Customer Reviews

Zone of the Enders

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(44)
3 star:		(19)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

I am sure there is not a single person who bought this game who popped it into their ps2 before the MGS2 demo, and rightfully so, but I am not going to address the demo in this review, I am going to address the game you paid for. ZOE had and still has so much promise. The camera engine is mindblowingly perfect for a game of this sort. The programming team at konami gets all of my respect for taking the zelda z-targeting camedra and refining it even further. Not only does this camera allow you to never get lost in the action, but it makes the on-screen battles appear to be beautifully choreographed mech duels that would fit in the best directed anime movies. The graphics are some of the first that convince me that my ps2 is more powerful than a dreamcast, and the detail in the completely destructable environments is astounding. I had a lot of fun with this game while it lasted. ANd that gets to my first complaint. This game ends just as you think it is getting started and I mean that literally. I had no clue that I had fought the final boss battle when I did. As the credits begun to roll, I thought to myself "Its odd that they put the credits in the middle of the game" but an unsettling feeling sunk in as I realized that it was over. The plot (which is pretty poor, due in part to some horrific translation and voice acting) had really gone nowhere by the time the game ends, and this game gets my vote for having the most shamelessly loose-ended, wait for the sequel ending of any game since Soul Reaver. My second complaint is that the gameplay, while fun, is very basic and has little to no variety. I could only bring myself to play one hour bursts of this game because I had a great time during that hour, but by that time, I was beginning to grow tired of fighting the same three enemies with the same strategies. What I later realized to be the final level does show an inkling of diversity (in that you are traveling through a trench rather than just over an open plained battlefield) but it is too little too late. The boss battles get a nod for bumping up the strategy, innovation, and adrenaline level but there are only four of them. My two final complaints are the completely inane method of shooting down the "porters" to open up secret weapons, and the fact that this game gives you a poor excuse for an incentive to play through again and perform perfectly (you get a measly different song playing through the closing credits.) I don't mean to harp on this game too badly because I was enjoying it, but I expected far more than 4 and a half hours of gameplay and far more diversity. The fact of the matter is that the MGS2 demo provides just as much gameplay and more enjoyment than the headlining game in the package. However, with such a great game engine, I have very high hopes for a sequel. Taken together, ZOE and the MGS2 demo are a package worthy of the price, but neither would be individually.

Justin Belin

That is what Zone of Enders will always be referred to. I find this incredibly sad, because Zone of Enders is truly a solid game. It's fun, visually stunning, and nothing like we've ever played before (except in the arcades). But I know tons of people buying this game solely to play the MGS2 Demo.

But Konami already knew that.

Anyway, Zone of Enders is a very easy game with what is supposed to be an indepth storyline. Unfortunately, the storyline is about as indepth as say "The Bouncer," and it leaves you hanging. The motivations for some of the actions to the characters were quite pathetic and even annoying at times. The only voice-acting I thought was solid was ADA, who was monotonous anyway. Everyone else was just annoying. Regardless, the game is fun to play and look at.

Now, the Metal Gear Solid 2 Demo- it's pretty incredible. You only play one level, which can actually be finished in under 10 minutes, but there's a lot more to do in the level than just finish it. If you've never played Metal Gear Solid before, the controls take some getting used to, but once you do, it's incredibly fun.

Some of the effects you run into during the game are incredible. You can see the individual hairs on the characters' faces. When people shoot you, and you're against a wall, blood splatters on the wall. When there's a pool of blood, and you step in it, you leave blood footprints for a while, and the enemy can see it and sound an alarm. You can take an enemy hostage and drag him around and not get shot at. You can surprise an enemy and point a gun at his head or at his groin and he'll give you stuff (like health). You can have your back up against a wall, and you can tap the wall to call attention to the guard. You can search people and shove them in rooms and even lockers once you've knocked them out. You can shoot pipes and fire extinguishers to temporarily blind enemies... if you smoke, your health slowly goes down. i was walking in the rain... and i stepped inside, and the guard saw my wet fotoprints. and the way it shows you is through a little popup PIP window, that shows you what the guard sees... it's cool... just some incredible stuff.

They're not even done with the game yet. You should be excited by now.

