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ZONE OF THE ENDERS (PS2)
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Publisher: Konami.
Developer: KCEJ. Released: March 2001. Genre: Shoot 'em up. Posted 2nd May 2019. By Shane Battams © 2019 |
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Back when publishers included playable demos for upcoming games, it was always a risky proposition. Experimental games, which could flounder on their own, can pay off with increased sales, such as Tobal No.1 offering a taste of Final Fantasy VII, but sometimes it can overshadow the game it’s bundled with. Zone of the Enders was an unfortunate victim of the latter, as it became more noteworthy as the game which housed the demo for the mammoth release of Metal Gear Solid 2, though it is a game which offers a lot of solid fundamentals under this looming shadow.
Zone of the Enders offers a mecha combat experience, following a young boy as he literally falls into an Orbital Frame suit. After a series of tutorials, you’re sent through a sequence of missions which task you with destroying other mecha and acquiring upgrades for your suit. When you engage in combat, you’ll lock on to the nearest enemy, allowing you to strike him, dodge attacks and shoot at a distance. You can disengage this lock and, if kept off the screen long enough, escape battle. You’ll discover new weapons which offer a variety of strategies, such as a direct beam which repels enemies, assault rounds and lock-on blasts.
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Kojima channelled his sense of visual theatre in this entertaining action game
It’s also an impressive technical showcase for the system, something desperately needed in the early life of the PS2. The camera system is surprisingly refined, offering the whirling sensation of battling in the sky, yet keeping enough space to offer a full view of battle. The environments, though admittedly a touch on the grey side, are fairly destructible, allowing you to implode most of the environment around you, even smaller structures such as bridges. Despite all this action, the engine manages to maintain a solid frame rate, meaning the action remains fluid in motion. Jehuty boasts great detail, and there’s a decent variety of mecha suits to fight. The use of pumping techno-music during combat, which scales nicely depending on the action, is perfect too. When you combine the impressive action with the sumptuous visuals, Hideo Kojima seems like he’s on to another winning series.
However, it’s derailed in a couple of key areas: story and replay value. Translating a game from Japanese to English is never easy, but Zone of the Enders suffers under the weight of an embellished script that threatens to bog-down the action at every turn. The voice acting is also unimpressive, particularly Leo who comes off as whiny and unlikeable. The game’s plot seemingly builds to a crescendo, but due to an anticlimactic final fight and a lacklustre ending, it ends up feeling more like a starting point than a complete experience. There are a couple of memorable moments, including some haunting deaths and a generally grim tone, but it’s not enough to prevent this story from sinking into the mundane.
However, it’s derailed in a couple of key areas: story and replay value. Translating a game from Japanese to English is never easy, but Zone of the Enders suffers under the weight of an embellished script that threatens to bog-down the action at every turn. The voice acting is also unimpressive, particularly Leo who comes off as whiny and unlikeable. The game’s plot seemingly builds to a crescendo, but due to an anticlimactic final fight and a lacklustre ending, it ends up feeling more like a starting point than a complete experience. There are a couple of memorable moments, including some haunting deaths and a generally grim tone, but it’s not enough to prevent this story from sinking into the mundane.
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Big, explosive battles form the core of the Zone of the Enders experience
Zone of the Enders is also rather brief, though not enough to dissuade a cheap purchase. Even on your first run, you can expect to spend around five hours to complete the game. While it prevents the game outstaying its welcome, it also feels like it’s lacking a final act, leaving you scratching for more under the surface. There are some ways to extend lifespan for players wanting to enjoy more of the mecha combat. During the story, an overworld will often display special SOS Missions which task you with defeating all enemies while avoiding damaging the area and protecting survivors. Depending on performance, your grade may earn you a couple of hidden endings, including one which requires immense skill. There’s also a playable Versus mode, allowing you to experience the game’s combat in a 1v1 scenario. With features like bots, multiplayer and multiple characters and stages to select, it’s a well thought-out extra.
In the end, Zone of the Enders offers a solid time which sadly feels like untapped potential. Despite presenting some genuinely satisfying mecha combat, the game feels somewhat rushed, as if Kojima and his development team didn’t quite get a chance to finish their vision entirely. The story is underwhelming and ends in disappointing fashion, and the game can feel like a tech demo at times as it’s so short. But with extras to seek out, visually-stunning action and lots of weaponry to experiment with, it’s not a total bust. For those wanting to lose themselves for a few hours behind the visor of a powerful mech suit, there are definitely worst ways to spend your time. Don’t write it off as “the game with the MGS2 demo”, and you may be pleasantly surprised.
In the end, Zone of the Enders offers a solid time which sadly feels like untapped potential. Despite presenting some genuinely satisfying mecha combat, the game feels somewhat rushed, as if Kojima and his development team didn’t quite get a chance to finish their vision entirely. The story is underwhelming and ends in disappointing fashion, and the game can feel like a tech demo at times as it’s so short. But with extras to seek out, visually-stunning action and lots of weaponry to experiment with, it’s not a total bust. For those wanting to lose themselves for a few hours behind the visor of a powerful mech suit, there are definitely worst ways to spend your time. Don’t write it off as “the game with the MGS2 demo”, and you may be pleasantly surprised.
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VERDICT
"Zone of the Enders is a solid shooter with untapped potential. Don’t write it off as “the game with the MGS2 demo”, and you may be pleasantly surprised.” OVERALL: 7/10 |