RANDOM GAME OF THE DAY:
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner (2003)
Developer: Konami Computer Entertainment Japan
Platform: PlayStation 2
Purchase Date: 03/15/2003
The PS2 is still a graphically competent system, as proven by this game's visuals.
For a game released in the early 2003, Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner still hasn't aged a bit when it comes to its eye candy. Instead, this game looks like it's made for the current generation systems with its overabundant, excessive usage of particles and mesmerizing light effects. The game continues where the first one left off and fortunately, things have been much improved this time around. The controls and battle mechanics are carbon copies of the original game - you still battle a large number of enemies using a cool looking flying robot - but the team has now given the player a wide range of environments to battle through, unlike the repetitious terrains that plagued the game previously. I like how they fused traditional anime into the real-time 3D cinematic - they look much more alive than the polygonal characters from the past. Typical of a Hideo Kojima production, the story is definitely self-indulgent with a lot of unnecessary story elements cluttering the narrative flow. Even the game's attract sequence is extremely long and showed too many plot threads that should have remained a mystery until the player arrives at those parts of the game. It is nice that a concise synopsis of the first game is included in the front menu option so even if you never played that game, you can still enjoy The 2nd Runner to the fullest.
LIBRARY STATUS: 4 out of 5
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