Zenless Zone Zero gets rid of its divisive ‘TV mode’ for story missions starting with update 1.2

Developers announce major change for ZZZ

HoYoverse

HoYoverse announced that it will no longer use the divisive “TV mode” in Zenless Zone Zero story missions starting with update 1.2, which is set to be released on September 25, 2024. Instead, a series of story stages in 3D will be used to present the events of major storylines.

The debate around the “TV mode” in ZZZ has been going on for months, pretty much starting the moment parts of the public got their hands on the game with the first couple of playtests. Many players found the “TV mode” – an in-game representation of the Proxy navigating the Hollows – not engaging enough, thinking it too distracting from the core combat gameplay. It looks like that faction can claim victory in the debate, as the developers have caved to their opinion.

As stated in my ZZZ review, I actually enjoyed the “TV mode” sections in the main story, as they brimmed with creativity and gave me an immersive experience, allowing me to connect to Belle and Wise and really see things from their perspective. Personally, I’m saddened to see it kicked entirely, because it was a part of ZZZ’s core identity in my eyes.

These TV screens represent Zenless Zone Zero's dungeons, leaving much to the imagination. / HoYoverse

Of course, HoYoverse has lots of data at its disposal that outsiders can’t see, so feedback must have been so overwhelmingly in favor of “TV mode” getting the boot that the developers really felt like they had to make this drastic step.

Fortunately, “TV mode” will not disappear from the game entirely and will still be present in other content. The developers also confirmed that they were continuing to improve its gameplay.

Aside from previously announced feature additions in update 1.2, the developers confirmed that dismantling W-Engines as well as getting a Coffee in New Eridu will be free of any Denny costs, with the Energy gained from drinking a Coffee being increased from 60 to 80.

It looks like changes may also be coming to the Decibel mechanic, which allows Agents to use their Ultimates in combat – currently, all Agents share the same Decibel pool, but that could be different in the future. The developers are playing around with different solutions at the moment.

Additional Hollow Zero modes as well as new combat challenge ranking criteria aside from time limits are in development as well. Fans of the character interactions will be glad to hear that the so-called “Agent accompany mode” is in development, which will allow players to go around the city accompanied by another character and unlock different interactions.

Finally, a client resource management function is on the way, allowing players to reduce their package size – a great feature for those struggling with storage space on their device. Looks like lots of good updates are in the oven right now.