HoYoverse games are famous for their music, but people don’t talk much about how they look. Since these games need to work on many different devices, the anime-style pictures can’t compete with games that only run on powerful computers. But where Zenless Zone Zero really shines is in its animations. The fighting game’s battle moves are smooth, flow nicely, and have a big impact. They mix good looks with how well they work for playing the game.
Usually, the game’s fast and exciting battles don’t let you notice this much because everything moves so quickly. But the current photo event in the game lets this part stand out. You can pause in the middle of a fight to take pictures and enjoy the pictures without worrying about being eaten by an Ethereal.
The battle pictures really show how good Zenless Zone Zero looks: The rough, broken-down Hollows with their strange plants and minerals, the weird bodies of the Ethereals that look too much like people and animals, and the craziness of fighting smart construction machines that are out of control all fit well with the great character designs and detailed animations.
Every character has so much personality in how they fight and stand. We know Alice as a nice young woman who gets scared easily and is very neat. But in battle, her royal background shows clearly in how she looks down on her enemies after cutting them up, like they never mattered at all.
Burnice’s love for fire and spirits shows in her battle animations. She has the biggest smile as she covers enemies in flames. This almost mean side doesn’t clash with her usual silly personality.
Lucy is a teenage rebel from a rich family who acts tough. She swings a baseball bat to shoot her friends at enemies like they’re bullets. But then she depends on them to stay standing after blocking an attack. The noble way she hits people is forgotten.
As a blind sniper, Trigger is already a walking puzzle. This gets even stronger with all her movements showing perfect military skill. Not one move is wasted when she aims at her target.
Sure, the developers like to have fun sometimes, but what’s the harm? Yidhari spinning around her big warhammer like a dancer might be obvious to make her popular, but it’s also a great way to show how dreamy and light she feels after what she went through.
In the end, a certain sex appeal has always been part of the game’s identity along with the city and end-of-the-world feelings. It just wouldn’t be the same otherwise.
That’s a lot of words to say I still really love how Zenless Zone Zero looks and feels. I love how much passion the developers put into even small details. A permanent photo mode would be a great addition to its features. Please let us fully enjoy those models and effects in all their glory all the time, developers.
