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Platform: Playstation 2

Genre: Action/Mech Combat

Number of Players: 1-2

Known in Japan as: Anubis: Zone of the Enders

It may surprise some people, but the very first PS2 game I owned was Zone of the Enders.  Wow, what a great game it was for that first few hours.  It looked good, it was fast and had a cool premise: pilot a graceful mecha around while destroying your enemies.

A nice idea, but after the first few hours some things became apparent:  It was too short.  The main character was a whiny little bitch of a boy.  (That part cannot be understated).  It was too repetitive.  Finally, it was overly bleeding-heart dramatic in it's attempt to pound into the player that human life is sacred.  These flaws are well known, but to me they were personal.  They ruined what could have been a very wonderful game.  The fans spoke out.

Well, it seems that Hideo Kojima, to some extent, listens.  His response: The 2nd Runner.

The game opens with a sequence that rivals some of the best anime on the market.  The mysterious Dingo Egret (note: Konami badass who does NOT have a mullet!) is introduced when he stumbles upon the orbital frame Jehuty while mining.  His past is obviously a military one, as he immediately hops into the mecha upon being attacked by troops of the infamous BAHRAM group. 

BAHRAM is a group all-to-familiar to Dingo.  Without giving away too much, his fate is tied up with Jehuty from then on, and he is soon compelled to take the battle to the enemy.

Were this were a cartoon series, it would be quite engrossing to watch.  The mix of advanced cell-shading and special effects are anime-inspired and top-notch.  I found myself actually watching the entire cut-scene. New characters were introduced, loyalties and histories were established, and someone was shot full of holes in zero-g, with blood floating in the air like little red planets.  Moments like this make the story a pleasant diversion.

Combat has improved tenfold, with the addition of some wonderful new moves.  Jehuty can still grab enemies, but has the option to pound them, use them as a body-shield, use them as a club, or wind them up shot-put style and fling them.  They can also be paralyzed by using a little juice from the sub-gauge, which metes out energy for special attacks.

These attacks include many of the same weapons that the original did.  However, a new lock-on option (ala Panzer Dragoon) allows Jehuty to spew out a ton of homing lasers, locking on to more enemies the longer the button is held.  A full screen of homing lasers is really quite a sight, and increases the frantic feeling that everything is moving at lightning speed.

Accordingly the PS2 has likely never been pushed this hard. It occasionally pushes back by producing some major slow-down, but this is rare and really only a minor hiccup from an aging machine. Call it character.

To top it off, pieces of scenery can now be picked up and flung or swung.  Metal girders, explosive drums and shield-like plating abound, adding to the feeling that you aren't using the same moves over and over.

Also improved is the variety of enemies.  Z.O.E. probably had six different enemies that weren't bosses, but not so this time.  From little spider mechas to swarms of bug-like flyers,  new enemies are constantly introduced.  If this game seems repetitive, it's really only because it's hard enough to make you try some events four or five times before getting it right.

The types of missions that advance the story are varied, with the most notable one being the comedic run-in with a cowardly soldier.  The soldier's mecha is injured, and he got scared when he heard gunshots, hiding in a crate.  He actually wants you to carry him to safety!  What a little princess!

Scenes like that one would have been all the funnier if one thing hadn't been lost in the translation:  the translation.  This game suffers from the same problem that many foreign-made games do, and it can be frustrating when the star character of the show spews a line that just doesn't fit.
 

When all is said and done, a game has to be judged by the sum of it's parts, good and bad.  My advice this time: don't be too picky.  If you want witty dialogue, pick up some Shakespeare or read Penny Arcade.  If you want the best looking and playing mecha-combat around, catch the 2nd Runner.

-scott-