Zone of The Enders HD (PS3) Review

High Speed Robot Action.

  Zone of the Enders released way back on March 1, 2001 in Japan and on March 26th in North America during the early years of the PlayStation 2. It featured a mecha styled atmosphere and gameplay and was produced by Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima. Additionally, the game was created with the intention of robot action with anime take on it, similar to Mobile Suit Gundam. A reason it sold well was the inclusion of the Metal Gear Solid 2 demo that was much anticipated and was soon to be released later that year. In 2012, Zone of the Enders and its sequel, The 2nd Runner, were made into HD with a Metal Gear Rising demo. It's been a while since the last PS2 game I reviewed, so let's get to it.

STORY- The story takes place in a futuristic 2172 A.D., mankind has colonized Earth's moon, the same goes for Mars and Jupiter as well. BAHRAM, a fierce military force, invades Jupiter's colony Antilia in hopes of securing two highly advanced Orbital Frames. A surviving boy named Leo Stenbuck accidentally stumbles upon one of them called "Jehuty". Guided by its A.I., ADA, Leo must secure Jehuty to the spaceship Atlantis, where it will be kept safe and out of BAHRAM's reach. Throughout his journey, Leo learns the meaning of life and the necessity of survival. Many destroyed buildings in the game would show how BAHRAM's invasion caused many losses and suffering. This also has an effect on Leo's hardships in the story. While Leo gets some character development during the game, the rest of the cast don't and come as two-dimensional. It was a missed opportunity since I found most of them to be cool.

Squeaky-voiced Leo might take some time to like.

GAMEPLAY- Zone of The Enders is a hack and slash action game in which you control Jehuty, a powerful orbital frame. The gameplay is fairly simple, you search towns and residential areas for enemies and eliminate them. Along the way, Jehuty will receive neat upgrades such as weapons, shields, and more. Similar to an RPG, Jehuty's abilities levels up as you defeat enemies and bosses. Speaking of bosses, there's a lot of them. Some can test your skill while others test your patience. 

The gameplay is faced-paced and solid.

 More enemy variety and additional missions would have been nice. Additionally, I beat the game in less than five hours, that's how short it is. There are some rescue missions you can do to extend the length of the game, but offer much in terms of enjoyment. Upon beating the game, you unlock Versus mode, in which you can battle a friend or an A.I. while piloting various orbital frames.

PRESENTATION- Back 2001, when the PS2 was still relatively new, Zone of The Enders boasted impressive production values. The environments and designs were stunning and showed what the PS2 was capable of. While much of the cutscenes hasn't aged gracefully, its still watchable. Another shaky aspect of the presentation is the voice-work. While most isn't bad, the dialogue for Leo is just downright annoying, mainly due to his whining. You won't be surprised if you end up muting your TV. Surprisingly, my favorite aspect of the game is the soundtrack. The upbeat tracks captures the futuristic atmosphere of the game. Tracks such as "Kiss Me Sunlights' and "Flowing Destiny" are nostalgic and offers a soft side to the story.

The HD edition does a fine job polishing things up.

OVERALL- For its time, Zone of the Enders was an impressive title. The interesting premise and atmosphere kept me hooked and got interesting in trying its sequel. The gameplay was solid, but felt basic at times. The presentation can be a hit-or-miss for some. Sadly, its length and lack of additional features detracts from the experience. Overall, while short, I had a blast playing Zone of the Enders. If you're looking for neat mecha-action game, give it a try. 

IMPRESSIVE