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Just finished my first ever playthrough of Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner. 
Initial thoughts: That was hard as f*ck!
And I was only playing on Normal!
Gorgeous game - Probably one of the best looking PS2 games out there. Those final boss fights didn't hold back, and were a real spectacle.
The speed of combat and Jehuty's aerial movement is much improved over the original in subtle but significant ways.
Being able to turn the camera with the right analogue stick is a big help. Having to hold L2 to lock off took some getting used to however.
The enemy types were varied, and most were fun to face off against. I also appreciated the welcome improvements in combat, like the charged dash burst and faster charging energy blast.
I loved how the game plays out like a seamless story. Rarely does it feel like you've reached the end of a level - The cutscenes just shepherd you from one big set piece to another, without loading screens.
Like with the original, I felt the sub weapons weren't introduced effectively. Also like in the original, only a handful of them are actually any good, and are needed for general story progression.
Re: The difficulty - From about the halfway point (in fact, specifically upon reaching the mission where you must destroy a freighter train) the game begins throwing you into a series of increasingly difficult scenarios, each requiring you to adopt specific tactics to succeed, which you are unlikely to have utilised or needed to experiment with prior to that point. These tactics are not well indicated. It really is a trial by fire. Some parts are very exacting, and not always in a fun way.
The anime cutscenes and FMV's are both excellently choreographed and fluidly animated. The problem with the story is: The translation is f*cking dreadful!
Most characters speak in super-literal Janglish, using odd turns of phrase and/or terse sentences that rob the story of any weight, and isn't even all that fun to laugh at. It's just kind of disappointing.
The protagonists for both games suck, but at least in this one Leo is made to be far less whiney, and is actually kind of cool.
I will say however, the Voice Actors for Inhert and Nohman both gave brilliant performances. They managed to elevate the material a fair bit.
For about 10-15% of the game, you escort a character in your mech, and if you die, she does a prolonged scream as you Game Over. It's well performed, but you should only have to hear it once. Hearing it every single time you fail during that section is enough to turn anybody postal. It's genuinely awful, and I'm incredulous that it got past play-testing.
All in all, The 2nd Runner has much higher highs AND lower lows than ZoE, but the gameplay innovations, and slick presentation make for a better overall experience than its predecessor most of the time. I will probably play it again at some point in the future.
And I was only playing on Normal!
Gorgeous game - Probably one of the best looking PS2 games out there. Those final boss fights didn't hold back, and were a real spectacle.
The speed of combat and Jehuty's aerial movement is much improved over the original in subtle but significant ways.
Being able to turn the camera with the right analogue stick is a big help. Having to hold L2 to lock off took some getting used to however.
The enemy types were varied, and most were fun to face off against. I also appreciated the welcome improvements in combat, like the charged dash burst and faster charging energy blast.
I loved how the game plays out like a seamless story. Rarely does it feel like you've reached the end of a level - The cutscenes just shepherd you from one big set piece to another, without loading screens.
Like with the original, I felt the sub weapons weren't introduced effectively. Also like in the original, only a handful of them are actually any good, and are needed for general story progression.
Re: The difficulty - From about the halfway point (in fact, specifically upon reaching the mission where you must destroy a freighter train) the game begins throwing you into a series of increasingly difficult scenarios, each requiring you to adopt specific tactics to succeed, which you are unlikely to have utilised or needed to experiment with prior to that point. These tactics are not well indicated. It really is a trial by fire. Some parts are very exacting, and not always in a fun way.
The anime cutscenes and FMV's are both excellently choreographed and fluidly animated. The problem with the story is: The translation is f*cking dreadful!
Most characters speak in super-literal Janglish, using odd turns of phrase and/or terse sentences that rob the story of any weight, and isn't even all that fun to laugh at. It's just kind of disappointing.
The protagonists for both games suck, but at least in this one Leo is made to be far less whiney, and is actually kind of cool.
I will say however, the Voice Actors for Inhert and Nohman both gave brilliant performances. They managed to elevate the material a fair bit.
For about 10-15% of the game, you escort a character in your mech, and if you die, she does a prolonged scream as you Game Over. It's well performed, but you should only have to hear it once. Hearing it every single time you fail during that section is enough to turn anybody postal. It's genuinely awful, and I'm incredulous that it got past play-testing.
All in all, The 2nd Runner has much higher highs AND lower lows than ZoE, but the gameplay innovations, and slick presentation make for a better overall experience than its predecessor most of the time. I will probably play it again at some point in the future.
