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[Ultratech]

Warning: May contain spoilers!!!

So yeah, I picked up the HD Collection about two months ago and finally got around to playing it over the last few weeks.

Been kinda wanting to play the games for a while, but I had no real interest in ZOE and ZOE2 was a pain to find for PS2.

But since I got a working PS3 now, figured I'd finally get around to playing the ZOE games!

=========================
ZONE OF THE ENDERS
=========================

I had kinda heard things about the first game being something like a prototype or demo, and it kinda shows a bit.
Not terribly interesting (until about the end), very repetitive, and I felt an urge to kick Leo's ass greatly because of his whining.

Also didn't help that a good chuck of the Subweapons felt useless.
There were maybe like 3-4 that had any real practical purpose.

Was pretty short though. Sorta sucks in a way since the game ends just right when stuff actually felt interesting.

That said, it was interesting for what it was, but obviously pales in comparison to its sequel...

===========================================
ZONE OF THE ENDERS 2: THE 2ND RUNNER
===========================================

Uh....wow. This game was nuts.
Where do I even begin?

Initially, it feels like a much faster-paced ZOE, but it turns into something so much more. It's also pretty damn hard, or at least it felt like it. (I played on Normal for reference.)
Normal enemies seem to go from very passive to super aggressive and it doesn't take too much effort for them to mess you up VERY quickly.

Bosses were probably some of my favorite (and most irritating) moments.
Just stuff getting crazier and crazier. Although some of them have quite terrible instructions on what to do. (I had to consult a FAQ a few times to get some tips on how to deal with a few bosses.)

Probably the most intense fights were the Aumaan Crevasse (the giant battle) and the last couple of bosses (Inhert, the Anubis fights).

The Aumaan Crevasse I sadly only got S on, because I wasn't terribly sure what to do until about halfway through and I accidentally let one unit die.

The Anubis fights...oh man. the second-to-last fight was just madness. Took me a ton of attempts to beat him.

The Opening song is pretty catchy, and the actual Intro is pretty hype (even if it admittedly gives away quite a bit of the game).

Subweapons felt like a major improvement as they seemed much more usable than in ZOE.
But for shits and giggles, I'll give my opinions on them (mostly ZOE2):

• - Geyser: Wee! Immobilization is fun! Pretty good for getting some enemies under control.
• - Gauntlet: Was a pretty fun weapon as well. Very useful all-around since you can knock enemies against walls and do 2x damage with it.
• - Comet - Didn't use much. No comment.
• - Decoy - Used a little bit. I imagine you can probably do some really interesting stuff with it with big mobs.
• - Phalanx - Shitty in ZOE, slightly better in ZOE2, but I only used it a few times. Just better options out there.
• - Vector Cannon - Holy shit. Just...wow. Too bad it's a plot weapon, but it's ridiculously awesome. Especially with the animations for charging the thing up.
• - Halberd - Decent in ZOE, a bit better in ZOE2. PEW PEW LASER! Too bad it eats a good chunk of SUB.
• - Wisp - Loved this weapon. Grabbing is quite fun. Throwing them even more so. But a long-distance Grab? YES!
• - Mummy - Very useful in both games. Sadly, I missed it in ZOE2 because I didn't know where it was.
• - Homing Missile - Woo! Homing Missiles! These are probably awesome in a New Game+ since they just wreck stuff. Too bad using a lot of them eats large chunks of the SUB gauge.
• - Floating Mine - Didn't use it and frankly, I don't remember having it all that long.
• - Zero Shift - HOLY SHIT. My exact words upon using it for the first time. It's goddamn amazing (and makes most regular enemies a complete joke in small numbers).
  Being able to move at ridiculously fast speed and almost effectively teleporting behind enemies is insane. No doubt my (and many others') favorite subweapon.

A few annoying things though:
-VA: Yeah, the VA in this game is just..off. Granted, I guess it's really the dialog/script more than anything.
-Camera/Lock-On: The camera does wonky things sometimes and Lock-On when dealing with LOTS of enemies is a major PITA.
-Train Sequence: That sequence can burn in hell.

All in all, ZOE2 is nuts. But it was incredible and fun!
(THIS IS THE WILL OF METATRON!!!)

 

[Alric]

Great stuff OT. I just replayed the first game in my HD collection a month ago. Got to get around to replaying the second game again.

 

[JehutyRunner]

I've always seen Zone of the Enders 1 as a proof of concept for 2. Not to say it was a bad game, but lord, ZoE1's concepts (mechanically) grate on you after a while. And after a decade+, it really hasn't aged well - both mechanically and graphically - even with the HD collection.

Zone of the Enders 2 was such an incredible game that it wasn't so much an evolution on the first game as it was a revolution on it. Almost entirely like the first game didn't exist (almost).

 

[B.K.]

I really wish they would release a new version of the game that includes the update patch.

 

[Valkerionseven]

ZoE2 is easily my favorite PS2 game and probably in my top 3 games of all time. Moment to moment it was great, a few random annoying moments at the highest difficulties but loved everything about it from the characters to mech design. But yeah some of the dialogue is off, sometimes it seemed like the VA had a random period or comma in the script out of nowhere lol.