At last a game with mech combat that doesn't make you want to throw your system out of window, ala Armored Core 2. Zone of the Enders is a game that brings in a control configuration much like Metal Gear, thank god. The action is incredible fast paced and furious. Yet the challenge comes in trying to prevent damage to building where civilians are currently located as well as stay alive.

The Story is quite interesting, although very reminisant of "Gundum 0080: War in the Pocket", "Neon Genisis Evangelion" and "Gundum Wing". This is partly due to the fact that the story is writen by the same man whom wrote "Gundum". You play as a emotional damaged young man whom has just seen his friends killed and could not save them. While running from the carnage of war he finds a proto-ytpe mech that he must piolet to stay alive, and to protect the future of mankind. Some nice plot twists and great characters truely make this a classic. I will put a warning that this game is quite dark and contains some scenes of graphic war like violence and language. This game is more for the 15 and up crowd.

If you want a game that truely plays like an anime it just does not get any better!

I am sure that numerous players purchased Zone of the Enders
(Z.O.E. for short) for both Z.O.E. and the demo of Metal Gear Solid 2:
Sons of Liberty (MGS2). I, on the other hand, not only didn't care if
I got the MSG2 demo, I never actually bothered to play the MSG2
demo. As of this writing, my MSG2 demo still has yet to see the inside
of my PS2. So naturally, this review is solely for the
Z.O.E. game.

I was nervous about purchasing Z.O.E. since I had heard
about the complex controls of the game and in the past, any game that
had overly complex controls generally didn't survive long in my
collection, not because the controls were complex per se but because
the game programmers tend to forget to allow gamers full customization
of those controls. Not only were the controls of Z.O.E. a surprise,
but this game has the most intuitive controls since the days of Super
Mario Bros. The game splashes you right down into the controls of the
Orbital Frame "Jehuty" (Most fans will think of it as a
Mech, robot, or something similar, depending on their favorite
universe) In the beginning, the control buttons are minimized to the
most basic functions for close combat, distance fighting, and
movement. As the game progresses, the Jehuty picks up (or learns) new
abilities and teaches you how to use them. Just as you grasp the
concepts and fine controls of the Jehuty, the lessons stop. Not a bad
thing really, since I never noticed that the lessons had stopped,
since my attention was focused on fighting.

For every single game I
have ever played, I was always able to spot A.I. deficiencies in the
game. Most game programmers never could get the A.I. just right for
that "real world" feel. And yet for the first time since
Half-Life, Z.O.E.'s A.I. is so subtle and finessed that I never once
noticed any A.I. faults my first time through. That, in itself, is
very impressive in my eyes. I never noticed the first time that the
enemies rarely "gang" up on you in close range. If you're
fighting one machine in close combat then the other machines tend to
attack you with long range weapons, as opposed to also attacking in
close range. This makes the game that much more fun. Never once did I
experience frustration due to being overwhelmed by too many
baddies. And when I wasn't worried about the baddies, I sure as heck
was taking in the scenery.

The detail in each scene and the
numerous small details make this game a pleasant jot through a game
world. Things explode, burn and interact just like a real world
should. Usually it's safe to use a building as cover, however be aware
that the enemies will either go around the building or blow the
suckers up to get at you.

And yet for all the destruction, detail
and awesome control, the game seriously lacks one key thing. Length. I
spent quite a bit of time flying around since I never could quite
remember what I was supposed to do next. But even with the extra time
wasted doing nothing, I estimate that the actual game time to be
within hours. I wish game designers would guarantee at least a forty
hour game the first time through. My first time through just barely
reached half that, my second time cut those hours to less than half
the time of my first game. The ending comes as a shock really, One
minute I was wondering how I was going to control Jehuty's possible
new powers and how the next mission was going to resolve itself, when
the credits started to roll. Just when the game story really starts to
become interesting. What a disappointment! The game's abrupt ending
was such a shock that I played through a second time to obtain a
perfect score, thinking that maybe that doing so would unlock the rest
of the game. I even waited until all of the credits passed by. Zip,
nothing, nada. The game has no "secret" that I could
find.

