What is Challenge Mode in Zenless Zone Zero?

Are you up for a challenge?

Zenless Zone Zero recommended specs need a 10th Gen Intel Core i7

Story missions in HoYoverse’s Zenless Zone Zero have two difficulty levels. You will be asked early on whether you want to play in Challenge Mode or Casual Mode. Here’s everything you need to know about mission difficulty in Zenless Zone Zero.

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Challenge Mode is the higher difficulty level. Enemies in Challenge Mode deal more damage and have more HP. In my experience, Challenge Mode is not too difficult. You should be able to complete missions in Challenge Mode as long as you make some effort to utilize dodges and character switches. If you find Challenge Mode to be more trouble than it’s worth, you can change to Casual Mode at any time.

Casual Mode is the easier difficulty. This mode makes combat much easier, allowing you to breeze through story missions more quickly. Not everyone has time to build up their characters or learn the combat system. If you just want to experience Zenless Zone Zero’s story, this might be the mode for you.

Screenshot by Destructoid

Do you get different rewards in Challenge Mode?

No, rewards are the same whether you’re playing in Challenge or Casual Mode. Challenge Mode just gives you a more challenging experience. You’re not missing out on any additional rewards if you choose to toggle it off and stay in Casual Mode.

How do I change my Challenge Mode setting?

Screenshot by Destructoid

To change your Challenge Mode setting, go to your Options menu. Select “Other,” and you should see a setting for “Main Story Difficulty.” Select your desired difficulty level from the drop down menu. You can change this setting at any time outside of combat. There are no penalties or rewards for changing your difficulty level.

You can also change your difficulty level before beginning any story mission. When interacting with the HDD to begin your Hollow dive, check the Challenge Mode toggle in the bottom left corner.

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Christine Choi
Contributing Writer - Christine has been gaming since she first stole her brother's Game Boy as a kid. She's come a long way since then and has been creating content for Genshin Impact since 2021.
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