[Note from Jake: As I expand the stable of A Capital Wasteland writers, I introduce the affable, all-seeing Austin Lucas!]
In 2001, a demo
for the highly anticipated Metal Gear
Solid 2: Sons of Liberty was released. Oh, and a game came with the demo… Zone of the Enders, a self-described “mecha
anime simulator featuring never-before-seen aerial gameplay.” After the breakout success of Metal Gear Solid, creator Hideo Kojima’s status
as one of gaming’s great icons was solidified. Not to diminish from his earlier forays into the medium, but things were forever changed after MGS. So when Kojima was set to produce
a new non-Metal Gear game, people took
notice. The inclusion of a demo for a
new MGS really grabbed attention
though and would drive sales for Zone of
the Enders. I was just a Kojima
neophyte at the time, so clearly my purchase can be attributed to an
infatuation with giant robots.
High Speed Robot Action
 |
| Don't worry you'll get to play as Snake too |
Gameplay-wise, Zone of the Enders was on the cutting
edge as much as the titular Enders were at the end of inhabited space. Z.O.E. was fast, and it was fast before
the party really started getting crazy later that year with Devil May Cry. Altitude control, another
unique feature, might have seemed unnecessary when you could simply lock-on to
enemies. However, it is a key part of
the aesthetic of the game and one that works in conjunction with Z.O.E.’s high speed to give a true sense
of movement and a degree of energy to the combat, which stylistically fits in
with the sleek mechanical designs of artist Yoji Shinkawa.
 |
| FOXHOUND |
Instead of a
game and a demo, those who purchased Zone
of the Enders really just got two demo discs. One for the previously mentioned MGS2 and one for the yet to be announced
Zone of the Enders 2. It doesn’t take a thorough examination, a
moderately quick glance will suffice, to determine that Z.O.E. is essentially nothing more than a proof of concept for
future iterations of the franchise. That
might be overly critical of Z.O.E.
but anyone who has managed to make it through the final boss encounter can
probably attest to this. It is not that
the game is incredibly unpolished or that there are glaring issues that need to
addressed, but instead that Z.O.E. as
a standalone game just seems to be a taste of things to come. Despite playtime being padded by cutscenes, Z.O.E. still manages to be a rather
short experience, even with a bit a backtracking. The anticlimactic manner in which the final
fight plays out doesn’t help Z.O.E.’s case either.
While
the gameplay might have been attempting to push the boundary and help usher in
the new generation of action games, no one has ever accused the story elements
of being too original. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: an antisocial
boy with family issues stumbles upon a powerful machine and uses it to defend
his space colony from an invading force willing to commit indescribable
atrocities in the name of independence. Leo
is that ubiquitous youth who is thrust into the “cockpit” of Jehuty a ridiculously
powerful mech called an orbital frame.
ADA, Jehuty’s onboard AI, guides him in his quest to stop the
destruction of his home; this quickly turns into a fight for survival. Obstacles along the way, mainly in the form
of massive STG style bosses, require Leo to seek out upgrades for Jehuty. Additional challenge missions arise due to
SOS’s from other colonists. The goal of
these side missions is to quickly defeat all the enemies in a given area while
minimizing collateral damage. Since they
are side mission they can be ignored but it’s hard to live with yourself if you
do. There is also a nice coating of
melodrama and existential angst is applied to the stock story. Some might enjoy the philosophical quandaries
this produces such as “What actually constitutes being alive?” and “What is the
purpose of living for those who have no life?” but this might just turn off
others that don’t want to hear the issues of a 13-year-old boy in control of a
giant war machine. The game is billed as
a “mecha simulator” after all and it shows in how the setting and story are
laid out.
 |
| Stand up to the Je-hu-ty |
Not much time is
spent on exposition, but some world building is done through the game’s
tutorial, presented by ADA. She explains
the importance of Metatron ore that makes a bulk of the super science in Z.O.E. possible, especially the vector
traps and orbital frames. People who
really care for this kind of stuff can explore it further in side material released
alongside the game, namely Idolo, an
anime that occurs 5 years before the events of the game.
Get your ass to Mars: The 2nd
Runner
Zone of the Enders and its sequel The 2nd
Runner (Anubis as it’s known in
Japan) have more or less coalesced into a singular existence. They operate not
as consecutive iterations but as consequential occurrences; there is a bit of
retroactivity to The 2nd Runner. The
core gameplay was established in the first game, but 2nd Runner is a refinement to the point where these tweaks
transcend the game they were introduced in and feel as if they had been there
the whole time. This will then explain
any overemphasis on the speed of the first game due to bleed over from the
second’s near superluminal speeds.
 |
| Travelling beyond the bounds |
The back of the sequel’s
box says it all: “Bigger. Better. Faster.” The enemies are more varied, the
combat is more intense, Jehuty is quicker, the explosions are prettier, and the
stakes are higher. If you liked Z.O.E.
then it is almost a foregone conclusion that the sequel will tickle you right
in your fancy too. If you didn’t like Z.O.E.,
chances are you didn’t play it; you more than likely will enjoy the new hotness
of The 2nd Runner. I realize that by
this point it sounds as if I’m fellating the game (insert obligatory “cockpit”
joke here), but it truly is one of my favorite games of all time. Of all time. The
gameplay is exhilarating and strikes a nice balance of the speed and power that
comes with controlling a machine approaching God, yet still emphasizing the
risks and threats created by the story.