In essence I wish that Z.O.E. didn't come with the MSG2 demo
and instead came with a second CD for the rest of the game. Oh well,
Perhaps with the release of MSG2 that it might come with a demo for
Z.O.E. 2? The game is really sweet but the high ... (as of this
writing) makes admission a little tough to swallow. It really makes no
sense to purchase this game just to play the MSG2 demo. If gamers
liked the original Metal Gear solid enough, I am positive that most
gamers will buy MSG2 regardless of the demo. If you like the concept
of giant Mech warriors beating the tar out of each other, then by all
means, purchase this game. On the other hand if you just want to buy
this game for the MSG2 demo, then you must either be a collector or
have a lot of cash to burn...

I'm not sure I understand the other reviews here. Sure Metal Gear 2 is going to be a great game but that's not why I bought Zone of Enders. What you get in this game is the most beautiful realization of what a PS2 can do not only graphically but an awesome RPG-esque story line as well, combined with tight controls and eye popping action. And no I'm not an easy-to-please video game player and neither am I someone who gushes good reviews about lame games. Z.O.E. is definitely worth the money. Otherwise I wouldn't be up at 3:00 AM in the morning writing this review about a game that I just stopped playing 5 minutes ago when I have work in 3 hours. If you want an original game play interface, 360 aerial mecha action, and want to exploit the power of your PS2, this is the game to get right away. And I mean now.

This game is one of a kind. Its very faced paced, really unlike any other mecha game, and if you like any MS Gundam stuff, you will definetely like this game. This game definetely deserves a 4 star rating (I'll tell you why I gave 5 later). It sports some great graphics (once again, that can be improved greatly with the monster 200 or 300 cable), has great gameplay and a good story. Downsides are that it has a lack of enemy diversity and the enemies get to be repetative and that it is very short.

Heres why I gave it a 5. METAL GEAR SOLID 2: SONS OF LIBERTY DEMO! Thats the ONLY reason why it got a five! I'm telling you this is one of the best parts of buying this game! The demo sports great gameplay, GREAT graphics (look pretty sharp even without Monster cable enhancement) great music by the guy who did the music for enemy of the state, and lots of replay value. You will want to play it over and over. If you do everything, the demo will take you about an hour to complete! Buy a gameshark 2 for some extra treats also! But of course this isnt just a 50 dollar demo. ZOE is a good games aswell.

MUST BUY

I think the game is good overall. It has nice graphics, good enough sound effects as well as a deep storyline. Also its very easy to manuever the Jehuty. In other words, a good rapid non-stop action game. The only drawback in the game is the fact that it lets you wanting for more in terms of storyline. Just when you think the story is going to get deeper and better, the game's over. And, for you hardcore gamers, play the game on its maximun difficulty, or else it won't last long.

When playing this game I couldn't help but draw a few comparisons to 'Armored Core 2' (another Playstation 2 offering with a mech-based feel to it). The basic plot is as follows: A Jupiter-based orbital colony is under attack by mechanized robots (called orbital-frames). You are a kid (Leo) no more than 13 years old who gets flung into the cockpit of one of these things, and now must defend hearth and home from these invaders. The game controls are a little complicated but setting the difficulty to a comfortable level will give you more time to lock horns with your enemies before they muster a counter attack. The combat is in no way similar to 'Armored Core 2', which consisted of 'who has the tighter turning radius and can get behind who first'. The camera will rotate 360 degrees to keep both you and your opponent visible at all times. Hack away, grab punch your opponent, burst in one direction, charge up and unleash a burst attack are pretty much the options available to you. Another glaring weakness is the lack of customization you can perform on your orbital frame. You do not upgrade your frame or your weapons but rather download 'programs' from an area's local server. These programs allow for more features but they're basically software 'upgrades' that help your frame to operate at a higher level. Sadly, this is a feature of AC2 that I loved and lessens the replay value tremendously.

This is where 'Zone of the Enders' becomes too simple. There's very little to do except move from place to place, killing enemies as you go, finding items that will unlock other areas of the colony which were once impassable. The missions are pretty straight-forward and simple (the words simple and boring can be interchanged).

The only real challenge is to watch where you fight. Many times, you're fighting over civilian areas where buildings will crumble and lives will be lost if you're not careful. If there are too many casualties, you'll have to start the scenario over again.

