Zone of the Enders: The Second Runner MARS Reviews
Zone of the Enders comes to the current gen in better shape than ever, but still an artifact of its time.
Despite its issues I honestly enjoyed my time with Zone of the Enders 2.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS is both an antique and gem of its time, and one worth reexamining–especially if you've got a VR headset. But before diving in head first into an Orbital Frame, run a diagnostics on whether you are interested in returning to a PS2 game.
Overall, the standard game is an excellent high-definition remaster and is the best version of the game to date. The VR mode ruins that impressive achievement and is wholly unnecessary. In short, play this for the high definition remaster and give the VR mode a very wide berth.
Konami wants to show its best past, but the company does it by eluding the original creative team. Zone of the Enders MARS: The Second Runner works well with virtual reality, but we miss some extra content and more effort to maintain the cult work.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner – MARS is, in the end, the best possible version of the classic mechas title. The sci-fi game brings renewed joy to the players once again with a mix of anime scenes in this sequel. Even if the gameplay gets a bit tough in the beginning, it is easily managable. Furthermore, the feeling of immersion is very impressive, especially if we use a virtual reality device.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Hideo Kojima has been accused at various points of promoting style over substance, and in this remaster of Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner that's more apparent than ever. For all of its fantastically designed mech, and its tight and often enjoyable combat, Zone of the Enders 2nd Runner is an ugly, poorly-told and overly short slice of nostalgia that can't be saved by the introduction of VR.
15 years after its original release, ZOE 2nd Runner is still a good robot combat game. Thanks to a great remaster in 4K it doesn´t look too outdated, except for the anime sequences. We enjoyed the VR mode, which allows us to play the entire game in first person perspective.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS is (still) the best mecha videogame.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner - Mars may have flown under the radar in 2003 but it now has the chance to shine again 15 years later. Just know that the budget price reflects the fact that not a whole lot has been added: so if you didn't like it then you won't suddenly be smitten.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner M∀RS is a solid remaster that fans of the original shouldn't hesitate to pick up. Having said that, the game hasn't aged all that well. Combat can quickly get repetitive, and new abilities are hardly used before another new one comes along. Top it all off with a campaign that only takes 6-10 hours to complete, new players may wonder what all the fuss was about when the original released (especially with the script's hilariously bad translation). Still, this release is the most complete version of Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner to date.
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner - M∀RS is still one of the best mecha action games to grace any platform, although the decade and a half since its original release have caused Jehuty to lose some of its luster. While the native 4K60 and PSVR support is a great improvement, some other aspects of the game just feel out of date.
Another great re-release of a fantastic title that is unfortunately held back by the newly added VR mode. As good as the game is, however the package would have been stronger with the addition of the first game,
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner Mars gives the PS2 cult classic mech game updated touches like 4K resolution and VR support. If you played the original game, this release is unlikely to change your opinion.
Beyond the resolution increase, improved audio mix and middling VR, there's really not much to this remaster. The exclusion of the first game also makes recommending last gen's collection easier. If you're a fan of Kojima's mech series, then Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner MARS is worth picking up. It's unlikely to win any new fans though.
This second Zone of the Enders remains the charming game that it was but this new version, that can played in VR, brings no added value, not even offering the Japanese VO or subtitles written correctly ...
Review in French | Read full review
Zone of the Enders: The 2nd Runner MARS is a solid remaster with spiffy HD visuals and high-quality audio, but these updates can't cover the fact that it's a PlayStation 2 game at its core.
A great remastered version for one of the most beloved games of the PS2.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The addition of PSVR is gimmicky, but fun, with VR shining in cabin-based games like this one, was re-jigged to be. The rest of the game despite showing its age heavily in places manages to feel a fresh experience, as surprisingly nothing has really come out in all this time that comes close to how slickly agile aerial mech combat feels here.