At first, many thought that ZOE was going to be one of the best earlier games on the PS2. Being produced by Metal Gear Solid’s Hideo Kojima, and bundled with a Metal Gear Solid 2 demo, I thought that there was no way it could be a bad investment. But ZOE turned out to be only okay. I actually ended up playing the MGS2 demo almost more than ZOE itself!
Graphics
ZOE has some of the best graphics on PS2 at the time. The mechs, which are called orbital frames in the game, are really detailed, but the backgrounds are a bit plain and some buildings seem to look identical. Some of the more impressive sights include the orbital frames themselves and their abilities, though the non-boss enemies look much plainer. The explosions from the robots and bursts of light when they dash look great and there is almost no slow down. The graphics are definitely one of the best things going for this game.
Sound
Personally, I found the intro song to be kinda annoying. A high-pitched voice sings a weird song that I can’t understand, but the beat sounds okay. The in-game music is mostly techno/high-energy giving it a hi-tech feel and fits the game perfectly. The sound effects are also pretty good from the biggest explosions to the sound of your orbital frame’s legs grinding against the ground. The only real bad voice-over is from the main character, Leo, who sounds way too emotional.
Control
The controls for ZOE are pretty easy to get used to. A beginner can really get into the game easily and if that isn’t enough, the game begins with a tutorial. Although any player can get into the game easily, the gameplay is one of the weaker points of the game. The one-player game puts you up against the same 4 types of enemies, in different combinations, over and over again, not including bosses. After a while, the game gets pretty boring when you destroy hundreds of the same enemies with the same tired moves. And don’t even get me started on the two-player mode. The two-player and the demo was what really made me get ZOE and I expected something like Sega’s Virtual-On, but what I got was one of the weakest two-player experiences I’ve ever had.
Overall
Overall, this is an average game. What it has in graphics, it lacks in gameplay. The one-player mode gets boring after a few fights and the two-player mode is hella weak. If you love Metal Gear Solid, BUY THIS GAME, but if not, just rent it.
--Vince
Graphics: 9.0
Sound: 7.6
Control: 5.7
Satisfaction: 6.2
Overall: 7.4
