Some players are skippers. Some players are watchers. For some, cutscenes are annoyances, interrupting the action like an ill-timed car commercial. For others, cutscenes are the heart of the game, the thumping lifeblood that gives everything else purpose. Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail don’t expect you to watch an hour-long cutscene like Metal Gear Solid 4, but they do expect you to watch. The lack of an optional “skip” button has been a thorn in the side of HoYo fans for years. That’s changing with Zenless Zone Zero, the first HoYo game that lets you cut straight to the action.
Zenless Zone Zero Lets You Skip Cutscenes
As a devoted cutscene watcher, the thought of cutting some cute husbando off mid-sentence makes me itch. That said, not everyone feels the same. It’s about time that HoYoverse gave players the option of escaping cutscenes. If you’d rather smash monsters than learn about HoYo’s colorful cast, press skip. If you’re short on gaming time and want to try one more pity pull before logging off, press skip. It’s a basic QoL feature, and there’s no real excuse for HoYo ignoring it for so long. That said, the skip button’s arrival makes perfect sense for Zenless Zone Zero.
Zenless aspires to be HoYo’s most engaging action game. The story matters, and there’s plenty of lore for those who care, but cutscenes aren’t the heart of it. If you have limited time and just want to grind, Genshin‘s cutscenes can feel like quicksand. It’s a problem HoYo is aware of, and the devs are finally doing something about it with Zenless. Ironically, Zenless Zone Zero‘s world arguably gives you more not to skip. Between the adorable, knee-high helpers known as Bangboo and the supernatural death spheres known as Hollows, there’s a lot to like about the setting. New Eridu frankly seems more original than Teyvat. Maybe the skip button can migrate to the Traveler’s realm next.
