Zenless Zone Zero Producer Expresses Accessibility Allows “Players to Appreciate the Charm of Action Games” & Comparisons to Other HoYoverse Titles

HoYoverse has already been dominating the mobile game market with hits like Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, and now they are about to launch their next big action title – Zenless Zone Zero. Set to launch on July 4, 2024, Zenless Zone Zero will let players assume the role of a Proxy in a post-apocalyptic urban city known as New Eridu. As Proxy, you will recruit new members to fight the monstrous Ethereals that invaded the human world from portals called Hollows.

With great anticipation for the game’s launch, we got the honor to interview Zhenyu Li, the producer of Zenless Zone Zero about the many fascinating elements of the upcoming action gacha title. 

Compared to Other HoYoverse Titles 

As you may have known, HoYoverse has already put out 5 games, with all of them feeling distinctively different from one another. As the 4 currently active HoYoverse titles covered specific markets, we were wondering what market Zenless Zone Zero is targeting and how was the game pitching process like.

“HoYoverse is a company that places great emphasis on game quality,” said Zhenyu Li. “Internally, we have a rigorous review system, and product development undergoes multiple cycles. If our product isn’t engaging enough in terms of gameplay, it won’t pass the review. Our production team focuses heavily on content creation to ensure each game has its unique appeal.”

Continue on with the topic of comparisons between titles. We asked if the team intentionally distinguished Zenless Zone Zero from the others.

To that, Li replied, “As a creator, I hope our works are different from previous ones, which is my pursuit. Our team also hopes to create content different from past products. Although our previous products were very successful if we don’t make some breakthroughs and changes, why would players have a reason to play our new product?”

Both Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail are two of the most successful mobile titles right now, often ranking high on the revenue earnings chart each week. So when it comes to Zenless Zone Zero and whether the developers feel any pressure seeing fans comparing this game and the two mentioned titles, Li has this to say:

“As a HoYoverse product, players might compare Zenless Zone Zero with our previous products. Regardless of whether players make comparisons, our team is committed to doing better. This sentiment is consistent throughout the project team. We always strive for excellence, aiming to surpass previous works in quality and innovation.”

The anticipation for Zenless Zone Zero is extremely high and some fans even believe it might surpass Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, leading to doxxing and online harassment – which we asked the team if they were prepared for it.

“This phenomenon is normal; every work has people who like it and people who don’t,” responded Li.  “As the development team, we need to stick to creating content we believe is good and continuously listen to player feedback. If most players dislike a certain aspect, we will seriously analyze the reasons and improve it in future versions. As for whether Zenless Zone Zero will surpass Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, I haven’t given it much thought.

Fighting Game and Other Inspirations

When talking about action games, the hack and slash subgenre is often brought to mind. However, for those who played the beta of Zenless Zone Zero, the game is described to feel more like a fighting game than a hack and slash.

Talking about the implementation of character actions, Li explained, “Zenless Zone Zero to me is still an action game but not in the traditional sense of a fighting game.”

“Fighting games focus on one-on-one duels between players, whereas Zenless Zone Zero focuses more on battles between characters and enemies or monsters. However, I did draw inspiration from fighting games, especially in terms of the impact and feedback of character actions. For example, the Street Fighter series does exceptionally well with short-term feedback, and I borrowed their design ideas and methods. Currently, Zenless Zone Zero has achieved our design goals quite well, and I don’t feel there are any unrealized elements.”

Besides the Street Fighter series, Li also mentioned a lot of other games that inspired him to develop Zenless Zone Zero.

“My sources of inspiration are many. Besides Street Fighter, I also draw from movies, short films, and other styles of work. I particularly like the works of Vanillaware, such as Odin Sphere and Muramasa: The Demon Blade. The meticulous production of these side-scrolling action games deeply moved me. Although they are a small team, their meticulous polish in art, music, and script is very admirable. Their dedication to craftsmanship has greatly influenced me. I hope to polish every detail in Zenless Zone Zero with the same meticulous attitude, including character actions and effects.”

Accessibility Allows “Players to Appreciate the Charm of Action Games”

Producer Zhenyu Li once mentioned wanting Zenless Zone Zero to be different from other action titles by not setting high entry barriers and making the game more accessible to a wider audience. However, simplicity may lead to monotony, as there are concerns that bosses may only require repeatedly pressing 4 or 5 of the same buttons to defeat – affecting immersion. 

Hearing that, Li responded by explaining the team’s decision, saying “Hardcore players believe action games should be complex, while novices find them too difficult. We hope Zenless Zone Zero can break this stereotype, allowing more players to appreciate the charm of action games. However, I believe action games are a very appealing product series with a unique system. To get more people to appreciate such products, we need to do a lot of design work in our game to address these points.”

“Just like in the Mario series, simple operations don’t detract from the fun. We designed easy-to-learn controls in Zenless Zone Zero while retaining the core charm of action games. We don’t want overly complex operations to affect the player experience but also ensure that the gameplay and fun are not compromised.”

Hardcore players would likely seek to experience challenging aspects but given the simplified combat system, we wondered how the team would cater to this group of players.

Li responded, “We have included red and yellow light cues in the design, which players are accustomed to. However, if we shorten the attack startup time, players will need to pay more attention to the monster’s actions and interactions. Will monsters feint? Do all moves need cues? These are all debatable points. I’m not worried about the game’s lack of difficulty and depth. Our focus is on letting players learn and master the game rules.”

Characters

Interestingly, unlike other HoYoverse titles, Zenless Zone Zero features quite a few anthropomorphic characters alongside human characters.