 

[AcceptableGhost]

I really wish they would release a new version of the game that includes the update patch.

I think there was a re-release in Japan that does this?

Edit:
Supposedly the "the best" Japanese greatest hits version has it included according to this gamefaqs post:

http://www.gamefaqs.com/boards/632695-zone-of-the-enders-hd-collection/66370826

 

[CloudNein]

You can see why people want a zoe3 for like, a decade or more? It just doesn't have the massive hollywood blockbuster type of appeal to be made. Sooo many people don't know what they're missing.

 

[KiteGr]

I might be the only person who got the original ZoE at the time of it's release on PS2, without even noticing that it had a demo in it.

Yeah... the first game is kind of easy with lots of backtracking and some insane scenarios

Spoiler

(where you got a virus and die with one hit)

. At it's time, that mecha high speed combat was otherworly, and IMO with the exception of it's sequel, no other mecha fights ever felt this good.

The sequel improved every single aspect of the first game while getting rid of a check-list of problems.

• The story was much more serious!
• No whinie kid protagonist.
  Spoiler

  (he does make an appearance, but thankfully he is more mature)
• The cutscenes are in real anime form instead of the fake 3d anime we had on the first game.
• The combat was improved in all aspects.
• No more backtracking and missions.
• Each sub-weapon get proper introduction.
• The presentation made the console bleed.

 

[Ultratech]

I've always seen Zone of the Enders 1 as a proof of concept for 2. Not to say it was a bad game, but lord, ZoE1's concepts (mechanically) grate on you after a while. And after a decade+, it really hasn't aged well - both mechanically and graphically - even with the HD collection.

That's kinda how I feel.

ZOE1 pretty much feels like a prototype for ZOE2.

And yeah, parts of it do grate on you after a while.

Thankfully, it's not too long, so it's not all bad.

 

[mp1990]

I started playing ZoE on PS3,but i stopped because Persona train picked me up and i couldn't get off it. Strange enough,i only played 1h and a half but i found it really fun. No gigantic lore and an epic story,no collectables,no extremely hard combat with lots of variables and such,just brainless robot combat,and that's it,sometimes it's just what i need.

 

[B.K.]

I think there was a re-release in Japan that does this?

Yeah, but that's the Japanese version. They need to do an English release.

 

[HyperBitHero]

ZoE1 on PS3 has a pretty terrible framerate. Patch doesn't apply to the first game. I actually like ZoE1 but it is a pretty weird game.

 

[AcceptableGhost]

Yeah, but that's the Japanese version. They need to do an English release.

Has anyone tested in the JPN release turns to the English localization when placed into a US PS3? I think a fair amount of games do that.

 

[Fahrenheit]

Have the HD collection on PS3, this thread leaves me to think the Xbox 360 version has better frame rates?

 

[Vilix]

The last great franchise from Konami before they became KojiPro, and put everything into Metal Gear.

I dream that one day they'll make Zone Of Enders 3, and hire PlatinumGames to develop it. No chance, I'm sure. But a nice dream none the less.

 

[Ramune]

Have the HD collection on PS3, this thread leaves me to think the Xbox 360 version has better frame rates?

Update. A patch was done by Hexadrive for ZotE2 and it's now the definitive version of the game. Wish my PS3 worked so I can try it too! ^_^;

 

[Fahrenheit]

Update. A patch was done by Hexadrive for ZotE2 and it's now the definitive version of the game. Wish my PS3 worked so I can try it too! ^_^;

How is ZoE1 though? People say the patch doesn't apply to it

 

[mp1990]

How is ZoE1 though? People say the patch doesn't apply to it

I played it and it was pretty good,idk if it was 60fps but it was totally smooth,i didn't detected any frame drops that really impacts on gameplay.

 

[Verendus]

I remember finishing the second in one or two sittings since it was so short. I think it might've taken me about five hours, and I really wanted it to be longer. First was good, but the second was really great.

 

[Ultratech]

How is ZoE1 though? People say the patch doesn't apply to it

Hmm...variable?

I think it slows down a little bit when you get into some fights (or encounter major alpha effects), but I remember it being relatively smooth for the most part.

But yeah, the patch only affects ZOE2.

 

[Shanks D Zoro]

Played the first back on Day one for the mgs2 demo and loved it.

For some reason 2 passed me by and I didn't play it until I got the HD collection last year. WAs not expecting it to be great, but it blew all my expectations away. What a great game

 

[HyperBitHero]

Hmm...variable?

I think it slows down a little bit when you get into some fights (or encounter major alpha effects), but I remember it being relatively smooth for the most part.

But yeah, the patch only affects ZOE2.

The framerate is pretty bad when you just rotate the camera in an empty area. The original PS2 version only had framerate issues when you were fighting like 8 enemies at once, but it's pretty much any fight in the HD version.

 

[LeonSPBR]

Never played ZOE 1 but man I loved ZOE 2. One of the best games of the PS2. Need to get this HD version so I can replay ZOE2.

 

[hiex_]

Seeing this thread pushed me towards buying them both on PSN. Goodness gracious it's fun. I love how everything's presented, how it all feels. Very smooth experience (minus the framerate hiccups). Thanks Gaf.