Zenless Zone Zero vs Honkai Star Rail: Similarities and differences explored

The Zenless Zone Zero vs Honkai Star Rail debacle is one that many in the gacha gaming community have been wondering about. Both games are developed by Hoyoverse, meaning they might share a few similarities, despite being set in two different universes. Hoyoverse has already shown that it is capable of pushing masterpieces in different genres.

This article will go over the similarities that Zenless Zone Zero and Honkai Star Rail share, and the differences that make them stand out.

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The many similarities between Zenless Zone Zero and Honkai Star Rail

Some common things between the two games will be noticeable when you boot them up. Both are made by Hoyoverse and feature a cel-shaded art style with an anime aesthetic. They are also gacha games where you must collect characters using in-game items.

But it is when you dive deeper that you notice more similar features. Let's break down three common features that can be spotted in Zenless Zone Zero and Honkai Star Rail.

Neither are open-world game

Neither game is open-world (Image via Hoyoverse)

Zenless and Star Rail take the JRPG approach and feature small open environments where you can roam and access the various features. These hubs are not interconnected and you cannot directly travel like in open-world games like Wuthering Waves or Genshin Impact.

Hoyoverse took its inspiration for these environments from classic JRPGs like Dragon Quest or Final Fantasy and even modern ones like Persona, and it is one of the many similar features between the two titles.

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A Roguelike mode

Similar endgame (Image via Hoyoverse)

Honkai Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero have several endgame modes where you can spend your time once you run out of quests or exploration. One of the many game modes that players can partake in Honkai Star Rail is the roguelike Simulated Universe. In this mode, you can explore several stages where you obtain various buffs to become powerful and challenge the final boss.

Zenless Zone Zero also has its roguelike mode where you can explore various stages to collect buffs and defeat the enemies called Hollow Zero.

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Progression system

Similar progression (Image via Hoyoverse)

One of the core similarities that you can find in both games is how the progression works. You will have an account level called Trailblazer Level in Honkai Star Rail and Inter-knot in Zenless Zone Zero, which will be leveled up as you complete various missions and activities.

This level determines your progression and which mission you can access.

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The many differences between Honkai Star Rail and Zenless Zone Zero

Both games also have striking differences that make them stand apart. Here are a few key differences.

Premise and backdrop

Difference in premise (Image via Hoyoverse)

The biggest difference between both games is how the story is structured and how you, as a protagonist, fit into the world. Star Rail is about having a grand adventure throughout the cosmos while traveling on the path of the Aeon Akivili. You are a trailblazer who visits various planets and tries to help out their inhabitants from the dangers of Stellaron, a mysterious object that can end worlds.

Zenless Zone Zero, on the other hand, does not follow a grand adventure storyline. You will take the role of the Proxy siblings, Belle and Wise, who help people navigate through dangerous places called Hollows. It is their secret identity that only a select few know about and most of the neighborhood knows them as owners of the video store. Think of them as akin to Persona 5's Phantom Thieves where the main characters are like secret superheroes.

Star Rail follows a typical adventure plotline that centers around you while Zenless can fulfill the fantasy of living as a secret superhero and helping out your fellow neighbors.

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A day-night cycle

Zenless Zone Zero has a daily cycle (Image via Hoyoverse)

A big difference between Zenless Zone Zero and Honkai Star Rail is how the day-night cycle works in each game. Star Rail lacks any cycle and the time of the day depends on the area you are in. The city square of Belobog will always be day whereas certain areas in Xianzhou are always night.

ZZZ, meanwhile, has a daily cycle similar to the Persona series. Doing any activity will progress the time. Your day will be divided into four parts which will end at night. Resting in your room or on the couch will progress the game to the next day.

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Star Rail and the Honkai IP

A shared multiverse (Image via Hoyoverse)

Hoyoverse's Honkai IP, which has five games including Star Rail, plays a major role in the game's lore. The Honkai verse shares many similarities, mainly characters and their variants who appear in all of these titles. Besides similar characters, Star Rail shares many subtle references to the other Honkai games.

Zenless, on the other hand, is a completely new IP from Hoyoverse. It is not tied down to other games from the studio and lacks any references to the developer's other works.