Why does Zenless Zone Zero WORLD feel so GOOD?!

Zenless Zone Zero has a very distinct and comfy world that I've never seen done well in any other gacha game. Logging into this game feels like you’re coming home to a cozy neighborhood on a holiday. You want to live in this world. But why is that?

Join me, as we take a deep dive into the world design of Zenless Zone Zero and a lesson of VIBE!

Timestamps:
0:00 Why does the world of ZZZ feel so good?
0:24 ZZZ is made to save Hoyoverse money
1:56 First Reason: High Level of Detail
4:15 Second Reason: The Choice of Music and Architecture
5:20 Third Reason: Social Interactions with Playable Characters
6:30 I wish all gacha games had a world as good as ZZZ

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SOCIAL MEDIA
Second Channel: @FeyHunt2
Unity Game Dev Channel: @ReForgeMode

#zenlesszonezeroedit #zenlesszonezerogameplay #hoyoverse

[FeyHunt]

Honestly, I don’t see how other gacha games can pull off these three aspects as well as Zenless Zone Zero. I hope I'm wrong.

All sources for this video are linked below:

Video by Not Just Bikes:

References:

Music used in this game:
- Zenless Zone Zero - Turbo
- Zenless Zone Zero - Endless Construction Night
- Zenless Zone Zero - 60% Daily Serenity
- Zenless Zone Zero - 60% Fantasy

[Funoa]

Walking around the world of zenless during different times of the day and encountering different npcs feels so weirdly natural? Aswell as talking to those npcs isn't just a boring dialogue, most NPCs give you quests, some give you those HIA coins, while some talk about what they're doing there. The fact that we can actually see and talk to the playable characters in game as NPCs is such a nice touch and I actually care about walking around the maps and feel connected to the maps and the characters. I also kinda love the fact our main characters are just normal people living the double life of a proxy, so instead of NPCs first dialogue being, "OH MY GOD IT'S THE PROXY". We have something more chill and normal

[heromedley]

also the amount of just incredible unique art they put in the game is incredible every feels like its been made by anothet individual and not just conforming to a single artstyle

[Aproximal]

Music theory and such is part of my job, as well as audio cataloging for a company out here in Japan (its a games company, that's all that is needed to be said).

One of the really important things to basically create a feeling of "home", is to have your music match your visuals in a way that relates important details. The Sixth Street music follows a few really easy but smart mental tricks in it's music. Firstly...it has an nearly vacation vibe. If you've ever seen old cartoons, when they did vacation episodes, they did Hawaii luau music. This is because the tropical, and "sunset" aesthetic are what we mentally link with conform and relaxation. The timing of the track is important too. It sounds slow, but it isn't. The backing beat is actually pretty fast, but the main track itself is slower, leading to the mental idea of "While the world is fast, here is slow", which reinforces it a lot and helps keep that. If you listen to the tracks for other areas, they don't follow the same ideas a Sixth Street because that one area alone is meant to be "home". Slow, comfy, sitting on a rooftop, watching the sun set over a city you know, but don't know. That hazy feeling of a holiday escape where everything feels right, but you actually don't know anything. Yet you feel safe. I love it. It's comfy.

[Vasharan]

I think what elevates ZZZ above its component parts is the artistry and the level of execution. Every little detail has care and thought put into it. They don't recycle walk and run animations, every character has unique body language, posture, gestures and mannerisms that tell you about the character and reinforces their distinctiveness.
And, as you say, the environments also exude character. The shopfronts are catchy and full of personality. The streets have nooks and crannies for the player to explore. This is something missing not just in games, but in many parts of the world, especially America (and especially middle America), where strip malls and open spaces can look and feel painfully generic. In ZZZ, New Eridu is as much a character as the protagonists and the Agents and NPCs we encounter. You can tell the game is a labor of love.

[fatpurp]

I noticed when I was doing side quests that I actually enjoyed doing City missions when I rarely enjoyed the in other games. Walking around sightseeing, petting cats, taking pictures, talking to neighbors, all this makes me feel as if I'm actually living there.

[bjornnilsson]

As someone who has created hyper detailed "worlds" like 6th Street for other games I can say it's incredibly time consuming and painstaking to get a place to feel both realistic and populated. ZZZ did an amazing job with 6th Street, and it's probably the most immersive area I've ever seen in a gacha game. I realize not everyone is going to appreciate that to the same degree, but for those who do it's a real treat. I do feel like Genshin gets relatively close with it's towns and cities. It's just not as consistently excellent (understandably so, it's a massive world). I really enjoy most of the world in HSR too. Maybe the overworld area of Belobog feels a bit bare but it has its own charm I'd say (especially the small instances like Serval's shop and the flower store). The underground areas are excellent too. HSR is also telling a much grander story in a way, and has very little slice-of-life influences, making it much less important.

[matthewedson]

This was such a good breakdown! ZZZ really takes me back to the 2000s, an era that is constantly at the back of my mind just waiting to hit me with nostalgia at any given moment.

[John_II]

BTW the shout-out to Not Just Bikes is a good one. It's about urban planning and layouts on macro issues. Very good watch for anyone interested - and I say as someone who doesn't actually agree with all the channel's points.

[papacharlie-niner]

Another advantage of a small/limited space is that it is easier to fill it up with NPCs in motion to give the space a more lived-in and lively vibe, while also saving on dev budget and compute budget (for mobile). I also want to second another commenter's mention of the element of time. 6th St and Lumina Square are completely different places when comparing late morning to midnight. Lumina Square at midnight is deserted and lonely. The contrast really makes the late morning hustle and bustle seem more real.

[alchmIx]

damn, you spoke what I have been feeling with ZZZ's world, if a miracle happens and isekai exists, this world is ideal to live in

[rs]

Honestly it feels like the developers for ZZZ played a lot Persona 5 which is awesome. Like Persona 5 the overworld has such a vibe and liveliness to it that always makes it a joy to explore. The trust events also feel a lot like social links and both games have so many of these small interactions in the world itself.

[Riva-tv]

Zzz Devs said that this was their First ever project and to be honest they did a fantastic job with it. They made this game with passion and it shows in the details.

[caffeinegg]

I’m glad the algorithm sent me here. This was a good breakdown

[NandoVP]

zenless i so good, been waiting since anounce and didnt disapoint. I did drop all live service games waiting for this and was surprisingly better than expected. The only dissapointment was the number of available characters but considering the level of detail its worth and after some updates that will no longer be a problem.

[cocoma]

I think immersion is very important for me. I played HSR for almost 2 years it’s a great game but I just can’t really immerse myself. I only get to walk and run with my characters while my phone plays them (during auto battle). Eventually I don’t like where they are going with the story, I can’t vibe with the characters and I don’t find myself wanting to play it anymore. ZZZ is something I feel like home, sometimes I just find a place in the world and just stand there with the music on while I work. It’s such a vibe and I feel connected with the world.

[FayolaOnline]

Honestly, sixth street reminds me of a neighbourhood I used to live in. Even the subway being tucked in the corner has the same vibe. It's relatable. Also the OST is so chill when it needs to be and spicy when things gets heated. I don't mind wandering and checking out what the well designed NPC's are up to.

[HanniPham_NewJeans]

I turn off background music and just enjoy the world ambience while walkin around

[KickUpHammyDude]

Your second reason is just 10/10 man. I was kinda disinterested by the whole lore drop dialogue scene when arriving at Belebog. ZZZ really allows me to learn the world myself through the npcs and environment. It doesn't hold me hand and tell me why or when this place was made, I can just gradually piece it together myself.

[samsamuelreal]

the aesthetics and vibes of this game are unparalleled