is anime-inspired but only in the broadest sense. It feels like the generic distillation of fantasy itself, unwilling to commit to any specific style for fear of losing its mass appeal. Its movement and travel mechanics only highlight the setting’s problems. Zenless Zone Zero may be the first HoYo game to rise above them.
Zenless Zone Zero’s Setting Gets Zilch Wrong
Zenless Zone Zero is the first HoYo game to allow players to skip cutscenes, yet it’s the best argument for why they shouldn’t. That’s because ZZZ trimmed the tedium that dominates traveling through Teyvat. Genshin Impact‘s map would be manageable with more enjoyable movement systems, but the current ones make it painful. Run across an empty field? Dull. Run out of Stamina and fall off a mountain? Annoying. Glide off a rooftop like the manic pixie dream girl of countless fantasy shonen? Enjoyable but only until the new game smell wears off.
Stamina and other restrictive movement mechanics (combined with the large map) turn Genshin‘s movement into a chore. Zenless Zone Zero solves this problem in a few ways, but the biggest one is simple: shrink the map. ZZZ takes place across a variety of neighborhoods in New Eridu, a postapocalyptic (yet stubbornly happy) city packed with detail. As a result, the game feels less like Tears of the Kingdom and more like the Persona or Yakuza games. You’re not rushing around exploring a pretty yet nonetheless dead countryside. You’re living your best life at the end of the world.
HoYo Goes Travel-Sized
When you aren’t journeying into the Hollow to bash on monsters, ZZZ throws you into a cozy suburban landscape that borrows from ’90s America, futuristic Japan, and other inspirations. Whether you’re dealing with one of the charming shopkeepers, managing your movie rental business, or mingling with the locals, the game makes you want to be there. The smaller locations make ZZZ feel cozy rather than restrictive, eliminating any frustration or anxiety that a bigger map would cause.
Zenless Zone Zero takes its cues from Yakuza, stuffing its world with activities to increase your investment in the spaces around you. Although things aren’t as dense or detailed in New Eridu as they are during Kazuma Kiryu’s adventures, they’re enough to make Genshin feel lacking in comparison. Fast travel keeps Genshin manageable, but ZZZ‘s smaller world and tighter focus keep it fun. Maybe the Traveler should get some lessons from Gentle House next time.
