The Gacha That Had To Change Everything - The Story of Zenless Zone Zero

TVs sucked gameplay wise due to excessive handholding, slow pace and poor integration of combat segments, yet it added alot to the retro charm of the game and reinforced the proxys as protagonists through gameplay, which was a refreshing and bold take for a gacha game. It wasn't surprising it didn't land for general gacha audience, but for me the shift towards nonstop combat with nothing to mix it up with other than occasional minigame in an event made the game alot less interesting overall. There are plenty of good combat focused gachas on the market, I didn't need another one personally speaking, and was drawn to ZZZ specifically because it was a dual gameplay experience that was well integrated into the 90s aesthestic. Gameplay aside, I also dislike the story shift to a more shounen-esque approach. Even though it makes perfect sense to focus on a bigger plot eventually, I felt like change was too quick and not well executed.

I liked TV mode, but it wasn’t perfect. I like the idea of the hollow runs, but they’re boring to me. I feel like this game has everything that it needs to make the perfect exploration gameplay, but it doesn’t do it for some reason. I’ve come up with some ideas, and I’ve seen other people come up with ideas. If the players can, I know for a fact that the devs did way before us, so why aren’t they in the game?

It’s a terrible game. Top tier chara design and animations but everything else is plain bad.

I’m new and have put in atleast 70 hrs now and I hate the tv sections

I just came back to this game after hearing TV mode wasn’t a thing. Couldn’t last 3 days when this game first came. Im playing catch up now though i was expecting chap 1-3 side quest to also get rid of the tv stuff but Ofcourse im still doing them.

Lemnian hollow has been really fun so far imo

i feel you echo alot of my sentiments here, although unlike you ive really fallen out of love with it. tv mode made the missions almost feel like, ya know, real missions instead of filler combat that is basically only there out of obligation. like i dare anybody to describe 10 combat only missions from memory

I blame the Arpeggio Vault. I liked the TV mode and the puzzles.

Yes i remember trying the game out at release and being completely put off by the constant gameplay interruptions. I thought the pacing was horrendous; i wanted to fight but was instead forced to play tv mode, so, fun and fast paced one moment only for a dull full stop the next, and it was consistently this way. I dropped the game after a couple weeks because of that and only came back to it a month or so ago after randomly reading that the tv mode was removed. Turns out it wasn't truly removed, just tweaked and lessened which is still disappointing, but it definitely made the game flow better. I just skip it and related quests whenever possible, it sucks to lose out on polychromes but it sucks even more to do puzzle mode. I hope they eventually remove it altogether or change it drastically, there are a lot of potential customers that won't touch the game because of that mode and I'm sure they're well aware.

i really liked the TV segments, honestly. the ones i didn't like were the puzzles like the one with the construct bots or the detective work, i really liked the roguelite TV sections

To be fair, you have to have a very high IQ to understand TV mode. The depth is extremely subtle, and without a solid grasp of game design most of the mechanics will go over a typical players head. The real fans understand this stuff; they have the intellectual capacity to truly appreciate the depths of TV mode. As a consequence people who dislike Tv mode truly ARE idiots- of course they wouldn't appreciate, for instance, the parallels to “being a proxy”. I'm smirking right now just imagining one of those addlepated simpletons scratching their heads in confusion as it’s genius design unfolds itself on their television screens. What fools... how I pity them. 😂 And yes by the way, I DO have a ZZZ tattoo. And no, you cannot see it. It's for the ladies' eyes only- And even they have to demonstrate that they're within 5 IQ points of my own (preferably lower) beforehand.

-literally every TV glazer

I was originally interested in trying out the game, but people have been complaining about the TV mode ever since the betas and that made me decide to skip on the game on release. Sounds like I made the right call. Sad that they've been receiving criticism about this from so early on but didn't address it in time.

I have to get back into it

Your narration is completely off. Two upward inflections one after another per sentence makes you sound like a dodgy TTS from the 90s. Unwatchable video.

Hahaha I actually love Ellen’s outfit paid outfit.

