All Characters Unlocked? ZZZ vs HSR

A Parallel World Where Characters are Free?

It's 2026, and Hoyoverse made a move I would've never expected: it made most of its characters from two of the three main games permanently free to use in the respective roguelite modes.

This was one of the most surprising "returning bonuses" I've ever had when going back to gacha games - and it wasn't for me specifically, and for a limited time period, but for the entire playerbase, and forever.

This made me think that, maybe, it really was the best time to come back: having overcome the addiction cycles that kept me attached to the games without enjoying them as I wanted to, and with the nice bonus of being able to have fun with all the characters altogether.

Let's first talk about Zenless Zone Zero.

Zenless Zone Zero: Lost Void, Found Substance

It really feels like being rewarded with everything you ever wanted.

When I opened the new Lost Void mode and found this screen before my eyes, I could barely believe it: this is the entire game roster, free to use. When it comes to Zenless's roguelite mode, and trial characters, there are two key limitations to keep in mind:

• The trial characters' build can't be modified: this is a bummer for people who like to personalize and optimize, but builds you get given are perfectly serviceable. I find this to be a minor setback, considering you can focus on the characters you have to build anything on the side of this mode.

• The actual game difficulty in the roguelite fights is not the highest in the game: it usually isn't a challenge to complete the run with S Rank. This is probably the real limit I see with this mode. At the same time, I think that challenging the other endgame modes with a lighter heart - sometimes making it to the end, sometimes just giving up because you don't have the right key elements - may be much better.

Now that we're done with this, let's talk about the upsides!

I love Billy's S-Rank version. It looks amazing. Also, it seems Hoyo is really into characters fighting with a motorcicle.

When Billy's S-Rank alter came out, I wasn't playing the game. At the same time, to save resources, I never got Dialyn. And there they are, alongside my really well built Lucia, for a run that made me smile a couple times because of the fun, inspired animation they came up with for Billy.

Looking forward to build this team in the future for the other modes, maybe with just Ju Fufu instead of Dialyn for a while (although spamming Ultimates is very fun) is something I like thinking about, with much less fomo.

I noticed Zenless Zone Zero is rewarding an amazing S-Rank for playing the new part of the story as well - which is something I intend to do anyways. This homecoming has been pretty nice overall.

Bad memories, with new solutions.

I remember I stopped playing when I realized the limited-time UI flavor they were offering was locked behind spending a lot of money. I crashed out, and that marked the beginning of "Nero keeps away from gachas" period. The feeling of being pressured was the worst: it wasn't even about the money, but because of the idea I was being forced doing something in a specific window of time.

The base UI flavor feels good, for a menu I rarely open anyways.

If it's not for the fomo, I really like using what I have in the game already, and enjoy the overall experience. I feel ready to reintroduce Zenless Zone Zero among the games I enjoy playing frequently.

With this in mind, I opened Star Rail, with the idea I would've been able to say something similar. And yet...

Star Rail: Simulated Universe, Simulated Feelings

So, which are the differences I noticed between the two games, when it comes to a piece of news that is so similar? Let's look into it.

The selection interface is incredibly familiar, but something is missing here.

The first difference I noticed is that HSR introuduces trial characters by staying behind a few banners. I couldn't try Silver Wolf Lv. 999 and Mortenax Blade, for instance - which were two of the characters I came back to the game for. That said, they do come up in this mode after a while, so it's only a matter of waiting - even though it still feels a little annoying and unnecessary.

For me, the chase in [Star Rail] has only been numbers [...]: a habit I want to break

It's pretty easy to notice the casino-like features, when you put attention to it.

So then I started a Simulated Universe picking the other version of Silver Wolf, together with an Elation, Sparxie-centric team. While this was exactly what I would've wanted given the money to invest into the characters... it really felt weird, and different from what I would've expected months back. Maybe my perception of game mechanics is clearer now, or maybe it's a mix of different things.

Well, it's easier here, isn't it?

So, the main points are:

• Fights are an endless sparkling light simulator, exactly as in a casino: this makes it more enticing, but it really worries me about real engagement. Looking for artistic beauty is different than being enticed by flashes, lights and movement. This feels much more artificial and empty.

  • There's still lights and flashes in Zenless Zone Zero, but it's much more coherent with the art style and fights you keep.

• There's no weight to any choice I made: fights were incredibly easy, even when playing with a team of mostly trial characters. Any choice I made made the team stronger, but fights never posed a threat.

  • Zenless Zone Zero's fights were also pretty easy, but I noticed incoming damage being dangerous in a couple of occasions, got a couple KOs, and that made me think there was some risk to the run.

  • It's 100% different in other game modes, but, being an RPG, this mode feels much more empty than Zenless's one, as RPG games are defined by choices, while arena games allow the player to interact with the flow by command input.

My Choice for The New Horizon

I think my new perception for Star Rail, together with my personal history with the game, leads me to think that this game is definitely not for me. The "Aha patch" made it very clear: over-the-top animation kits, flashing lights, and raising numbers is what is driving the game forward. I couldn't feel a sense of "wonder" in any moment. For me, the chase in this game has only been numbers, and overcoming artificial obstacles: a goose chase, for sure, a habit I want to break.

When it comes to Zenless Zone Zero, things feel very different: the game doesn't feel perfect, and it has its dangerous addiction cycles, but it does feel like a game overall. Star Rail lost that feeling. The only reason I'd play it is for the main story... but I don't feel the urge to.

There still were great surprises elsewhere, though!

A game that definitely surprised me, positively, though, has been Neverness to Everness: I've really enjoyed all the gameplay elements: from the combat style, to map movement via motorcycles and cars, from the story, which feels mature and engaging, to the voice acting, which keeps you involved in the dialogues despite facial expressions are still not following through much.

But this is for another article! It's time to draw conclusions:

• I'll go back playing Zenless Zone Zero: now the pressure to have new characters is very light, and the game is much more enjoyable by being able to play the entire cast.

• I won't go back playing Honkai Star Rail: it'll still be a game in my collection, but I don't think I'll ever go back for its main gameplay loop. It feels like a relic of the past.

• The channel may be focused on street fantasy games, by chance, when it comes to gacha-like ones: this may be helpful for you viewers, if it's a topic you're interested in!

  • Speaking of, I wonder what they'll do with Ananta, and if it's going to hold up the high expectations of many.

And that's all! This is your host, Nero Atlas, saying goodbye!