After spending a few hours with the game, I can definitively say that it is an enjoyable, if ultimately forgettable, experience. Being the third major release from the team behind the massively successful Genshin Impact and Honkai: Star Rail, MiHoYo and Hoyverse have polished their design into what I imagine will be yet another very successful game for them.

I do enjoy the fast, team-based combat which comes in short bursts, the overall aesthetic is pleasing, and the music enjoyable. The Proxy game play is a neat addition, adding light puzzle mechanics into the mix, then dropping the player in to combat when bumping into an enemy icon. There are a lot of possibilities here. However, the rest of the game feels like they’ve just thrown everything and the kitchen sink into the mix to support the gatcha monetization model and to keep players engaged over the long haul. And for most people, this will work fine. They’ll get a very high quality game for free and have the option to invest as much as they feel necessary to keep getting enjoyment out of the game.

In terms of what I found forgettable was the story so far. It all seems a rather boiler plate and standard affair where there are zones appearing full of monsters and our heroes need to enter the zones to complete missions. There also appears to be a overarching story line involving a mystery hacker that I assume will span the several areas or maybe even seasons as the game is updated over time. Personally, I would have loved a solid action game that told a good story over a dozen hours or so.

In contrast, I’ve been playing Hi-Fi Rush letely as well which has combat similarities, if obviously rhythm based. But the world Tango Gameworks created feels alive and soulful - the animated environments that keep the beat, lively cast of characters with motivations of their own, and downright hilarious writing. It’s a world that leaves me wanting to spend more time there, as opposed to a world that feels comparatively hollow.

Ultimately, ZZZ’s style of game may largely be the future - games that entice players to come back again and again even if the experience is, in my opinion, somewhat shallow. On the other hand, game studios creating amazing but finite experiences, like Tango Gameworks, are struggling and being shut down. Which may be a microcosm for the industry in general, and in the end ZZZ may not be for me, but I understand the general appeal. 🎮