Speaking about the anthropomorphic characters and why there are fewer human characters in this game, Li replied, “Actually, there are quite a few human characters in Zenless Zone Zero. Currently, they still make up the majority. We added bears, wolves, robots, etc., because having only human characters would be less interesting. We wanted to increase the game’s appeal through diverse character designs. This is also a pursuit of our art team. For example, initially, some robots or bears weren’t designed as characters, but we found these designs very interesting and visually appealing, so we decided to include them in the game to enrich the variety of characters.”

Keeping on topic with characters, they differ greatly from how Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail approach character design, which gives each character a clear distinct role. As such, some players were having trouble choosing their character of choice in Zenless Zone Zero.

“For Zenless Zone Zero, players don’t need to think with the mindset of playing Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail,” responded Li regarding the concern. 

“We are a game with stronger action elements. Although we have designed offensive and defensive characters, the game has its unique team strategy and strength pursuit. However, I believe the charm of action games isn’t limited to extreme strength. We hope players choose characters they like and enjoy different gaming experiences, whether due to battle effects or character mechanics.”

Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail Collab

HoYoverse has previously allowed its games to collaborate with one another, with the most notable one being Genshin Impact characters showing up in Honkai Impact 3rd.

In regards to collaboration plans, Li said, “Currently, we haven’t discussed collaborations with other project teams, but I think it’s an interesting idea to look forward to in the future. However, Zenless Zone Zero is an independent IP, with a different worldview from Honkai: Star Rail and Genshin Impact. Players can judge whether these worldviews are related based on their understanding.”

New Eridu 

Zenless Zone Zero has a rather distinctive setting compared to other HoYoverse titles, putting the action in a modern urban city blend with futuristic elements and an apocalyptic atmosphere. On the design of New Eridu and The Hollows, Li explained the team’s sources of inspiration for how it all came to be.

“We wanted to present a city scene with an atmosphere that is not oppressive in the game. Although the post-apocalyptic theme helps unfold a profound worldview, we avoid making all places appear desolate. However, this kind of apocalyptic theme is more convenient for developing our game’s story, allowing us to unfold a sufficiently deep worldview. Moreover, our goal is to create a world with depth and appeal, letting players immerse themselves. If I say more, it might be a spoiler, so I’ll stop here.”  

Weapon Design

Genshin Impact has beautiful fantastically weapons, while Honkai: Star Rail has visually appealing illustrations of characters for their Light Cones. However, in Zenless Zone Zero, the offensive equipment is called “Weapon Spheres”, and they have the appearance of round balls.

Regarding the design, Li said, “We aim to provide players with a different experience, being very dedicated to innovation. Our character design and art style are very important; we want the characters and weapons to match perfectly. If weapon design isn’t bound to character design, such as creating a set of different swords and hammers, the effect might not be good.”

“Therefore, we chose the design of ‘Weapon Spheres’. This design not only matches the character style but also reflects the trendiness in the art of Zenless Zone Zero. We strive to present a unique and fun gaming experience to players.”

Bangboo

Bangboo – the mascots of the game are extremely adorable and have practical uses in-game. So, we asked Li if the team considered each Bangboo’s combat functions whenever they designed their appearances to reflect their abilities.

“Yes, Bangboo has various appearances, and you can see some clever design aspects. For example, one Bangboo has a target design on its face, which is linked to its function. In our world view, Bangboo is a common civilian or military robot, similar to the ubiquity of mobile phones in reality. We hope to give Bangboo more interesting attack behaviors and functions in the game, with more fun Bangboo gameplay in the future.”

Speaking of Bangboo, we asked the producer which is his favorite Bangboo as well as his favorite character in the game so far.

For his choice, he said he liked the Paperboo Bangboo the most. As for characters, he said, “I like many, but if I had to choose, I would pick Ellen Joe and Nicole Demara.”

Music

When it comes to HoYoverse games, one aspect that fans tend to praise a lot is the music. Similarly, Zenless Zone Zero has also been praised a lot for its soundtrack direction. So, we asked Li whether the game music was something he came up with himself, or did the music team provided samples for him to choose from.

“Music creation is a collaborative effort between me and the music producer,” replied Li. “We have been good friends for many years and often discussed aesthetic perceptions before working together. So, when creating Zenless Zone Zero, he happened to join our team, and we created some music we both thought was good and suitable for the game’s theme. Therefore, our collaboration was very enjoyable.”

Most Enjoyable Experience Developing Zenless Zone Zero 

Talking about the aspect of the development process of Zenless Zone Zero that Li enjoyed the most, he expressed, “I really enjoy participating in every aspect of this project. Whether it’s art design, UI, combat mechanics, or IP creation and setting, I find all of these elements very interesting. Additionally, I enjoy creating music and various other details. I love the creative process because it’s a very charming job for me. As the producer of the game, when the team has disagreements, I need to solve the problem and coordinate everyone’s opinions. Although this part of the job isn’t very enjoyable, it’s my responsibility.”

We also asked Li how would he position Zenless Zone Zero if he looked back on it in the future, he said, “Actually, I’m very satisfied if there is a group of players who like our product. But being a bit greedy, I hope Zenless Zone Zero can dispel the stereotype about action games. I hope it can become a work that tells players worldwide that action games are not difficult. I really hope it becomes such a work.”

That concludes our interview with Zhenyu Li, the producer of Zenless Zone Zero. We would like to once again thank Zhenyu Li for taking the time to answer our questions about Zenless Zone Zero.

As mentioned, Zenless Zone Zero, HoYoverse’s upcoming action gacha title, launches globally for Android and iOS devices, as well as PC and PlayStation 5 on July 4, 2024.

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