| Zenless Zone Zero | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Release Date | Gameplay & Story | Pre-Register & Pre-Order | Review |
Zenless Zone Zero Version 3.1 expands Roscaelifer's story through compelling character moments, major revelations, and a steadily unfolding mystery. Read on to learn everything we know, our review of this chapter, and more.
Zenless Zone Zero Walkthrough & Guides Wiki
Zenless Zone Zero Review History
| Review | Date | Score |
|---|---|---|
| Version 3.0 | July 2026 | 
|
| Version 1.7 | July 2025 |  |
| 1.0 Release | August 2024 |  |
Overview
What is Zenless Zone Zero?
Zenless Zone Zero is an action RPG that blends fast-paced real-time combat with an urban fantasy narrative set in the last surviving metropolis of New Eridu. As the legendary Proxy Phaethon, players guide teams of Agents through dangerous Hollows, build specialized squads, strengthen their roster through a variety of progression systems, and gradually uncover the mysteries surrounding the city, its inhabitants, and the forces hidden within the Hollows.
| Digital Storefronts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 HoYoverse App |
|||||
 Steam |
 Playstation |
 Xbox |
|||
 Epic |
 Google Play |
 App Store |
|||
| Free-to-play | |||||
Zenless Zone Zero Story Review [3.1 The Long Goodbye] | When the Past Refuses to Stay Buried
Picking Up Where It Left Off
Zenless Zone Zero Version 3.1 builds upon Roscaelifer's opening chapter by continuing its central mysteries while giving equal attention to the characters caught within them. Rather than chasing one revelation after another, the story carefully balances its investigations with quieter, more intimate moments, allowing both its cast and its growing world to develop alongside the larger conflict.
That measured approach pays off throughout the update. Meaningful character development, well-paced storytelling, and worldbuilding that consistently recontextualizes long-established ideas come together to create a chapter that feels rewarding in its own right while laying an exciting foundation for what lies ahead. It's one of Zenless Zone Zero's strongest story updates to date and a promising sign for Season 3.
WARNING: Heavy Spoilers for ZZZ Season 3 Chapter 2 below.
Chased by the Shadows of the Past
Version 3.1 opens by building directly upon the emotional fallout of the previous chapter rather than treating it as something to leave behind. While the story briefly settles back into everyday life through the delegates' tea party, that sense of normalcy is quickly disrupted by Truvia's arrival, forcing the Proxy to confront a tragedy neither of them has truly moved on from. Instead of simply reminding players what happened at Helios Academy, the reunion reinforces that its consequences will continue to shape the story, while Toby's restored memories push those lingering wounds toward an entirely new mystery.
That investigation quickly grows beyond its original purpose. Following Toby's recovered memories leads the Proxy through Gear Street and into the Retroflux Zone, where the search for his attacker gradually gives way to far more personal discoveries. Remielle's connection to the Eh-Nah Gang, the Bangboos' hidden society, and a damaged photograph resembling Serpico each broaden the mystery without losing sight of its emotional core. More importantly, every revelation changes what the investigation is actually about. Instead of simply raising the stakes, each answer reshapes the mystery itself, allowing the story to grow naturally while making every discovery feel more significant than the last.
That shift reaches its first major turning point when the Proxy unexpectedly resonates with Remielle's memories. What begins as another clue instead gives players their first meaningful glimpse into the first generation of Void Hunters, while also revealing that Remielle's guarded demeanor hides far deeper emotional scars than she initially lets on. By allowing the mystery to expose character instead of simply revealing more lore, the chapter begins shifting its focus from uncovering Roscaelifer's secrets to understanding the people shaped by them.
The chapter fully embraces that change after Lady Dracaene's sudden betrayal forces the Proxy into hiding. Instead of rushing into another confrontation, the story deliberately slows down as Remielle opens up about Project Sunseeker and the burden she has carried for nearly a century. By framing Project Sunseeker through Remielle's own memories instead of detached exposition, the chapter turns one of its densest lore reveals into an intimate character moment, ensuring players learn as much about Remielle herself as they do Roscaelifer's past.
With the truth behind Remielle's past finally brought to light, the chapter shifts from understanding its characters to acting on what they've uncovered. After unexpectedly discovering the Eh-Nah Gang's hideout, Sigrid chooses to trust the Proxy and Remielle despite the consequences if she's wrong, allowing the group to move forward with a plan that would have been impossible without her support. Their return to Roswick then gives Remielle one final opportunity to reflect on the first generation of Void Hunters before the banquet, ensuring the emotional stakes continue building alongside the investigation.
Exposing Lady Dracaene as Girtablullu brings the chapter's central conflict to a satisfying close, but the story wisely resists treating it as the end of Roscaelifer's mysteries. Bashmu's escape keeps the larger threat looming, while the emotional resolution belongs to the Proxy and Remielle, whose decision to shoulder the burden together finally gives meaning to their Partner in Crime
dynamic. The closing reveal surrounding Serpico then opens another compelling avenue for the story, ensuring the chapter ends with anticipation rather than simple closure.
