9 tips to get started in Zenless Zone Zero

GamesActionZenless Zone Zero9 tips to get started in Zenless Zone ZeroWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

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Zenless Zone Zero tips - Belobog Industries driving away from a big machine

Looking for someZZZ tipsto get going in miHoYo’s latest game?Zenless Zone Zerohas a lot in common with Honkai: Star Rail and even Genshin Impact before it, but in many ways it’s far more focused. Fans of those previous titles will recognise a lot of the mechanics at play, but ZZZ is less of an open-world RPG.

In fact, the only time you’ll get to explore is when running around the city of New Eridu. There are no random enemy battles you can encounter, and the main time you’ll see the characters you pull is when you’re taking part in a commission—what ZZZ calls quests—or a Combat Simulation while farming for materials.

For some, it might feel like a downgrade, but for others who want a more laid-back experience that puts emphasis on sleek and stylish action combat, it’ll feel pretty good. If you’re thinking of checking it out, here are nine tips that’ll help you understand its fundamentals and get going.

Turn on Challenge Mode difficulty

(Image credit: miHoYo)

Zenless Zone Zero tips - Challenge Mode

Grab a bite before heading into commissions

(Image credit: miHoYo)

Zenless Zone Zero tips - Waterfall Soup

Just like in Monster Hunter, you can grab food before heading out on a commission that will provide benefits to your party for a fixed duration. Simply head to Waterfall Soup on Sixth Street and speak to General Chop to choose whichever buff bowl suits your team and the commission you’re about to tackle.

Don’t forget your daily coffee and scratchcard

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Zenless Zone Zero tips - Tin Master

Specialize in an attribute or faction

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Zenless Zone Zero tips - Additional ability

More so than Honkai: Star Rail or Genshin, ZZZ is a game where team composition is massively important. This is because each character has an additional ability that only unlocks when you bring another team member of the same faction or attribute, i.e, the damage element they deal.

This incentivises you to either bring characters belonging to one of the game’s specific factions—such as The Cunning Hares who you start with—or characters who use the same damage-type. Some damage types and factions are pretty underrepresented right now, such as ether, but they’ll become easier to work with as the agent roster expands.

Manage the video store to get some money

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Zenless Zone Zero tips - Video store

Pick a Bangboo that fits

(Image credit: miHoYo)

Zenless Zone Zero tips - Bangboo

What exactly is a Bangboo? Within the context of the story, it’s a little robot that Belle and Wise inhabit when they’re guiding teams through the Hollows as their proxy. In practice, it’s kind of like a support minion with a set of abilities. During combat, your Bangboo will attack enemies, but you can sometimes select them as part of a chain attack. This is why it’s important to pick a Bangboo that compliments your team, even if only from a damage attribute perspective.

You won’t unlock Bangboos properly until after you complete your first Hollow Zero, when you’ll meet a quirky lumberjack-looking NPC who gives you access to the Remodeling Shop. Here you can level up your Bangboos and their skills. To acquire new Bangboos, you’ll need to spend Boopons on their unique Signal Search banner, but these aren’t a paid currency—you’ll need to grab Boopons in-game via events and game modes.

Nicole and Corin are the best free characters—plus don’t sleep on Ben

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Zenless Zone Zero tips - Ben Bigger

While you’ll getNicoleno matter what, Corin is a pre-registration reward, so if you didn’t pre-register you won’t get her for free. The reason why Nicole is so strong is because she excels at weakening enemies, lowering their defense with her ether vortexes and enhanced bullets, while also applying the Corruption anomaly that lets squadmates deal extra damage. Her vortexes really group enemies together, too, making them easier to deal with.

Corin, on the other hand, is just a strong physical damage-dealer. Physical is a very good attribute in Zenless Zone Zero because it applies the Assault anomaly, dealing a huge chunk of damage when it procs. Since Corin has a circular saw that she can grind against enemies, she’s pretty effective at continuously building the anomaly and hitting Assault for that big bump of damage.

Another A-tier character you really shouldn’t sleep on is Ben. This big bear is currently the only defense character in the game, able to create shields for himself and allies, and block counter with his skill—very powerful in a game with no healers. His attack also scales with his defense like another great miHoYo starter character I know (coughNoellecough).

Bring teams that fit enemy weaknesses

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Zenless Zone Zero tips - Enemy weaknesses

It makes the most sense to specialize your teams towards a particular attribute, especially as a lot of the support characters provide benefits specific to those. Soukaku, for instance, buffs the ice damage of her entire squad with her additional ability, while Rina increases shock duration and partywide electric damage. Each enemy faction is also weak to a particular element, which is shown in the ‘recommended attributes’ when you select a commission. It won’t matter as much early on, but you’ll want to spec into this when you get to tougher endgame content.

Do Errands for Polychrome and Inter-Knot XP

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Zenless Zone Zero Polychrome - Errands

Errands are the new term for your dailies, and these are even easier to complete than they were in Star Rail. Finish each of these tasks to build engagement and then collect the rewards. One new feature is the Weekly Custom Schedule; two weekly goals you can set yourself to earn some Inter-Knot XP and dennies. While you’ll earn a lot ofPolychromeearly on, these dailies are still the best way to gradually build your Inter-Knot level and accumulate a hoard of Polychrome for pulling characters further down the line.

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Turn on Challenge Mode difficulty#

Grab a bite before heading into commissions#

Don’t forget your daily coffee and scratchcard#

Specialize in an attribute or faction#

Manage the video store to get some money#

Pick a Bangboo that fits#

Nicole and Corin are the best free characters—plus don’t sleep on Ben#

Bring teams that fit enemy weaknesses#

Do Errands for Polychrome and Inter-Knot XP#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

Turn on Challenge Mode difficulty

Grab a bite before heading into commissions

Don’t forget your daily coffee and scratchcard

Specialize in an attribute or faction

Manage the video store to get some money

Pick a Bangboo that fits

Nicole and Corin are the best free characters—plus don’t sleep on Ben

Bring teams that fit enemy weaknesses

Do Errands for Polychrome and Inter-Knot XP

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals