Zone of the Enders (PS2 Review)

Throughout the history of video games there have been many strange reasons why some games have become mega-hits and best sellers. However, Zone of the Enders (ZOE) probably became the first ever to reach that status because of a demo that was bundled with it. Most people that originally bought the game spent hours upon hours drooling over the wonders that are Metal Gear and completely forgot about the main game. Ebay was loaded with auctions of the game, all with the demo disk surprisingly absent. Hardly any of them were sold. 

Nevertheless, one can only play the same demo for so long before it gets tiring. Eventually fans decided to give Snake a rest and try out the ‘other’ disc that came in the case. What they found was something out of the ordinary that could stand on its own mechanized feet.

The game takes place on a satellite colony orbiting Jupiter called Antila. The people who live and work here are referred to as ‘Enders.’ The Bahram, a fanatical Martian military force, have declared their independence from the government and have begun attacking other outposts to collect supplies and weapons. They have come to Antila to acquire the massive humanoid orbital frame commonly known as Jehuty. 

You assume the personage of Leo, a 14 year old boy who has just recently arrived on the station. Leo is not well liked amongst his peers and has become the object of their bullying. Moreover, he seems to be very insecure with himself and is a bit of a whiner. It is only by blind luck that Leo finds himself in the cockpit of Jehuty when the Bahram attack. With just the assistance of ADA, the onboard flight navigational system, Leo must learn how to operate Jehuty, keep himself alive and stop the raid on Antilia before the populous and the colony are destroyed.

Usually the worst problem with a mech game is the difficult control scheme the game employs. ZOE breaks the mold and gives the player a very intuitive control pattern that feels extremely natural and flows exceptionally well. Long distance and close-in attacks happen automatically with the game engine switching when you get within arm’s reach to your target. The lock-on system is a welcome addition that makes combat very easy to become competent and competitive. The pre-mission training scenarios give you everything you could ask for in learning how to handle Jehuty. The DualShock 2 is utilized to its fullest extent without overwhelming the player with memorizing complicated button combinations.

Taking a page from the Omega Boost (a PSOne game released by Polyphony Digital in 1999) playbook, Zone of the Enders has a terrific game pace. Even though it may not seem fast to the player, over-the-shoulder spectators have asked me how it was possible to keep up with all the action on the screen. Nevertheless if you switch to playing another title of the same genre, the new game seems to be running in slow motion. If there were any existent flaws with the controls, this game would be practically impossible. Kudos goes out to Konami for getting it right on the first try. 

ZOE is one of the few games where neatness actually counts. Collateral damage on the surrounding cities by errant missiles or by the enemy targets reduces your overall rating during missions. Moreover, these baddies actually go out of their way to destroy the buildings and kill the innocents scattered throughout the sectors. Hence, you not only have to defeat the other frames roaming the land, but also draw them away from the cityscape at the same time if you hope to get a quality rating on your mission rankings.

Enemies come in all shapes and sizes. You can expect to fight the smallest of tin cans to bosses the size of skyscrapers. Another nice touch in the game is that the levels will change when you replay them. Enemy placement and selection differ each time you run through the game. While some may not be interested in going through the game a second or third time, those needing a rush will be very happy for the variety.

Probably the biggest disappointment that you will experience with the game is its length. Under eight hours long, and that’s including all of the cut-scene magic, is what you can expect to dedicate the first time through the game. With multiple gameplay difficulty levels, you can expect it to be a bit longer as you are forced to handle tougher and tougher opponents when you tweak up the challenge. This is no epic adventure where it will take days just to get to the main plot point. Just like a good roller coaster, the ride might not last long enough to satisfy you but it is an excellent rush while it lasts.

To put it simply, Zone of the Enders is one beautiful game. The visual effects of motion blurring during the dramatic exchanges of gunfire is nothing short of spectacular. To put it simply, the explosions and crumbling of buildings look like they belong in a blockbuster movie. If you are glutton for eye-candy, this definitely is a must-have game for you to relish and enjoy. Words really don’t do the effects justice, no matter how fluent the vocabulary. The remarkable thing is that even with all the action, destruction and weaponry flying through the air, there is not one bit of slowdown or choppiness to the framerate of the game. 

The audio of the game comes in the garden variety mono or stereo options. While everything comes through loud and clear, this is one game that really deserved to be done in digital surround sound. Nevertheless, the voice-overs and the combat sounds are music for the ears and no fault can be found. The dramatic orchestrated background music completes the package that Enders gives visually, much the same way that the Flight of the Valkyries does for the helicopter attack scene in the movie Apocalypse Now. Basically, this is everything that we have come to expect from the makers of the Metal Gear saga.

The original version came packaged with the Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty demo. ZOE also contains a vs. mode that allows you to match up against another human player in a head-to-head battle. While not totally thrilling, it does add a bit to the replay value of the game.

Even if you factor in the overall short length of the game, ZOE is something that must be experienced to be appreciated. The wondrous storytelling ability of the game, mixed in with the moral overtones of the ‘right-to-life’ can touch the coldest of hearts. The brilliant camera work that Enders manages to deliver always keeps the player in the forefront of the cinematic action without getting stuck in the boring third-person perspective. This is one game that is not afraid to lay it all out on the table and let the chips fall. Pick this one up at your first opportunity and you won’t be disappointed.

Difficulty: 7

Control:10

Visual: 9

Sound: 8

Replayability: 7

Overall: 8.8