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Zone of the Enders for PlayStation 2
Zone of the Enders for PlayStation 2 is a robot action game in which you fly Jehuty through a space colony under attack. Young Leo Stenbuck ends up in the cockpit of this Orbital Frame during the fighting. Together with onboard computer ADA, he searches for a way out of Antilia, a colony near Jupiter. You move freely upwards, downwards and between buildings as enemy machines try to cut off your route. Your distance from the target determines how an attack works.
Up close, Jehuty strikes with his energy sword; farther away, you fire at the opponent. Quick evasive movements let you change position, and a shield absorbs attacks. You collect additional weapons and find the right application against different enemies and large bosses. Between battles, you travel between colony areas through an overview screen. Some tasks take you back to familiar places, for example to disable an installation or open a passage using a new tool.
Rescue missions also take buildings and residents into account. You want to defeat the attackers without further wrecking the neighbourhood, so reckless shooting affects your rating. You play the story alone with one controller. Completing it unlocks a separate battle option for two players, who use two controllers to fight their robots against each other on one shared screen; no Multitap is needed. This is the original PS2 adventure, not The 2nd Runner or an HD rerelease.
Region and language
Our PlayStation 2 games are PAL editions and come with a Dutch or English box, unless stated otherwise. By default, you receive the version for the European market. We note it in the product details if the region is different or the box is in another language. In almost all cases, the game is playable at least in English, and often in the other five common European languages too.
Manual
Zone of the Enders for PlayStation 2 includes the manual unless the product title states otherwise. If the booklet is missing, the title says “No Manual”. This lets you see before ordering whether the game comes with a manual.
The manuals included with our games usually contain at least English and often around six European languages. The exact languages vary by edition, so Dutch is not always included. The booklet explains the controls and the main rules. You can use it to check how to control the game, which actions are available and how its different features work.
The history of Zone of the Enders
Konami released Zone of the Enders for PlayStation 2 in March 2001. Its European arrival on 23 March came early in the console's life. Noriaki Okamura wrote the scenario and directed the game, with Hideo Kojima as producer and general director. Yoji Shinkawa designed the machines, while Nobuyoshi Nishimura handled the characters and art direction. The team wanted to make the experience of a robot anime playable: moving quickly through space and entering battle without complicated cockpit procedures.
Okamura did not want to tell the story solely through cinematics. Building destruction and the rules of rescue missions were also meant to make Leo's attitude towards violence tangible during play. Even a victorious battle could therefore leave damage behind. Shinkawa connected Jehuty's appearance to movement: exhaust nozzles respond to direction and speed, while machine components move with sword attacks and flight. The robot was thus designed as a body that you learn to read in action.
At the original launch, an included trial version of Metal Gear Solid 2 also attracted considerable attention. That is part of the release history, not a promise of an additional demo disc with this used copy. Konami continued the series in 2003 with The 2nd Runner, in which Jehuty again takes centre stage but gains a different pilot and larger battles. The later HD Collection brought both adventures to newer consoles. This description concerns the first, standalone PlayStation 2 version and its own campaign.
Similar games for PlayStation 2
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner builds on the same fast flight and switching between sword and ranged weapons. The sequel, however, gives Jehuty more specialised tools and places him in much larger battles. The first Zone of the Enders keeps the fighting closer to Leo's escape from Antilia and the damage to residential areas. Playing both side by side on PS2 chiefly shows how the same robot controls change in scale and story.
Armored Core 2 also has you carry out missions in an armed machine, but places considerable emphasis on assembling your own robot. Parts, weight and equipment determine what you can take along. Zone of the Enders gives you one fixed main robot and directs attention towards its movement during battle. Above all, you learn when Jehuty should approach, keep his distance or change attacks, instead of designing a new construction after every assignment.
Gungriffon Blaze also places you in futuristic battles with heavy machines. It looks out from the cockpit onto military battlefields, with walking, aiming and target positions setting the pace. Zone of the Enders shows Jehuty from outside and lets him move much more freely around opponents. Both demand awareness among large war machines, but the difference between a pilot behind instruments and a visible flying robot body changes the whole way you fight.
Mobile Suit Gundam: Federation vs. Zeon shares the animation background and the combination of shooting and close-range robot combat. There, you choose machines from two opposing sides and often fight alongside an ally. Zone of the Enders keeps the campaign focused on Leo and Jehuty and ties its missions to their escape. The similarity lies in choosing distance and avoiding attacks; the difference chiefly lies in a fixed leading role versus a broader military conflict.
Transformers for PS2 also combines robot action with alien technology and large enemies. There, you explore larger areas as an Autobot, turn into a vehicle and expand your equipment with Mini-Cons. Jehuty does not switch between driving and walking in that way: his free flight forms the foundation of combat. Zone of the Enders therefore focuses more strongly on short, fast confrontations in the air and the passages between sections of a single colony.
