When Zenless Zone Zero launched on July 4, 2024, the first thing I noticed after inspecting the initial roster of characters were the W-Engines.
Given how varied weapon designs in Genshin Impact are and how beautiful the art is on Honkai Star Rail Light Cones that make each equipable item so distinct, I was surprised by the homogenous W-Engines, and even asked producer Zhenyu Li about it.
Despite HoYoverse taking a different approach to W-Engines and despite all of them being, well, round, I still pulled for them because they’re best in slot.
So you can imagine how incredibly surprised I was when Hailstorm Shrine was announced. The best W-Engine for Hoshimi Miyabi, it is literally what its name suggests — an actual shrine that contains more artistic details than any other W-Engine to date.
While W-Engines are definitely not going to morph into weapons all of a sudden, they do seem to be taking a turn for the better. ONE Esports got the chance to ask the Zenless Zone Zero development team on where they see W-Engines and the TV mode heading in the near future.
Welcome to a new era of W-Engines in Zenless Zone Zero
Zenless Zone Zero’s version 1.4 “A Storm of Falling Stars” was a big update that introduced many improvements to the game. While the livestream did highlight its banners, it didn’t address the big change to W-Engines which we picked up on.
“We did not strictly limit it to being a perfect circle,” the ZZZ development commented. “For the S-Class exclusive weapons, we start from the characteristics of the Agent and the overall IP setting, aiming to make each W-Engine distinctly recognizable.”
Echoing Zhenyu, the goal of W-Engine design is to let players perceive each unique Agent’s traits through their appearance. Following this train of thought, Hoshimi Miyabi’s W-Engine Hailstorm Shrine was based off the cursed blade she wields, “Ethereal-Slaying Katana – Tailless.”
“In the design, we extracted the ‘demonic’ element from the cursed blade, leading to the creation of the concept of ‘Tiny Tailless.’ This design symbolizes the spirit of the blade — an embodiment that remains in the Hollow with an extremely high Ether concentration after the cursed blade is sealed in its scabbard,” the ZZZ development team elaborated.
Just like how Miyabi returns her blade to its scabbard after skill casts, the team saw a parallel in giving Tiny Tailless’ its own home. They even placed a comfortable cushion for the spirit to rest within the shrine!
“In the future, we’ll continue to adhere to the principle of pursuing design uniqueness and will not impose excessive restrictions on the shape of the W-Engines,” the ZZZ development team said. “As more unique Agents are introduced, we will create even more diverse and creative W-Engines based on their characteristics. Stay tuned, as more surprises are to come!”
Besides taking on a new direction in W-Engines, version 1.4 also changed its course in TV Mode after receiving feedback from players. Before this update, the main story line was primarily driven by TV Mode, a television board that required players to navigate in order to enter cut scenes, fulfill objectives, and progress in the story.
After version 1.4, content from the Prologue to Chapter 3 have been replaced with Story Mode. Completing Story Mode not only rewards players, but also unlocks the chapter’s existing TV Mode which offers an alternate experience.
New chapters in the Main Story that debut after version 1.4 however “will primarily be presented through story levels, and TV Mode will no longer appear in the main storyline.”
If you’ve played Chapter 5, you’ll notice that it was entirely action driven: players move the Proxy around the map in order to progress, which then unlocks new content in the form of comic strips, dialogue scenes, minigames, boss battles, and full-on animated cut scenes.
“Building on the familiar linear level format, we integrated puzzle-solving elements that players enjoyed in the previous TV Mode, introducing them into the game in new forms,” the ZZZ development team explained. “For example, the box-pushing puzzle from TV Mode has been transformed into a pixel-style minigame, adding fun to the Main Story experience with a lighthearted, fast-paced nature and unique art style.”
What’s more, in selected Main Story segments, players take control of Eous to complete specific tasks or interact with Agents.
“We believe this approach makes the Story experience smoother and avoids the abstract and fragmented progression of the plot,” the team said. “We will also explore other forms of level presentation to provide players with an immersive experience.”
They’re also experimenting with new Bangboo designs and getting them involved in more creative activities and combat gameplay. After all, Bangboos are more “lighthearted” in nature and therefore suited for fun content. Ehn-ne!
READ MORE: All working Zenless Zone Zero codes and how to redeem them
