Zenless Zone Zero’s Arcade didn’t click for me until I played its take on Vampire Survivors

I have realized the error of my ways

HoYoverse

Everyone seemed really excited about Zenless Zone Zero featuring an Arcade full of mini-games when the latest HoYoverse title launched and I’ll admit that I really didn’t get it at the time. I didn’t grow up playing arcade machines, so nostalgia that a lot of people have for them and retro gaming in general doesn’t resonate with me. If I had any strong feelings about this feature, it was annoyance – annoyance that some of the in-game currency used to pull for new characters was locked behind farming achievements in these mini-games.

Aside from engaging with the Arcade when missions have demanded it – a rare occurrence, I will add – I mostly ignored Asha’s establishment on Sixth Street. I’m not playing ZZZ to spend my time on Snake, after all. I’m there for the cool characters, the thrilling stories, and the combat action.

However, the most recent addition to the Arcade’s library of games has changed that drastically. Bizarre Brigade, as the game is called, is essentially a fusion of Vampire Survivors and the auto chess genre. You’re tasked with surviving waves of incoming enemies, opening treasure chests amidst the carnage to gather gold, and then using the spoils to purchase different upgrades and companions after each wave. 

Bizarre Brigade is a neat little Vampire Survivors x auto chess mash-up. / HoYoverse

These companions function like additional weapons, giving you more firepower and survivability, but collecting figures of certain sets creates synergies that make them all the more powerful. Getting the same companion three times combines them into a stronger unit, like in auto chess.

While there is no roguelike meta-progression in Bizarre Brigade, you can unlock a large roster of characters,all of which are unique in terms of their starting stats and abilities. For example,one character is so slow that they almost don’t move at all, challenging you to succeed in a run without dodging. Another character’s collision damage is greatly buffed, allowing you to use the game’s dodge feature to play an aggressive melee style and actively tackle enemies instead of kiting them around the map.

Combined with all the different upgrade and weapon choices, the character roster unlocks a ton of different playstyles and builds.

Bizarre Brigade has plenty of unique characters to unlock. / HoYoverse

Although I initially started playing Bizarre Brigade for the time-limited event rewards it offered, I’ve found myself heading to the Arcade on Sixth Street more often since then – just to enjoy the new game for what it is.

This goes to show that there is still a lot of untapped potential in Godfinger Arcade that can be explored over the coming months and years – and where I was uninterested before, I’m now quite keen to see what HoYoverse can do with the mode.