In all honesty, I have no idea why Star Rail is earning more than Genshin when, for me, Star Rail feels not good to play on PS5 unlike Genshin and ZZZ. Its gameplay HUD was way too much like it would work more on a phone screen than console. I’d even argue the characters of Genshin are better written than ZZZ.

My biggest complaint with ZZZ recently has been the level of horniness from the fans (Wise and all the females) and the sheer number of women characters more than men. They feel like they have better kits and moves than the guys and I am a little weirded out to have my teams always being 3 girls and no guy

The Mystery of Arpeggio Fault almost made me quit the game.... I am so glad I didn't tho because ZZZ has become my favorite game in general irrespective of it being a "gacha"...!!!

tbh it would’ve been more interesting for the main story where your mc (lets say wise) is going in exploring the hollow but there are some areas he cant get in on, so he needs belle to control the bangboo to get access to that area via tv puzzle missions or smth

As someone that was in two beta tests for the game and had a lot of feedback (and almost didn't even bother playing it on release because of that), I'm actually pretty happy with what it evolved into. I know some people are very passionate about TV Mode, but the fact is that Hoyo were well aware the majority were not going to like it even before the game came out.

i played this since day one, i remember very well the garbage that was tv mode, and i wish they would just have lost void since the beginning. hollow zero was shit, lost void is what that mode and the randomization of this game should have been, not even wuwa has a roguelike mode as good as zzz. but to this day, there are people still defending that garbage of tv mode, rogue elements can be great, tv mode ruined it.

TV mode was still a thing when I started playing where yeah sure it would work on some parts of the story like Ballet Twins but the problem is how this overstayed its welcome to the point on how the storytelling is more primitive most of the time on the earlier chapters prior to 1.4.

2.0's new way of storytelling with a not so open world atleast have potential reminds me of the Miyabi perm event in Melinoe Hollow where it may not be on Wuwa or Genshin's level but still could potentially be expanded.

I do kinda agree with a lot of the negatives story wise for removing the hdd mode like my immediate reaction was just “why Phaethon can’t exactly fight this is strictly a negative just use Eous” Phaethon is weak compared to every single agent and they are shown to not have much stamina so it’s way harder to evacuate from a situation if it gets dicey with them actually there. Like does everyone remember that scene where Victoria Housekeeping just picks Eous up and does like a relay with them if we could enter the hollows then I doubt it would have gone well having them in the hollow just does not make sense

Sidelining Fairy is a rather big negative as well like they were funny and probably related to the exaltists and that’s interesting but now I’m actually surprised whenever she talks it just doesn’t work

And just in general I think they had us make ties with the mayor/section 6/ pub sec way too early needing to keep their proxy business secret was cool and added a lot of tension with that need for secrecy but the reveal was played way too early like we’re unofficially working with the mayor so that in itself grants protection, pub sec has seemingly regular check ins on our proxy business and we work with a Void Hunter arguably the only organisation to potentially rival both TOPS and the mayors influence, the loss of that just cheapens the story, take when Zhu Yuan found out for example that was frankly a rather large character moment she needed to decide whether to continue her faith that the law was urge ultimate form of morals or to trust in Phaethon to help more people, this was a high stakes moment that could have gone really bad but we can’t get that anymore because there’s no consequences that could be applied there’s too many layers of influence in all possible sectors now for there to be any legal threat

This does hopefully at least mean we’re getting playable combatant Phaethon though I feel like it’s going to be hard to write that if they want to keep giving them new styles like their other MCs the Traveler gets new elements and new styles to accommodate, the Trailblazer gets blessing from actual gods to increase their power, but with Phaethon I just feel like whatever powers they get are going to be too specific to give different styles to so eventually their going to fall behind

dogshit game

The Arpeggio Fault was probably the worst thing they've ever come up with because it's literally everything hated about the TV mode except 1000x WORSE.

The reason the TV mode was disliked so much was because it took TOO LONG.

ZZZ 1.0 feels like a single player roguelike experience. ZZZ 2.0 feels like a modern gacha game.

Imo they shouldnt have removed TV's Entirely, but instead implement them at the end of the last battle.

