For mecha fans like me, ZOE is almost a dream come true. You get to control your own mecha called an orbital frame that’s unlike any other. And true enough, the controls in this game were designed so well allowing you to easily navigate the map, select and use your weapons, burst, dash and attack set in an almost realistic interface. You’ll simply gush, “So this is what it feels like to be inside the cockpit.” The mecha designer for this one is also the one behind Sunrise’s Gundam X. Him, along with MGS2’s Hideo Kojima, made me think that this collaboration would bring a great game.

Graphics-wise, ZOE delivers. Taking advantage of the PS2’s upgraded technology, playing real time battles is much more exciting with realistic environment and camera angles that give you a great view of the mechas you’re fighting against where each is rendered in fine 3D design. The FMVs aren’t as fine-tuned as expected from early games of any console. The 2D design is also very good. The graphical representations of each frame you fight looks like contemporary Egyptian design in papyrus. The 2D menu backgrounds and icons are set in this theme in tribute to the final boss.

But for such well-thought gameplay and controls that are easy to master, the game gets to be disappointing later on because the battles are repetitive. Each time you enter an area (which is a new stage for this game), you play against the same enemies who have the same weapons and movement. The only difference is that they have higher levels and therefore have higher HPs. There is only one way to defeat them though so that shouldn’t be a problem. Easily defeating these enemies though is in stark contrast to the boss fights that you will actually forward to meeting them because you will definitely be itching for a challenge after clearing areas with the same old enemies.

ZOE also disappoints me story-wise. It follows the same formula where a very frightened boy stumbles upon a very special mecha that he operates really well, and he later becomes an unlikely hero. Too much Evangelion. The ending is also very open-ended. It assumes that ZOE will have a sequel so our Shinji-type hero here is somebody you will have to *groan* meet again.

All in all, I would have enjoyed ZOE if the game had been extended and the battles modified. There’s just too much good in the gameplay and they left you to use it against useless enemies 90% of the time.

Player Status:
Difficulty: Moderate
Completion Time: 4 hours
Highest Level Achieved: Rank A
Ratings: Gameplay 6; Battle 5; Story 7; Visuals 6; Characters 10; Sounds 7; Replay Value 7

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 24th, 2002 at 11:44 am and is filed under Zone of the Enders, Games. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.