Review for Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS. Game for Oculus Rift (VR), PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR, the video game was released on 04/09/2018
Society has evolved for hundreds of years, but has this evolution always shared one thing? Energy, and it is this form of energy that has led to the change of civilizations. So in a world where an almighty energy called metatron feeds life, where is society headed?
So it looks like Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS, with a fascinating scenario that immediately makes the imagination travel, like only a few titles of the now disheartened Konami they could do. In fact, for those who do not know, Zone of the Enders - The 2nd Runner is one of the most famous titles released by Konami in the PlayStation 2 era, of which the executive producer is none other than Hideo Kojima.
In terms of gameplay, Zone of the Enders 2 looks like a three-dimensional action in which we will take control of Jehuty, an Orbital Frame. The battles are all based on the three dimensional movement of the mecha which can obviously fly freely. Over the course of the adventure Jehuty will evolve by unlocking new secondary skills and therefore new attacks. The title is, as it was 15 years ago, one of the most fast-paced, fun and satisfying games on the market.
The controls are cumbersome, difficult to approach, also due to the difficulty in making the battles in flight exciting, but once you have overcome the initial obstacle you will find yourself with an excellent and unique combat system. What makes the title unique is the fact that the entire title is based on aerial combat, something that no one else has ever done so well, at least in an action. To accompany a very convincing base, there are the bossfights, all excellent and based on exploiting different skills of Jehuty to find the weaknesses of the enemies, forming a subspecies of puzzle battles in the style of Metal Gear Solid.
However, there are limits in game design that hinder the combat system. Specifically, the Lock-On system, not at all precise, quite inconvenient to use and literally disastrous in the rare sections where in addition to enemies there will also be allies. The free camera already presents problems of its own, if combined with an inaccurate Lock On it becomes a fairly heavy defect, especially in an action. Under the narrative side Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS has lights and shadows.
The protagonists are interesting and their dialogues are very well written, but apart from Dingo, the main protagonist, no one really has the time to be developed decently. The title does everything possible to give a convincing narrative backbone, doing an excellent job for the short time it has had available. In fact, we are talking about a title that, at standard difficulty, has a duration of approximately 6 hours, of which 5 and a half are dedicated to pure gameplay.
The short time does not leave much room for a complex plot, or characters with a thousand facets as can be found in other of his contemporaries such as Silent Hill 2 or Metal Gear, but overall the story supports the gameplay very well. In any case, the game always remains interesting, becoming an example of how a 6-hour title of constant climax is better than a 30-hour game with constantly watered down gameplay sections.
The hold that the title manages to keep on the player also passes from the wonderful soundtrack, always suitable and engaging. Technically, as previously mentioned, the remaster is excellent. 4K did the models really well Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS, and the crystal clear framerate on PlayStation 4 Pro is a vital feature in making such a fast-paced title easily usable.
Ultimately Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS is the definitive version of the classic released for PlayStation 2. With amazing graphics and gameplay that is still fresh and frenetic like few others, it remains a must for action lovers, of mecha or simply of the video game in general. The return of a milestone that, even with problems arising even from its 15 years, should not be missing in the curriculum of any enthusiast.
► Zone Of The Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS is a Shooter-Third Person Shooter type game developed by Cygames Konami and published by Konami for Oculus Rift (VR), PC, PlayStation 4 and PlayStation VR, the video game was released on 04/09/2018
