Author's Note: This is really just
a review by S3 himself. The others do NOT appear here, so deal with
it.
When the Playstation 2 was first released, there was a game that came
out at about the same time. Made by Konami, it was simply named 'Zone
of the Enders.' Now, about 3 years later, the sequel to this spectacular
game has finally arrived. 'Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner' is here.
While the story really isn't all that important, it is necessary to
understand the idea behind the game. Basicaly, Konami has taken one
of those smash 'em up brawlers from the early 90's and placed it in
a completely 3-dimensional arena. You play as Dingo, a miner on Mars.
Things happen, and you wind up in control of a giant robot called Jehuty.
You, of course, fight evil.
First off, I must say that this game is freaking beautiful. The designs
for the robots are alone worth the price of admission - even if Jehuty's
cockpit is a little... aptly placed. You'll understand.
In any case, the entire game is cell-shaded, with actual anime cutscenes.
And, though the cutscenes don't matter much, they are also great-looking.
Unfortunately, the action on screen is a little fast-paced, so you really
can't keep track of the action if you're just watching someone play
the game.
Now, all this action means nothing if you can't play the actual game.
Of course, Konami has not failed to follow through in this area. You
can do almost anything with Jehuty - with the possible exception of
barrel rolls, and I think you can do that as well. Now, unlike the last
game, almost EVERYTHING in this game is interactive. You can also grab
onto your opponents and use them as shields, weapons, or just throw
them into the wall. You can grab large I-beams, floor plating, fuel
tanks, and even your allies as well to use as improvisational weapons.
I spent several hours just grabbing and throwing my opponents into the
walls just for the heck of it.
Similar to the games of yesteryear, there are not many types of enemies
to fight. In all, not counting bosses, there are only seven or eight
different enemies - but they literally swarm you by the thousands, so
you probably won't notice the lack in variation.
Jehuty also has special sub-weapons to make the game more intresting.
There are over 10 different weapons, including the Wisp,
which allows you to rip-off 'Star Wars' and hurl your enemies
about from afar. Another weapon of note is the Vecter
Cannon. While you have to be on the ground to use it, you can
unleash an energy beam of utter destruction that obliterates everything
in one shot. My second favorite is the Decoy.
Like the name suggests, you make a copy of yourself that the
enemies swarm, leaving the real you free to run off. This comes in handy
against many of the bosses. The absolute best sub-weapon to use is called
the 0-shift. Essentially, you instantly
warp from your position to the nearest locked-on enemy target, which
makes the game all too easy; until the final boss.
Konami, being the perfectionists they are, has also included many secrets
for the game that can only be seen by playing through the game more
than once. Also, a versus mode is avalible for your enjoyment.
Essentially, this game is the BEST PS2 game out on the market right
now, and is a must-buy for anyone with a PS2 and working thumbs.
If you like fast-paced, giant-robot-type action, I suggest trying out
the original 'Zone of the Enders,' and
any fast-paced anime with robots in it - especially 'Gundam
Wing' and 'Betterman.'
Final score: 5 out of 5