The original is still largely a concept demo of sorts. It gives you a good idea exactly what the development team wanted to do — give players a taste of fast-paced giant robot action but most of the ideas that the game puts up are half-baked or quite frankly just plain awful. Take for instance, the open-world which is populated with squads and squads of enemies with next to zero variety in either combat or the missions you partake in. The story, which is generally considered to be Kojima’s strong suit is absolutely laughable in the original and the characters spew dialogues that’ll make you wonder if this really came from the same mind behind the cerebral Metal Gear Solid series.
Its sequel, The 2nd Runner is a massive improvement in comparison. The combat has much more variety and it actually lives up to its claim of providing ridiculously fast combat and the story provides a solid backbone which makes its cutscenes an entertaining watch and not embarrassing like the original. The story is no Neon Genesis Evangelion in terms of themes, Z.O.E has more in common with Mobile Suit Gundam than any other anime series when it comes to that.
As for the updated elements of the HD remake, they are rather haphazardly done. Take for instance, the manuals of both the games are actually scanned copies that can be viewed from the main menu. If that doesn’t sound like a remake done in haste, then I don’t know what else does.
As for the graphical facelift that the HD remake provides, the original didn’t really have the sharpness that it would reap significant benefits from the HD transition but The 2nd Runner does look gorgeous whether it’s in combat or in the anime-style cutscenes. One of the issues that is exclusive to The 2nd Runner however is that the game works at a lower FPS which further dips regularly during cutscenes. Even during combat, the moment you’re surrounded by a large number of enemies, you can notice a significant dip in FPS and while it does not put up a major obstacle in the fun you have, it still is a significant issue considering the HD remake had to be technically superior in every manner.
Zone of the Enders was a forgotten PS2 cult-favourite and when you play it you can see why. Despite limited appeal, parts of it — the fast-paced action combat and excellent boss fights shine as much as its engaging story. If you’re playing from the beginning, you might need to wade through the repetitive and boring mess that the original is but the sequel — The 2nd Runner is fully worth the effort.
If you’ve never played a Z.O.E game before then, this HD Collection is your best bet because it saves you from the hassle of looking for mint-condition copies of both the PS2 versions separately. If you happen to be among the lucky few who played both on PS2, then your purchase of the HD Collection depends largely on how much are you willing to pay for a graphical face-lift. The HD transition makes both the games look good but there are issues in frame-rates, so you are better off replaying them on PS2.
What I hope is that the eventual third installment from Kojima learns from the missteps of the two and turns out to be the game that fulfills the potential this series has in abundance.
WHAT’S ILL
- Fast-paced action combat that will keep you on your toes
- Lengthy and multi-stage boss fights provide great challenge
- Anime-styled story of The 2nd Runner is engaging
WHAT’S NOT
- Combat can get repetitive and mission structure lacks variety
- The original is a half-baked concept demo that requires patience
- Signs of the HD remake being done in haste
- Regular dips in frame-rates during combat and cutscenes
RATING:
- Gameplay Progression: 6/10
- Graphics: 7/10
- Sound: 7/10
- Unique Selling Proposition: 8/10
- illFactor: 7/10
Final Score: 6.9/10 – Strictly Average
