Zone of the Enders (PS2)

Zone of the Enders (ZONE OF THE ENDERS, Zōn obu Endāzu, ZONE OF ENDERS), officially abbreviated as Z.O.E., is a 2001 third-person shooter hack-and-slash video game that was developed and published by Konami for the Sony PlayStation 2. The game is based around mecha combat in outer space. Over the course of the game, the player obtains new weapons and has to protect towns from enemies.

The story is set in the space around Jupiter and follows a young colonist named Leo Stenbuck, one of the few survivors from his colony after it was attacked by the military force BAHRAM. The player controls the Orbital Frame known as Jehuty. Surviving using a mecha, Leo is on a mission to return Jehuty to the Space Force and uses the Frame to protect civilians. The game was created with the intention of having a more serious and realistic focus on the mecha genre. The mechas were designed by Yoji Shinkawa, the character and mechanical designer for the Metal Gear series.

The critical reaction to Zone of the Enders was positive. While the combat and graphics were generally well received, its short length and poor localization were the areas most commonly receiving criticism. The game spawned two follow-ups: The Fist of Mars, a spin-off for the Game Boy Advance, and The 2nd Runner, a direct sequel for the PlayStation 2. The Japanese animation studio Sunrise also produced two works related to Zone of the Enders.[clarification needed] The game was re-released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 alongside its direct sequel, Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner, in October 2012 as part of the Zone of the Enders HD Collection.