Storywise, The 2nd Runner ups the ante of the
previous installation as it delivers on all the vague and nebulous conflict
implied in the first game. The new protagonist, Dingo, battles across Mars to
stop his foes. As Leo was defending his home, so too does Dingo, except he’s
fighting to basically stop the destruction of the universe. The change in frame
runners, what the pilots are called (now the title makes sense, doesn’t it?),
is set up quite nicely by the relationship Leo develops with ADA. Leo was the
prototypical young reluctant pilot, and Dingo is the standard former soldier
that got sick of fighting. Naturally Leo
as a character is dynamic since he was still coming of age when he got drawn
into a conflict that made him question the purpose of life. Conversely, Dingo
remains relatively static throughout his appearance due to the fact that he is
a veteran who knows where he is in life and is confident in himself as a
person. Though Leo might not be the
focus of the sequel, he is not forgotten and his growth is clearly displayed. For
those more familiar with Metal Gear Solid:
in Z.O.E. it’s as if you get to play
as Raiden for the tanker mission and Snake for the Big Shell.
 |
| Homing Lasers: Itano Circus the weapon |
Beyond the Bounds: morality in Z.O.E.
The
change in pilots allows for a further analysis of life and death at the end of
the universe. It is established that Leo
is firmly against killing and that he holds all life dear, including artificial
life. He does everything in his power to save people--getting anything less
than a perfect score on the SOS missions will reiterate this fact. Not even
ADA’s congratulations on an “A” rank softens the blow of his inability to save
everyone. Leo appreciates all life; not
only does he spare his enemies lives, but he even tries to save the primary
antagonist (who’s responsible for the death and destruction of his friends and
home).
Nearly all of the enemies are AI controlled or unmanned mechs, so
you don’t have to suffer from him angsting over defeating every enemy. Interestingly,
though the human involvement in combat has been reduced thanks to unmanned
weapons, the human cost of conflict remains high, or might even be greater, due
to the destructive power and outright disregard for life displayed by the enemy
faction. BAHRAM is willing to destroy a space colony to get Jehuty and then the
entire Mars sphere is engulfed in war.
Dingo offers an alternative to Leo’s justifiable, apprehensive approach
to battle. Dingo’s status as an ex-soldier confers a willingness to do what
must be done in order to accomplish his mission. He’ll kill enemy soldiers yet try to protect
his comrades as best he can; this includes seeking retribution against those
that would casually throw away the lives of his former allies.
 |
| Shift to Vector Cannon mode. All energy lines connected. Landing gear and climbing irons locked. Inner chamber pressure rising normally. Life ring has started revolving. Ready to fire. |
The fringes of a franchise about living on
the fringe: Z.O.E. spinoffs
Idolo is an anime that attempt to shed
light on the events that set the stage for Z.O.E. It deals with the creation of the first
orbital frame, the precursor to Jehuty and its twin. The story also fleshes out the conflict
between Martian colonists and the Earth government that led to the prominence
of the antagonist faction BAHRAM. While
not impressive on its own, it works well within the greater context of the
series as it helps to explain the rationale of all the key villains.
 |
| Left: old and busted grid work Right: new hotness arcadey dodging and aiming |
Besides the
previously mentioned anime and two main games, there are two other entries into
the Z.O.E.-verse. Fist of
Mars, or as it’s known in Japan 2173
Testament, is a turn-based strategy RPG for the Game Boy Advance. In terms
of gameplay, it is Super Robot Wars
lite. There is a manual evasion and hit system in the game that imparts a sense
of control not usually seen in such games.
The story plays out very much like a mecha anime (26 episodes) and turns
any melodrama found in the primary series up to 11. Chances are if you are playing the game you
know what to expect. The series of
events in FoM helps to set up the
conflict in 2nd Runner, but unless
you really care about the Z.O.E.
backstory or need a mecha visual novel it’s not really on a recommendation
list.
 |
| It could happen |
The other entry
is the TV series Dolores, i. It serves as a prequel occurring after Idolo and before the first game. Unfortunately I cannot comment directly on
its quality, an issue I plan to rectify since it’s near the top of my
backlog. Not too many speak of it either,
but those that do usually do so in a rather positive light. One point of praise for the series is the
protagonist, James Links. This stems
from the fact that he is up there in years and has a family, and then he actually
acts like a family man. After a history
of teens and other young males taking the spotlight it is a nice change of
pace.
 |
| Kojima reaches for the key demo |
Space Jammin’
Music: it’s a thing, and
games invariably have it. The music in this series is fantastic in part because
of how well it reflects the game. It is primarily a collection of electronic
sounds that have come to be representative of space and super science. I can’t say for certain but I think at some
point the pulse of energy coursing through Jehuty’s Metatron frame syncs
perfectly with the rhythm of the music. There is also a degree of hollowness to
the sound of the game, which creates an almost haunting air. A collection of faint piano and strings
combined with vague chants drives the feeling home. This ties in well to push the sense of
ominous dread associated with a battle for the fate of life as we know it. The soundtrack included in the upcoming
limited edition HD collection is enough justification for my preorder, but a
nice artbook is also a welcome inclusion.
What does it all mean?
"Z.O.E. 3 when?" has long been a joke amongst the
faithful. The 2nd Runner’s low sales were thought to signal the demise of the
franchise, yet Kojima has been on record multiple times claiming that he wished
to make another Z.O.E. entry. Thus I have eagerly awaited the completion of
whatever the latest Metal Gear
project has been since it means Kojima and crew are free to work on Z.O.E.
Every time he has been wrangled back into working on Metal Gear is bittersweet, since I love
me some Movie Gear, but it dims the glimmer of hope for the sequel near the top
of my wish list. The crazy thing is Z.O.E. 3 has been announced and is in production. Despite this development I figured a bit of
proselytizing could only make the future of the series more certain. A
lot was said, but this is a very important piece of entertainment to me, so
anything less wouldn’t feel right. What
my whole retrospective basically amounts to is this: the Z.O.E. HD collection is already out in Japan and reaches our shores
next week. Get hype.
No comments:
Post a Comment