3-Sep-2003 Zoe returns, she's had a makeover, and she's a knockout!
Remember when you were little and used to beg your mum to buy you a box of Shredded Wheat for the free toy? Well that was kinda what happened when Zone Of The Enders first came out back in 2001.
Most people bought it for the free Metal Gear Solid 2 demo, you see. But once you'd squeezed every ounce of playtime possible out of the freebie's opening tanker stage, it made sense to take ZOE for a spin.
And guess what? It turned out to be the Crunchy Nut Cornflakes of arcade robot romps. As soon as you tucked in it was almost impossible to stop. We all gorged ourselves on its eye-popping visuals and uniquely insane action scenarios. Only it was all over in the blink of an eye.
Luckily that's not a problem this time round. Konami has super-sized the ZOE experience, making The 2nd Runner's main adventure significantly longer and harder than its baby brother's. Plus the new gigantic battles are so intense that your brain will haemorrhage, leak out of your nose and clog up all the buttons on your controller. Hate it when that happens.
The Heat Of The Moment Less than a minute into it and you're surrounded by more than 50 robots intent on crippling your chunky metal ass. Get used to it, because this is what The 2nd Runner is all about. Every level is jam-packed with elaborate, intense combat situations that call for gazelle-like reflexes if you hope to stay alive.
Fighting within whirlwinds of black smoke, debris and Technicolor sparks is sensational. It makes battles in the previous game look as tame as playground scraps.
There is a flipside, though: at times the fiery action is so chaotic and explosive that you lose track of what's going on. It's still enjoyable, but you can't help feeling a bit helpless and out of control. And when things go totally bananas it can suffer from slight bouts of slowdown. Nonetheless, this is a trade-off you find yourself willing to accept because the whole thing looks so unbelievable.
Paranoid Android The large scale of the fights and drastically increased numbers of enemies have persuaded Konami to update the combat system for the better. Although all the fundamental controls from the last game remain the same, significant additions include your ability to attack tons of adversaries at once and the killer new sub-weapons earned on your interplanetary travels.
In most other mech games you're only interested in dealing with the foe nearest to you, but in The 2nd Runner every on-screen enemy poses a threat. That's why it's so exciting.
You're constantly strong-armed into keeping tabs on who's above, below and to the sides of you. The new multiple enemy lock-on function enables you to keep the hordes of evil robots at bay with a single blast. It couldn't really be any easier and the effects are astounding.
As for the 14 new sub-weapons, they're awesome. Each weapon possesses a unique ability that's perfectly suited to disabling, overpowering and disposing of specific enemies. This adds extra spice to the adventure because you're frequently forced to switch to a weapon that suits the situation.
But there's barely ever a moment to think. If you fail to equip the right piece of kit fast enough, chances are that you won't make it out alive. So start doing some brain exercises now.
Fun Runner Veterans of the first ZOE game will love what Konami has done with the sequel. The combat is so much more dynamic and each stage now sees you solving puzzles and searching for clues as well as blasting away at enemy bots.
The storyline is that clichéd old chestnut of betrayal leading to revenge, but the way it all plays out in the stylish animé cutscenes gives the adventure a super-polished finish. In terms of gameplay, this scrumptious sci-fi sequel isn't doing anything revolutionary. But once you enter the blindingly atmospheric universe and taste the breakneck-paced action firsthand, you simply won't care.
What a beaut this game is! It's probably the
best-looking shooter out there on any console, and when it comes to riotous arcade fun it ticks all the right boxes.
If it looks like you can pick something up and lob it, in The 2nd Runner you probably can. Whenever there's an end-of-level boss fight you will find that your surroundings can prove just as deadly as your snazzy lasers.
Here you’re enclosed by a giant electric cage. Your opponent is too powerful to take on blow for blow. So lure him in, wait for his attack, dodge and watch him stick to the electric barrier
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