TGS: Robots Still Rule in Zone of the Enders HD

Back in 2001, Zone of the Enders hit the PS2 without much celebration -- it buried itself beneath the hype of the real star inside the box: a Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty demo. Zone of the Enders HD runs the same risk more than a decade later. There's a Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance demo waiting for you when the two-game bundle releases next month. Excited though we all are for Raiden's return, Zone of the Enders is a rad robot action game you should not let go unnoticed a second time.

Interestingly, or perhaps tellingly, Zone of the Enders 2 is the only demo we ever see when Konami shows off the HD collection. The first game also went unheralded because it was, well, unspectacular. Zone of the Enders 2, on the other hand, was an incredible achievement in terms of leveraging 3D space, verticality, and visual effects to give players an unparalleled experience. Even now, there's nothing quite like piloting a robot around large, complex structures or through vast canyons, unleashing dozens of missiles and lasers at hordes of enemy mechs. The stellar art of Zone of the Enders 2 looks terrific in HD, both in terms of its excellent use of bright colors and sharp character designs.

The original Zone of the Enders hit those high notes in a meaningful enough way to make it worth playing then, even if it was (and will inevitably remain) the weakest link of the duo, so it's a shame Konami's focusing so heavily on Zone of the Enders 2. The marketing here doesn't quite sell the idea of an HD collection so much as a one-shot redux -- with a lovely Metal Gear demo, of course.

Don't let the one-sided marketing or inclusion of a demo give you the impression Zone of the Enders HD is missing something. As a package, it's impressive and rewarding -- and in some ways, still original. Few have tried, and fewer have succeeded, to replicate this sort of aerial-based third-person combat. Now, a decade after stumbling into obscurity, Zone of the Enders has a second chance to win the world over with enjoyable (and very, very explosive) action that holds up.

Skipping out this time is a disservice to the industry -- plus your purchase counts as a vote for Zone of the Enders 3.

Mitch Dyer is an Associate Editor for IGN's Xbox 360 team. He’s also quite Canadian. Read his ramblings on Twitter and follow him on IGN.

Source : ign[dot]com