Zone of the Enders HD (Xbox 360)

I've been a Mecha anime fan since as long as I can remember. Throughout the years, I'd only gotten a small taste of mediocre licensed Mecha Games like the Gundam games Bandai shit out during the Super Famicom and Playstation era. But it was Zone of the Enders that changed my outlook on mecha games. It holds a special place in my heart when I experienced it all those years ago.

Revisiting this game in 2013 was definitely an interesting experience. It doesn't hold up quite to what I remember, and has some of the more annoying tropes of Mech anime that was much improved in it's sequel. Leo, the main character of the game, is an whiny little bitch, and it wouldn't be so bad if the voice acting wasn't god awful. It's honestly embarrassing at times. After Metal Gear Solid, I seriously expected more from Kojima.

One of the biggest problems though is that you don't visit many areas in the game, and the game ends when things finally start to pick up. It almost feels like the developer had all these great ideas, but was only able to put down the framework of the game. The game never feels fully realized, and it took a sequel to justify Zone of the Enders existence.

But the core gameplay is just so inherently fun to play and an even bigger treat to watch. Jehuty, the Mech that you control through the game, elegantly twists and turns in combat, with beautifully animated attacks. The game makes you feel like you're in control of a total badass killing machine, tearing up through enemy after enemy and than facing off with these giant bosses. The game even has a leveling up system so you get the sense of progression, which helps as you revisit many areas an end up doing much of the same things.

One of the greatest aspects of the game are the visuals. You can tell that a lot of thought was put into the Mech designs, as the majority of them are memorable and stand out. Jehuty is a work of art, with it's Egyptian style Headpiece. The various enemies have this bone like aesthetic that gives off a very interesting appearance. And the Space colony you fly through ties the overall look of the game perfectly, with it's futuristic blue tones.

Zone of the Enders still holds up even today. The Controls are just as fluid as you might remember, and the camera and animations are still as refined as they've always been. Even sports a great soundtrack with many memorable tunes. It's still in my opinion, hands down the second best single player experience in a Mech game, only bested by it's Sequel. I'd recommend the game too anyone who wants to experience Mech games at their finest.

Z.O.E was Developed by Konami Computer Entertainment Japan and released in 2001 on the playstation 2. It is now available on the Zone of the Enders HD Collection for the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3.

Pros
+ Fun and Fluid Combat and Gameplay
+ Level up System helps fight monotony
+ Beautiful visuals and design

Cons
- Poor Voice Acting and Characters
- Short with Repetitive Areas