This video being how I found out that my favorite part of the game is just GONE is really upsetting. The TV aspect was my favorite aspect of zzz and I wish it was made optional rather than just. cut out entirely. Sure, it would cut out the story maybe? but if worked on a bit more, it could be fixed to work with a TV mode and a non-TV mode.
Edit: just added on after the "cut out entirely" part since I realized a second after posting that it may be a bit of an issue? ehhh kindly lmk if something doesn't make sense or if something is confusing :p im a little sick rn and a little blind in general.

3Z started with an unique niche then slowly devolving into "just another gacha game" in favor of the lowest common denominator with a rock-bottom standard and is so brainrotted with the exploration-based gameplay of Genshin, HSR, or even HI3P2.

I still like the game, the pros still outweighting the cons, but seeing how it's slowly throwing its identity away in favor of those who are so damn loud of differences and selfishly demand the very core of the game to be removed is honestly sad.

The combat is the best part of this game by a country mile, and TV mode was a massive wall getting in the way of that. I was fine with TV, or at least I thought I was, until I played Arpeggio and realized that the only thing I enjoyed about TV mode was the combat between it all. I'm so happy it's gone, but I do miss the story aspects that were replaced. The changes the devs are making fit exactly what I wan't from the game, but it's unfortunate they couldn't make their original ideas and intentions work with a wider audience. The TV mode just doesn't feel suitable for a gacha and the endless playtime expected, it's more designed for a singleplayer roguelike that you don't need to do 'dailies' in or w/e.

Game was getting better until this new patch LOL this new chapter feels SO INCREDIBLY BLAND! The two new characters are a snoooooze fest, new gameplay mechanics feel terrible, the new hollow is absolute garbage, and this "one year anniversary" event? YIKES! They couldn't have given the playerbase a bigger slap in the face LOL it's like they wanted it to feel like one of the most generic GACHA experiences and they succeeded. Terrible game, waiting for better gachas to come out.

ZZZ doesn't get my money because it doesn't have Bronya

As a person who was in every CBT, I'm glad the TV mode is gone. The sounds, visuals and time waste just wasn't fun, I legit didn't play until this year cuz I didn't want to deal with all that

Incredibly well made video.

TV mode was very unique, but perhaps too much so for the game's main audience, being younger gacha players. I feel though they may find ways to include it somewhat relevantly in the future. All it really takes is a good excuse (story/fairy/lore) and some nice rewards for doing so.

To be honest ive welcomed every change to the game, it’s made it a lot more streamlines and seamless to play. The only part I don’t like is that the MC is starting to feel generic like every other gacha game having some hidden power within them. I liked the techs si fi feel the story had before. But now it’s basically all Ether magic

Tv mode is(was) the vision its the heart of the retro vibe to compliment the urban fantasy aesthetic.

Although im fine with the removal of it. There is a unique sense of dread it provided, especially when you need to balance risk and caution to avoid getting corrupted out of a mission.

When the corruption increased sound effect blares and your hoping it isn't a severe debuff while the hollow exploration music plays softly in the background is an experience ive only gotten from ZZZ.

Also, they need to add coop combat
It would give me a reason to ask my bro and friends to play this game.

This video just made me realize how long ZZZ has been around for already. It feels like just yesterday they switched over from the TV gameplay lol.

I think the narrative sacrifices they made for the fantasy of the proxies was unnecessary even with the removal of TV mode. They could have very easily still retained that fantasy. Belle/Wise still have no reason to enter the hollow everytime and they could have just been eous following the agents in the open maps. They could have also helped the agents through the need of having to hack doors, equipment, etc. I dont think that would have been a hard fantasy to sell.

Thats the reason why I think they always just wanted the proxies to enter the hollows and it wasnt a direct consequence of TV mode being removed. Maybe it was the need for them to react to the world in a more direct way than through a bangboo.

Overall I was not a fan of TV, I agree that the place and role fairy and the MCs have in the store has been shaken but I disagree it was solely for TVs removal, they could have very easily still retained their roles as “hackers”.

0 Side interknot commission , we ain't proxies anymore

I wish that they still keep fairy relevant to the story ,she is funny and make the story telling very enjoyable

Im so glad the TV segments are gone. It was my main complain back in version 1.0 and 1.1. I even left the game just to return on 1.5 pleasantly surprised that they were gone.
Lots of people enjoyed them but not me. If i want slow pacing story games i would be playing other game tbh. This game shines because of its combat. Period.