Every Moment Has Its Place
One of the chapter's greatest strengths is how deliberately it spaces out its biggest story beats. Instead of stacking one revelation after another, it regularly pauses to let both its characters and players absorb what just happened before moving on. As a result, each emotional beat has room to resonate on its own instead of being overshadowed by the next twist. The opening tea party immediately establishes that rhythm, introducing figures like Lindverne and Claret while giving Roscaelifer's leadership room to breathe before the mystery surrounding the Eh-Nah Gang begins taking center stage.
That same measured approach extends to the chapter's emotional moments. Truvia's reunion with the Proxy isn't rushed toward its inevitable tragedy, instead lingering on the awkwardness between two former friends before quietly continuing to weigh on the Proxy long after they part ways. Likewise, what begins as an investigation into Toby's attacker steadily widens with every new lead, taking the Proxy from Gear Street to the Retroflux Zone before uncovering a conspiracy that reaches Roscaelifer's highest ranks. By allowing each revelation to naturally reshape the investigation instead of simply escalating it, the chapter keeps its growing mystery engaging without ever feeling overwhelming.
Some of the chapter's strongest scenes, however, arrive when the investigation briefly steps aside. The conversation where Remielle asks the Proxy to help dry her rain-soaked wings is both surprisingly mundane and remarkably intimate, allowing the two to speak honestly with one another for the first time. More importantly, it transforms one of the chapter's densest lore reveals into a deeply personal conversation, ensuring Project Sunseeker strengthens Remielle's character just as much as it expands Roscaelifer's history.
Roswick serves a similar purpose. Although its primary role is preparing for the final operation, the journey spends just as much time reflecting on Remielle's past as it does gathering the information needed for the banquet ahead. By continuing to develop her immediately before the climax, the story ensures the banquet resolves her emotional journey alongside its central conflict, making the finale feel like more than a spectacle-driven conclusion.
Sigrid also quietly serves as one of the chapter's strongest transitional characters. Looking back, many of the story's biggest shifts are ushered in through her, whether encouraging the Proxy to spend time with Truvia, helping coordinate the plan to confront Lady Dracaene, or guiding the group through Roswick before the banquet. Because she naturally bridges the chapter's quieter conversations with its larger turning points, those changes in tone rarely feel abrupt despite how dramatically the story's focus evolves.
By the time the banquet descends into chaos, every major relationship and revelation has already been given enough room to settle. The dramatic moments land not because they're immediately followed by even bigger twists, but because the story understands when to pause before asking players to invest in the next one. That restraint gives the chapter's biggest emotional payoffs the weight they deserve, proving that effective pacing isn't about constantly moving forward, but knowing exactly when to let the story breathe.
Stories Are Carried by People
Version 3.1 succeeds largely because it understands that its biggest revelations only matter when they're anchored by the people experiencing them. Although the chapter introduces several memorable faces throughout its runtime, the story primarily revolves around three characters: Remielle, Sigrid, and the Proxy. Rather than competing for the spotlight, each fills a distinct role within the narrative, allowing the chapter to remain focused without ever feeling like it neglects its supporting cast.
Remielle is, unsurprisingly, the emotional centerpiece. While her tragic past as a first-generation Void Hunter finally comes to light through Project Sunseeker, she never feels defined by that tragedy alone. It continues to haunt her, shaping how she views both herself and the world around her, but the chapter is equally willing to show the person who exists beyond those scars. The enigmatic figure first introduced under the alias Ramiel gradually gives way to someone far more layered, capable of shifting effortlessly between cryptic half-truths, dry wit, playful teasing, and moments of quiet vulnerability.
Beneath that facade, however, is someone still struggling to reconcile the world she remembers with the one she woke up to a century later. Although she believes she no longer belongs in this era, she continues risking a transformation into an Enchainer to protect the legacy Sunbringer left behind. Yet, during her conversation with the Proxy, she quietly wonders whether, deep down, she simply isn't ready to give up her life so easily. That contradiction lies at the heart of her character. She doesn't know whether she's searching for a place to remain or a reason to finally let go, making her growing trust in the Proxy—and eventually calling them her partner—feel like the natural culmination of a relationship built patiently over the course of the chapter.
That same patience extends to the Proxy. Although they remain as sharp and resourceful as ever, the story isn't afraid to let their emotions cloud their judgment in ways previous chapters rarely explored. Whether impulsively warning Truvia about the ocular implants, desperately trying to verify Serpico's identity despite the danger surrounding them, or refusing to abandon Remielle even when doing so creates even greater complications, their actions consistently stem from a desperate need to prevent another irreversible loss.
Rather than diminishing the Proxy's competence, those moments make them feel more human. For perhaps the first time, the story allows them to stumble, act on impulse, and experience genuine helplessness despite doing everything they can to change the outcome. That vulnerability goes on to strengthen their growing bond with Remielle, with both characters gradually realizing they no longer have to shoulder those burdens alone.
