Is Zone of the Enders 2 any good?

[Light]

Been looking around gamespot and have just spotted this game and I gotta ask: what can I expect from it? The gameplay looks quite fun and I'm game if Hideo Kojima has been working on this title, however, I've never been big on anime and because of this I'm not too sure if I'd enjoy the second runner. Also, what makes the second one so much better than the first one? Cheers for any advice.

[Neon Ignition]

ZOE1 was a fun game that I don't think had Konami's full backing, hence the reliance on the MGS2 demo to shift it. It's as though the 2 games sales let Kojima have more sway in ZOE2's development and its everything the first game could and should have been. The games length is just right for its genre, the visuals are at times stunning and the anime aspect is never intrusive. You don't get over long cutscenes like in the MGS series.

Think of ZOE1 as a kids anime show where he fights the bad guy of the week.

Then, think of ZOE2 as the movie where this last machine is caught up in a war of overwhelming odds.

You should be able to get it for a good price and, personally, its one of the missed gems the PS2 ever had. A dark day if ZOE3 never happens.

[Light]

Do I need to play the first one before I play the second one though?

[marcus]

Nope, its pretty easy to pick up and play so to speak. At times I found the ZOE games to be great, but overall they were quite average really. They both looked beautiful though, and worth picking up if you see them cheap somewhere.

[Light]

Thanks, I suppose I'll give the second one a shot (the soundtrack sounds amazing by the way) and hopefully it won't disappoint.

[Mardigan8]

Agree with all the glowing comments above. ZOE 1 was a great game for me and the seccond one just blew me away. The visuals in it are simply stunning and the flowing combat is gorgeous. some of the set pieces toward the end of the game which I wont spoil are outstanding and you can see a lot of love has gone into this game.

A fantastic story to boot makes this probably one of the most underated games of this generation. Def worth a play!! Jehuty Pwns!!

[nightstalker100]

Yeah agreed on all points. Its konami after all so you can expect to a certain extent that the game will be of high calibre. It is stunning without a doubt running at 60fps i think, just flawless and the action more or less picks up from the get go where the screen is literally filled with action.

[Mardigan8]

Small spoiler on one of the later set pieces...

->Open Spoiler<-

And what about the massive battle between your side and hundreds of orbital frames on that massive desert battlefield? My jaw was on the floor for that entire battle. Jehuty becoming True Jehuty and getting the frame shift power was just too much... absolutely loved that battle. Teleporting to any part of the battle and dealing death felt amazing. One of the best PS2 gaming moments I have had.

[Darwock]

Yeah the end battle of Anubis has got to rank amongst the most epic gaming moments I've ever experienced.. 'frantic' doesn't do it justice - and stunning to look at.

[Mardigan8]

The way it keeps flowing to new settings and different conditions is awesome!! It is a fantastic boss fight and a fitting end to a gorgeous game.

Anyone who aint handled Jehuty in battle has to get this... ripping part of a buildings off and using it as a melee weapon while you fly through the air?? Come on, how ****ing cool is THAT!!

[saif]

Hearty recommendation #76131

The set pieces are frankly stunning in places. My fave mission involve blowing up a set of carriers using the coolest weapon in a game ever - it takes about 20 seconds to charge up - and you cannot move during that time....but oh is it worth it!

[JU!]

Agree with all the above Anubis/Zoe 2 def worth a buy if only for the stunning graphics. It has a good story and anime cut scenes suit it perfectly.

[Wools]

Well it's Ok but just because its become rare does not mean it's great.

Confusing and random fighting spoil a nice looking game.

[imzu]

Been looking around gamespot and have just spotted this game and I gotta ask: what can I expect from it? The gameplay looks quite fun and I'm game if Hideo Kojima has been working on this title, however, I've never been big on anime and because of this I'm not too sure if I'd enjoy the second runner. Also, what makes the second one so much better than the first one? Cheers for any advice.

Never played the first, which only interested me because of the bundled MGS2 demo :-)

ZOE2: Anubis however...

Whats Good
- some of the best graphics on the PS2, very fast and flashy
- statisfyingly fun mecha-combat (especially being able to grab an enemy, use him as a shield or spin him around and throw him like a baseball)
- a tutorial mode that is exemplary in it's design
- some of the best boss battles in the history of boss battles
- Transformer-style Gradius robot thingy

Whats Bad
- dreadful voice acting and hokum sci-fi story (typical anime fare)
- short
- hidden game of 3D Gradius turned out to be a bit pants

Conclusion
- short but sweet

[PeteJ]

It had some stand-out moments, sure, and the design of the frames were pretty awesome, however I didn't get on with the game too well. I found the gameplay to be very ropey and unbalanced. Most of all, I found it incredibly frustrating, mostly because of the controls and camera.

I would recommend it though, some of the setpieces were exciting to watch.