Zenless Zone Zero

Review by eFreeware

Zenless Zone Zero is a free 3D action role-playing game from HoYoverse, set in a near-future city called New Eridu where a recurring disaster known as the Hollows shapes everyday life. You take the role of a Proxy, a professional whose job is to guide people in and out of those unstable spaces. The main reason to consider it is the combination of fast squad combat, a distinctive visual identity and a cast of factions whose stories intertwine.

It has been out since June 19, 2024 and has passed 10 million installs on Google Play, where it holds a 3.1 average from roughly 167,000 ratings. That split between reach and score is worth keeping in mind: this is a large, ongoing game with a dedicated audience and a fair number of dissatisfied players. The download is free, there are no ads, and the developer notes that optional in-game purchases exist, including random virtual items.

A city built next to a disaster zone

The premise is straightforward. The Hollows are a mysterious natural disaster that has left the world changed, and New Eridu is described as the last oasis, a place that has learned to coexist with them. That coexistence is what makes the setting work: the city is not a refuge from the danger so much as a place organized around it, with people who need the Hollows for resources, ruins and other valuables.

Ordinary residents are warned away from the Hollows, because spatial disorder, monsters and mutants make them a disaster that could swallow the world. If someone does go in, they are told not to go alone. That is where the Proxy comes in, because only a Proxy can guide people back out of the labyrinthine interiors.

What appeals to me here is that the player character sits between two worlds rather than inside one. You are not a soldier clearing a dungeon or a civilian hiding from one; you are the person who makes the crossing possible for everyone else, which gives the story a natural reason to introduce all kinds of clients and allies.

How a run actually plays out

Combat is built around a squad of up to three characters. You start an assault with basic and special attacks, then dodge and parry to neutralize incoming counterattacks. When an opponent is stunned, you can chain attacks together into a powerful combo to close the fight out. The developer pitches this as a thrilling combat experience, and the loop it describes is a familiar one for action games: pressure, evade, punish.

Opponents differ in their traits, so exploiting each one's weakness matters. That pushes the squad choice toward a real decision rather than a cosmetic one, since what you bring into a fight matters against what you are facing. It also means a three-character limit shapes how you approach each fight.

Between fights, New Eridu is the hub. Tycoons, street gangs, schemers and officials all have their own reasons to want access to the Hollows, and you prepare there, find strong allies and locate a Proxy to lead the way. That structure gives the combat a context: you are not fighting for its own sake but as part of arrangements made in the city.

Factions, videotapes and the people you meet

The cast is the part of the game the developer leans on hardest. New Eridu is described as home to chaotic, boisterous and dangerous factions, and customers from all walks of life come knocking. Appearances are deceptive here: cute-looking characters should not be underestimated, intimidating ones should not be feared, and even the fluffy ones are worth talking to rather than turning away.

Talking to these characters and learning their experiences is how they become friends and allies, which frames the social side of the game as a long-term investment rather than a side activity. The line about needing companions to walk far suggests the developer intends the relationships to carry as much weight as the fighting.

Presentation is part of the pitch as well. The game has a deliberate visual style, with crafted character expressions and fluid movement, and a soundtrack that accompanies key moments. The developer calls the whole package unique, which is the kind of claim a player can judge quickly from screenshots and footage rather than taking on faith.

The game is also actively updated. Version 3.2, titled Their Secret Histories, added two S-rank agents, Claret and Roxy, brought back Nangong Yu and Promeia, and introduced new outfits for Sunna, Aria and Nangong Yu. That cadence is the clearest signal of how the developer expects people to stay engaged over time.

Free to start, with purchases inside

The download costs nothing and the game carries no ads. You can install and play without paying, and spending is tied to content whose contents are randomized.

The content rating is Teen, which fits the tone: a world with monsters, mutants and street-level danger, handled in a stylized way rather than a graphic one. The install figure of over 10 million suggests the game has found a broad audience despite the 3.1 average rating, and the two numbers together are a reasonable picture of a big, divisive release.

Where the game asks patience

The combat rewards timing. Dodging and parrying are not optional flourishes; they are how you avoid counterattacks and set up the stun that makes chain attacks possible. The three-character squad means there is a roster to learn rather than one character to master.

The structure is also long by design. Allies are made by talking with customers and learning their stories, and the factions are described as numerous and varied, so the narrative unfolds across many characters rather than a single thread. Updates like version 3.2 keep adding agents and outfits on top of that, which is good for anyone who wants a game to grow and less appealing for anyone who wants a fixed, finite story.

The randomized purchases deserve a mention here rather than buried elsewhere. Because the items are random virtual items, anyone sensitive to that kind of spending should decide before installing how they feel about it. The game itself is free and ad-free, so the decision is entirely about whether the optional purchases are something you want to engage with.

A stylish squad fighter for players who like a growing cast

Zenless Zone Zero is worth considering if you want a free action RPG with a strong sense of place, a three-character squad that rewards reading your opponents, and a cast the developer keeps expanding. The New Eridu setting gives the fighting a reason to happen, and the Proxy role ties the city and the Hollows together in a way that makes both halves of the game matter.

It suits players who enjoy learning enemy traits, timing dodges and parries, and investing in characters across many updates. The 3.1 average from a large rating pool suggests the experience does not land for everyone, so it is reasonable to treat the install as a low-risk way to see whether the combat and the world click for you.

If you want a short, self-contained story, this is not built for that. For everyone else, the combination of free access, no ads and a steady stream of new agents and outfits makes it an easy download to try.

What's new in version 3.2.0

New Version 3.2 "Their Secret Histories" is now live! New Characters • S-Rank Agent Claret (Electric - Armorer) • S-Rank Agent Roxy (Wind - Stun) Returning Characters • S-Rank Agent Nangong Yu (Ether - Stun) • S-Rank Agent Promeia (Ice - Anomaly) New Outfits • Sunna: Delusions in Business • Aria: Cuteness Loading • Nangong Yu: Heartfelt Support