Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner

"Mechs, destruction, chaos; What more could you ask for.."

It seems to be a trend with me nowadays that I play the newest addition to a series, instead of the previous installments. First was Dark Cloud, then Tenchu, and now it's Zone of the Enders. While I wait for the newest additions to come out before I indulge myself into the series is unknown, but sometimes I wish I got into the series when it first debuted, instead of waiting. Zone of the Enders is one of those series. We have action-packed battles and mechs; those are two things I love. Keep in mind that I haven't played the first one yet, so this is a review that doesn't compare the game to the prequel, except for a few instances based on what I've heard.

****GRAPHICS****
This game uses the graphical style known as cel-shading, which seems to be a popular trend in the last year or two. Though some people may have gotten sick of it, this game looks nothing short of beautiful. The environments are well done, and they range from a snow area to the planet of Mars, to a spaceship. I must say that at some points, there are quite a few number of enemies onscreen at once, though sometimes they're just really small ones at that. Two of my favorite scenes within the game involve stellar battles, with no slowdown at all that I saw. Also, the mech designs kick major butt, though I expected nothing less. Konami never ceases to amaze me with their visuals.

****GAMEPLAY****
If you played the first game, which I didn't, then there isn't much difference in the gameplay aspect of this game, from what I've heard from people. You have your melee attack and a distance attack, like in the first (I've watched someone play the first). You can also grab your enemy and throw him/her into the environment or into other enemies.
The objectives in each stage can vary from just plain fight your way to the end of the stage to face a boss, to actually ''escorting'' an ally from point A to point B. The objectives can also reach an all-out war. For example, in the one all-out war, you must eradicate the enemy while limiting the casualities on your side. You constantly have to switch back and forth between battling and healing your allies. Pretty impressive, indeed, when it's played out in-game. The gameplay in Zone of the Enders 2 is top-notch.

****SOUND & MUSIC****
The sound effects in this game might immerse you further into the game. I think they are damn good. I found no problems with the sound effects, but I had a little trouble tolerating the voice acting. Dingo's, the main character, voice is probably the main complaint I have with the voice acting. His voice actor seems to be lacking some emotion, though I have no other gripes with any of the other voice actors/actresses. The music is nothing special, since I never really paid attention to it but was rather concentrating on the action in the game.

****CONTROLS****
If you've played the first Zone of the Enders, then it shouldn't take long to adjust to this game's controls since they're essentially the same. If this is your first endeavor into the ZOE series, then it might take about 5 minutes or so to learn the controls so you can quickly respond in battle. Luckily, they put in a training mode so you can learn the controls. I must say though after playing through the game, that the controls are responsive and excellent.

****REPLAYABILITY & DIFFICULTY****
One of the problems with this game is that the main game is rather short. On Easy, it might take somewhere around 6-7 hours to finish. But, that doesn't mean you should toss this game out the window after beating it. There are a bunch of extra little modes for you to tinker around with for your enjoyment. There are time attack challenges for stages and bosses alike, plus some other things that I haven't really bothered with yet. The upside is that you can each of said things with about 4-5 ''different'' mechs, which are just really different looks for Jehuty.
I must say that this game is quite difficulty from what I've played on Normal. There were at least 3-4 instances when I actually died on Easy, which is nothing to be proud about. I'd hate to see how this game is on Hard, though I'm sure I will find out shortly.

If you're looking for a great action game to tide you over for now, then this game is for you. If you loved the first game, then BUY this game. Beware though, the shortness of the main quest might throw off some, but there are more than enough ''mini-games'' to keep one interested.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 03/22/03, Updated 03/22/03