At it's best, ZOE plays like a Gundam Wing cartoon with vibrant graphics and gameplay. The relationship between Leo and the frame's computer (ADA) is actually interesting to watch develop and keeps the story line interesting even when the missions aren't. The game is entirely voiced dialog which is a welcome change from reading text for hours. Full Motion Video is appropriately placed but is not breathtaking by any means (facial expressions, detail and mouth movement are not where they should be given the PS2's capabilities). However this all becomes old hat and soon you'll find yourself reaching for the Demo copy of 'Metal Gear Solid 2'. I won't go into the demo further than to say this will be the most amazing game for the PS2, period!

I'm sick and tired of people saying that the only good thing about this game is that it comes with a MGS2:SoL demo. Although the demo is good, ZOE is more fun and, shall we say, more complete! This is an excellent game, it mainly focuses on action. It has unbelivable graphics, no detail is left out. One really cool and original feature this has is durring each level there is a Survivor percentage (starts at 100%). And if you blow up a building then the percentage goes down. If you leave a stage where you blew up a building, it will stay obliterated. The sound, mainly fast techno, is really good and fits the game great. ZOE also has tons of replay value because once you beat the game you unlock a Versus mode where you can play against the computer or another person. This is one great mech game. Take it from me, I got this game in a blink of an eye, and before that I hated mech games. So, what are you waiting for? Go buy it! But, not for the demo!!!

Watching the colony you live in as its besieged and subsequently obliterated and seeing your friends bound, begging, and then dying a fairly horrific death in front of your youthful eyes all in the same day may be too much of a punctuation mark for some, but for Leo its just the beginning. After finding himself fleeing for dear life from an invasion force bent on finding a specific orbital frame (giant robot) and taking control of it to further their own sinister plans, he stumbles upon Jehuty; a state-of-the-art war machine with perks that everyone seems to be after. Stranger still, he finds his way inside this wondrous killing machine and begins piloting it, doing a fairly good job in the process and saving his own (with your help, of course) skin. This starts something that will, before its done, lead him down some strange pathways, hopefully saving the colonies he sees being destroyed all about him and humanity itself by getting this frame to Mars.

There are some pros and some cons housed within the gameplay of Zone of the Enders; some adding a bit of playtime bliss to the experience and a few that are frustratingly redundant in their repetitive approaches.

Pros: The thing I find myself most impressed with is the way the combat is initiated and with the 360 degrees of movement that you can use while engaging other frames. It differs from the simple up/down/left/right motions that many games use when they let you maneuver above ground level, and it comes in handy when surprising the increasing number of enemies you happen across. I also like the fact that there are additions provided off and on for Jehuty, giving you some weapons to play with while drudging through the monotony of killing/the boredom of some of the duller missions. You also have enemies that increase in "level" as you progress throughout the game, not really providing you with any challenges but at least providing you with varying amounts of resistance when you wade into them.

Cons: One of the most annoying things about the game is that it's a bit vague when it comes to what it wants you to do on missions. Sometimes this will lead to wandering about for no reason, causing you to fight enemies you've fought before for no other reason than you being lost and making you see the same things over and over again. Still, if it weren't for that, the shortness of the game would be even more pronounced, letting you coast through it in a fraction of a night that it should take. Another problem I have with the mission status of the game is that you are constantly returning to areas you've cleared only moments before, basking in the same scenery you've seen multiple times to find things that weren't available to you when you first went through them. Despite the wonderful looking background effects and building that can be blown to cinders during battles (sometimes leading to human casualties), this repetitive action somewhat bogs the progressiveness of your adventure down. Lastly, there are those enemies that seem to come in flocks, dying almost as fast as they spar with you, leaving you wanting the bosses or the upgraded frames that you should fear but really can't bring yourself to.

All of that said, I would still say that this game is fun for people who like their mechs highly operational and extremely mobile, as well as for fans of Z. O. E. When all is said and done, it isn't that bad of a ride - considering the duration only lasts eight hours tops. For this reason, I gave it a high rating and also placed a warning with it, telling you to perhaps check it out before engaging in any sort of commitment.