While you're wasting your time on lesser games waiting for MGS2 to be released you may be wondering what is taking Hideo Kojima so long. Could it be the endless interviews? The appearances at trade shows? The hot and cold running groupies? No, it's Zone of the Enders. So what exactly is this strange sounding game that has been keeping Kojima-san away from Solid Snake duties? Here we take a look at Konami's tribute to robot anime and tell you whether this is the freebie that came with the Metal Gear Solid 2 demo, or worthy of a purchase in its own right.

The game's storyline takes a similar route as classic anime mecha series such as Gundam 0079 and Neon Genesis Evangelion. Boy in war meets mech, boy falls into mech, boy reluctantly takes control of mech, and boy becomes the allies only chance of survival against evil forces. Okay so maybe it's not exactly the same as the two aforementioned anime series, but it does have similarities and highlights one important point, young boys sure know how to pilot mechs!

One thing that became evident from watching any of the many movies that have been posted across the net over the last 6 months, is that Z.O.E. is an extremely fast paced action game. So fast in fact, that it probably had you wondered how the game was actually playable. Thankfully it is very playable, all thanks to the intuitive control system Konami has put together. Even though the controls are easy to use they do house quite a bit of depth, in the form of various attacks and moves. Luckily ADA, the mechs computer, talks you through all of these functions at the beginning of the game and will let you practice them in a simulated environment. You start the game with basic arsenal but there are more weapons to be found on your journey, some of which are essential to progress further in to the game. Even though there are plenty of weapons at your disposal you'll probably spend most of your time engaged in melee combat, as you can generally inflict a lot more damage. Early on in the game you can do away with your foe with some simple old school button bashing, but when you start to come up against tougher enemies later on in the game things become a little more tactical.

The game starts off perfectly, it has a great storyline, interesting characters, and then disappointment slaps you in the face as you realize how incredibly short the game is. There are only around 14 different areas in the game, and to extend the games longevity a little Konami has you revisiting many of these areas on multiple occasions collecting important items or performing tasks. This comes across as a bit of a lazy move on Konami's behalf; surely it wouldn't have been too difficult to create a few more new areas to fit this purpose. Z.O.E. plays much like a feature length episode of an epic anime series, which is not surprising really when you take in to account that the games producer was Hideo Kojima, the brains behind the Metal Gear series, who has said on numerous occasions that he likes to make games unfold like a movie. This is a perfectly acceptable approach to game design, as long as there's enough content to satisfy the gamers. Z.O.E. falls short of satisfying, which is probably why Konami threw in a demo of MGS2, kind of like a desert after the main course.

If you've seen any movies or screenshots of Z.O.E. you'll already know it is probably one of the best looking games on the PS2 right now, and without a doubt the best looking mech game in existence. The various locations your battles take place in are gorgeous, although there are a few areas don't really differ a whole lot and have no real sense of identity unlike some of the other areas. You also get a great a feeling of how large your mech actually is, as it towers above the tiny buildings and vehicles, especially in the suburban areas where you can see lamp posts and bus shelters. Around 90% of these environments can actually be destroyed too, stray shots can lay to waste to a whole tower block, and what's more when you return to a previously visited area it will still bare the scars of your heated battles. The mech design is second-to-none, and the huge boss mechs you encounter throughout the game are simply overwhelming, and have an almost unbeatable feel to them. Like Metal Gear Solid the game is packed with tiny little details and graphic touches.The whole design of the game is slick and screams of quality.