Sigrid, meanwhile, quietly holds the chapter together. Her frequent misunderstandings provide some of the story's funniest moments, yet they never come at the expense of her capability. In fact, many of those misunderstandings begin with accurate observations before she simply reaches an unexpected conclusion, making her humor a natural extension of her personality instead of comic relief for its own sake.
That same perceptiveness ultimately allows her to recognize that something is deeply wrong with Lady Dracaene, carefully weigh the Proxy and Remielle's explanation against what she has witnessed herself, and make the difficult decision to trust them despite the consequences if she's wrong. It's a measured choice rather than blind faith, one that perfectly reflects her role throughout the chapter.
While Remielle is haunted by the past and the Proxy struggles against it, Sigrid remains firmly rooted in the present, quietly helping move both the story and its characters forward without ever demanding the spotlight.
What ultimately makes the trio work is how naturally they complement one another's roles within the story. Remielle is burdened by the memories of the comrades she lost a century ago, the Proxy struggles to come to terms with losses they still refuse to accept, and Sigrid remains firmly focused on the present, quietly giving both of them the support and conviction needed to move forward. Because each carries the story's emotional weight in a different way, their relationships become just as compelling as the mysteries unfolding around them, ensuring every major revelation deepens the characters rather than overshadowing them.
Giving History New Meaning
Although the chapter introduces no shortage of new concepts, its worldbuilding rarely relies on simply adding more terminology to Zenless Zone Zero's growing mythology. Instead, many of its biggest revelations recontextualize ideas that have existed for years, making the world feel larger not through sheer volume, but through the way those ideas connect to one another.
Perhaps the clearest example is Gear Street and the Eh-Nah Gang. While Bangboos have always been a familiar part of the game, this is the first time the story meaningfully explores what life looks like from their perspective. Their own customs, economy, and close-knit communities establish them as citizens of Roscaelifer rather than simply assistants accompanying human society, transforming them from endearing mascots into a people with an identity and culture of their own. In doing so, the chapter makes Roscaelifer itself feel like a society shared by many different communities instead of one viewed solely through a human perspective.
Project Sunseeker and Karma Cores leave an even greater impact. Together, they cast the first generation of Void Hunters in an entirely new light, revealing that the heroes remembered throughout history willingly became test subjects in humanity's attempt to overcome the Hollows. Karma Cores likewise become far more than another powerful artifact, revealing the origin of the experiments while also explaining the source of an Enchainer's ability to bend a Hollow to its will. Taken together, those revelations recontextualize years of worldbuilding, encouraging players to revisit earlier chapters with a deeper understanding of the forces that have quietly shaped the story from the very beginning.
Even when the chapter delivers a considerable amount of exposition, it rarely feels detached from the story itself. Remielle's explanation of Project Sunseeker during the wing-drying scene is undeniably one of the densest conversations in the update, yet it never comes across as a history lesson for the player's benefit. Whether she intended to or not, it feels like someone who has spent far too long carrying those memories alone finally allowing another person to share that burden. By tying its biggest lore revelations directly to Remielle's emotional vulnerability, the chapter ensures players come away understanding not only Roscaelifer's past, but also why that past continues to define the people living with its consequences.
The chapter also understands the value of leaving some questions unanswered. Instead of rushing to explain every mystery it introduces, it closes by asking perhaps its biggest one yet: where is the real Sunbringer? Instead of diminishing everything players have just learned, that lingering question expands the chapter's revelations beyond a single update, leaving Roscaelifer's history feeling richer precisely because it still holds mysteries waiting to be uncovered.
A Future Worth Following
Version 3.1 marks one of Zenless Zone Zero's strongest story updates to date. Instead of relying solely on bigger set pieces or increasingly elaborate mysteries, it succeeds by giving equal attention to the people at the center of them. Remielle's long-awaited development, the Proxy's emotional struggles as they grapple with guilt and helplessness, and Sigrid's steady presence all come together in a chapter that feels just as invested in its characters as it is in its lore.
The same care extends to its worldbuilding. Rather than measuring itself by the number of new concepts it introduces, the chapter strengthens the game's setting by giving familiar ideas new meaning. From Bangboo society to Project Sunseeker and Karma Cores, nearly every major revelation serves a larger narrative purpose while leaving enough unanswered questions to keep Roscaelifer's future genuinely exciting.
Even with several mysteries still waiting to be unraveled, the chapter stands confidently on its own. It delivers satisfying emotional payoffs, meaningful character growth, and a stronger understanding of both Roscaelifer and the people who inhabit it. If this is the direction Zenless Zone Zero's storytelling continues to follow, then the journey through Season 3 is only becoming more compelling with each new chapter.
Game8 Reviews
You may also like...
Zenless Zone Zero Product Information
 |
|
| Title | ZENLESS ZONE ZERO |
|---|---|
| Release Date | July 4, 2024 |
| Developer | miHoYo |
| Publisher | Cognosphere Pte., Ltd. |
| Supported Platforms | PC, Mobile, PS5, Xbox Series X|S |
| Genre | Action, RPG |
| Number of Players | 1 |
| ESRB Rating | Teen |
| Official Website | Zenless Zone Zero Website |
