hey, go here for a hands on review of ZOE the 2nd Runner. Also for some good movies of this awesome looking game.

Here is the article

January 16, 2003 - Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner remains a dangerous game to think and write about after a first impression. The big question about this game, as it has always been, concerns its longevity and variety of gameplay, but such concerns are so easily drowned out by its unbelievable beauty and effortless action. Z.O.E 2 demands a new language to describe its graphics, because the words used to praise the many other good-looking games on PS2 still don't seem quite significant in the face of what its 3D engine can crank out. But will we wake up in the morning and regret it? We shall see...
For now, 2nd Runner has a very promising beginning. The story doesn't spend much time on prologue, with only a few minutes of cinemas to introduce ice miner Dingo Egret and his fellow working stiffs on Callisto. There are a few references to secrets in his past -- apparently, something unpleasant happened in 2166, just before the Bahram revolt began in earnest -- but concerns over the past quickly give way to the needs of the present, when Bahram forces led by Ken Marinaris attack the mining operation. They're after the secret that Dingo finds first, the Jehuty orbital frame, which is hidden in a coffin just beneath Callisto's ice.

As the saying goes, start the violence. Dingo barely has time to introduce himself to ADA, the Jehuty's supremely confident battle computer, before the Bahram's army of robotic attackers descends in force. It's at this point that the game starts to introduce some new enemies, and the gameplay elements created to make destroying them a more entertaining experience. The progression through new abilities seems well-done so far, matched as it is to the appearance of more varied opponents.

The first new attackers are the Mosquitoes, the clouds of little flying enemies you may have seen in the trailer movie. These guys attack in huge waves, peppering Jehuty with tiny spots of laser fire. It's possible to whack them one by one with sword attacks, and in fact the quick camera motions involved look pretty cool, but it's much quicker to take them out with the new multiple lock-on feature that guides Jehuty's homing lasers. Holding down R2 and pulling back a bit on the analog stick expands the target lock from a single enemy to as many as will fit into the field of view -- in the process, the camera pulls out a bit to show the targets more effectively. Launching the homing lasers then destroys as many bad guys as you can lock on to, which is an awful lot.

Later on, the familiar Raptors attack, the skeletal fellows with the twin laser blades. These are also susceptible to new special attacks, though, especially Jehuty's new grab abilities. Grabbing an enemy, as before, is just a matter of getting close enough and tapping the circle button. The enemy so grabbed can be used as a club (with the square button), used as a shield (with the defense button), or swung around and hurled at another target (with the circle button again). Tapping the circle button repeatedly swings the enemy around to build up some centrifugal force -- this looks hilarious -- and it's also possible to charge a projectile with some explosive energy by holding down R2.

Ken is the game's first boss encounter, in her Ardjet orbital frame. If nothing else, it looks like 2nd Runner will feature the same type of compelling boss battles that were a highlight of the first game. Ardjet rotates through a pattern of different attacks that test both new gameplay elements and familiar ones from Z.O.E. She attacks with a wave of Wisps -- think along the lines of Gundam's Funnels -- which must be shot down with the multiple lock-on before they peck Jehuty to pieces. In between Wisp attacks and periods of defensive retreat, Ardjet also uses a gorgeous beam attack, fired after swirling particles of energy surround the frame.

After the speedy beginning, one would expect the game to slow down a bit, to provide time for more introductions. That's not the case, though -- Jehuty immediately pursues the Bahram assault carrier, which takes off from Callisto towards parts unknown. More new enemies await on board the carrier, like the ground-based Spider robots and the mecha-generating Cellar installations, and there's another boss as well, a familiar face from Z.O.E. So far, the game still seems to be doing a good job of mixing up the enemy types and offensive strategies. Battles on board the carrier introduce the ability to grab weapons from the environment -- swinging girders is great fun -- and the new enemies include some neat designs. The Spiders, little three-legged walking tanks, look very cute as they hop and stumble around the floors and walls of the area, and watching them tumble around as Jehuty smashes them is hilarious.
Almost every moment of the game offers some cool new sight like that. Inventive mecha designs are just the beginning -- the engine brings them to life in fluid detail, surrounds them with an interactive background, and enfolds them in every flashy special effect under the sun. Z.O.E 2 makes an interesting contrast with the other Konami title we just received, Silent Hill 3, because they both use exceptional technological sophistication for the exactly opposite visual effect. Silent Hill creates a very realistic environment out of careful, subtle effects -- Z.O.E 2 uses a similar amount of power to simply throw everything and the kitchen sink at the screen. The seemingly continuous explosions produce cel-shaded smoke effects, bright lighting, flaming particles, trails of smoke from the limbs of the mecha that fly through them, and even dust and snow kicked up from nearby surfaces. As the camera hurtles around to keep up with the action (which it does almost without a hitch), it's easy to miss individual details, but there's always something new to follow if you happened to miss the present moment.

The question, then, is still whether it all will last. On the one hand, the slightly updated trailer promises a more intriguing story to follow the first game's confined and limited narrative, and the action seems to have improved variety so far. On the other hand, much more of the game awaits us, and one particular issue already sticks out: the localization and voice acting. The music and effects are still brilliant, playing thunderous sounds over a pounding electronic beat, but the English voices are another matter.

Some of the actors seem to be putting forth a good effort, and ADA in particular has a nicely nonchalant air about her. Her flat tone is broken now and again by just a little bit of emotion -- when Dingo remarks that she's a lot more effective than the industrial computers he's used to, there's a funny hint of pride and self-importance as she says "I am completely different." The other characters, however, are not getting a lot of help from the script. There are lines in this game that just don't sound like how real human beings speak -- it needs at least one more editing pass to replace literal translations with authentic dialogue. Unfortunately, that's probably not going to happen, but we can hope the style settles down a bit later in the game.

Hope for this game in general remains alive, and it will hopefully be confirmed as we play deeper into the preview version. You can expect further impressions if the situation changes, and in the meantime, the accompanying movies should provide plenty of food for thought. Give those a look and a listen, and keep Z.O.E 2 on your list of games to watch this spring.

-- David Smith



This message was edited by video_gamer on Jan 17 2003.

All the more reason to buy this game.

HELL YEAH....The graphics alone would make me go to the store and dish out $50 for this spectacular game.

Great minds think alike cuz i'm already savin

I'm gonna start saving my money after i buy devil may cry 2. GOD!!!! there are so many good ps2 games coming out this year that i don't know if i'll have enough money to get them all...lol

lol. I was just thinking that same thing man. I had my eye on Guilty Gear X2 for some time now. (I need a freakin job!)

quote Gyrobic

lol. I was just thinking that same thing man. I had my eye on Guilty Gear X2 for some time now. (I need a freakin job!)

Yeah, i need a job too. I'm getting one this march when i turn 15. I'm getting star ocean till the end of time, FFX-2, devil may cry 2(in a week and a half.), zone of the enders 2, and driver 3 when they come out.

Hope that job you're getting pays well.

LOL....I hope so too otherwise i'll have to wait to buy the games that i want.

I think we should get back on topic before we both get in trouble...lol

Yea you're probably right. Hey are the movie clips at that site you gave earlier any good?

Game is out in Japan Already.

quote Gyrobic

Yea you're probably right. Hey are the movie clips at that site you gave earlier any good?

YES!!!! I haven't seen all of them but the ones that i did were spectacular....They are well worth the download. Seeing the little enemies explode from that laser shot is worth downloading the movies. Konami outdid themselves with this game.

This is a bit off topic but I noticed in another thread a while back someone mentioned something called the "Enders Alliance", and I was wondering if anyone had any idea what they were talking about.