Zone Of The Enders

• Platform:   PlayStation2
• ELSPA Minimum Age: 3
• Media: Video Game

Forget the derivative sci-fi back story: Z.O.E. is all about arcade action. Pilot your oversized Mech through dozens of encounters with other automated units all out for your blood. An element of strategy is added by the arenas you fight in, a cross between Judge Dredd's Mega City 1 and Akira 's Neo Tokyo--too much collateral damage to the local citizenry or architecture and it's game over. The graphics are astonishing: laser blasts and explosions fill the screen and no matter how many enemies you face the frame rate zips along. Like a lot of Japanese conversions, the longevity of the game is questionable, but while it lasts you will experience an adrenaline-packed arcade romp

But, in all honesty, a lot (a majority?) of UK gamers will be buying Z.O.E for the one-level demo of MGS2: Sons of Liberty. This is probably the most anticipated console game ever and will be a defining moment for the PS2--if the whole game lives up to the demo's promise then the wait will have been worth it. But if you have got Z.O.E. for the demo, make sure that you play the main game as well otherwise you will be missing out on an exhilarating if short-lived gaming experience. --Michael Bartley

DailyRadar.com
Konami's big bad robot battler from the future is nearly upon us, and PS2-toting fans of classic anime and classic arcade action have good reason to be enthused. The game is gorgeous, the designs are gorgeous and the action is (mostly) uninterrupted, fast and furious. Thanks in no small part to a superb, free-floating camera that dives and wheels about to capture the action, players find themselves feeling like the hero of their very own anime adventure -- many games have sought to capture this sensation, but Z.O.E. succeeds.

The game is designed as a single-player experience, replete with that uniquely heavy-handed melodrama that could only have come from the east. Thankfully, maestro developer Kojima and team have included the opportunity to go mano a mano, and while it's not got enough depth to be a game in itself, it's good fun -- especially with a friend on equal footing. Getting started is simple: Simply select 2 Frames (the giant robots), adjust for handicapping, select an environment and then go to it!

The versus mode serves a two-pronged purpose: First, it enables pro Frame Runners (that's what pilots are called in the colonies) to test their skills one-on-one against computer-controlled enemies, providing an uninterrupted melee with a foe whose vitality can be adjusted before starting the match. The second, more interesting feature is the ability to go head-to-head with a human foe.

What's interesting is that despite its 3D trappings, the versus mode doesn't feature a splitscreen -- one player tends to be in the foreground while the other is in the back. It's not flawless, but anyone who's familiar with the game's excellent controls will find that it's easy to adapt to. It's a fine demonstration of one of the best-handling cameras and control schemes we've laid hands on. --DailyRadar.com

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• PC & Video Games > Games > Action & Shooter