As a 90's kid who grew up on Analog noise and CRT TV's the TV mode was a nostalgia bomb for me I loved it sure at times it was tedious but I can understand why they got rid of it for the newer generation at least.

While I feel bad that a lot of development time was spent and ultimately discarded on the TV sections, they simply weren't that compelling. The puzzles were occasionally interesting but nowhere near the level of a true puzzle game, and they slowed down game progress. As someone already on the gacha grind with other games, having to play through what were basically bad Zelda dungeons in order to get rewards and progress the game never felt good.

Really the only reason I disliked the TV array mode was because of my poor internet quality; it made the entire thing unbearably slow and tedious to get through. Every movement and action you make has a 1-3 second delay, and that can stack up a lot. I get bored out of my wits exploring the TV array, and any combat I encounter lasts for only a fraction of the time spent getting there, and the combat was the reason I even started playing ZZZ in the first place. While I do enjoy the newer content being more focused on the combat aspect of the game, I still think it's a shame the TV array section is being abandoned. It had potential, that sadly I just couldn't enjoy due to circumstances.

My oppinion of the TV mode is that it was orphan of an audience. What I mean is that it didn't appeal to anyone, really, and it definitely didn't appeal to the people who would have liked the rest of the game. That's why it was so poorly received. Expanding on that:
I didn't play the beta and so I can't really give an oppinion on the roguelike aspects of it, but in the 1.0 version of TV mode, nothing you did in it felt relevant to the rest of the game. You solved puzzles to advance, you found secrets to get rewards at the end, but you didn't really make too many decisions in the mode itself: you either went for a full clear or you rushed as fast as possible to advance the story.
The puzzles definitely didn't land right. One of three situations would happen every time: a) The puzzle was way to easy, making me feel like I was wasting my time even doing it as it didn't even count as gameplay: I was not playing a game, I was going through the motions. b) The puzzle was in the way: I didn't have that much time to play, and I wasn't really in the mood for puzzles, but I had to do them to get to the part I wanted to play. c) The puzzle felt meaningless: after completing it I got the equivalent to nothing, so even if I did like the puzzle, it still felt like a waste of time, as I could be doing something that progressed the story or was more rewarding. Maybe the original implementation of Hollow Zero would have worked for that purpose if it was parallel to Lost Void and didn't carry the bad implications of having TV mode forced on you in the story: if there was a way to play TV mode when you wanted to play TV mode, and not playing it when you didn't want to.
Another problem with TV mode was it was jut too clunky. Every time you found something, triggered an event, anything happened, a zoom in woul happen, control would be lost until you went through the prompts, then control is recovered for two steps, another event another loss of control. It was grating. It just felt too bad. Maybe the solution would be to give the player more time between losses of control (special tools are explained at the beginning, not when you encounter them, anything story related is either told at the beginning or at the end, etc). But in the state it was until it was removed it just didn't feel right to navigate. Seriously, having to click through a prompt literally every 3 moves was not good.
So in order to keep TV mode in, it would have to be ... Well it woudl have to be it's own game, really. It's going to be very hard to convince someone who loves fast paced hack and slash combat that right this instant they have to click through a puzzle screen to get to the content they love, and that that's fun for them. It's also going to quite the challenge to convince a Baba is You fan that a boss from DMC is guarding their game, and they have to get through it if they want to relax and puzzle.
And this creates another issue, related to the difficulty of the puzzles: a DMC fan is not neccesarily going to enjoy a hard, complex puzzle, or a time consuming one. So you have to really dumb down anything related to story progression or that leads to combat. This means that most puzzles in the game will not be appealing to someone who likes puzzles because a great part of the appeal of a puzzle is how difficult it is.
So in the end, if you want your game to be more "mainstream", you have to commit to one of your audiences and try to win it over. If you are fine with being niche (and you are not if you are a live service game), then you can try to win over the intersection of both audiences. ZZZ just didn't have the luxury of being able to do that.