Title: Zone of The Enders HD CollectionFormat: PS3(reviewed), Xbox 360
Release Date: October 30, 2012
Publisher: Konami
Developer: Kojima Productions, High Voltage Software
Price: $39.99
ESRB Rating: M
I was never the biggest fan of the Zone of The Enders series, which is shocking seeing how much of a fan I am of Hideo Kojima, I'm glad too get another go 'round with the two games. Both games were classics on the PS2, receiving a ton of praise from people and critics worldwide. With the recent HD treatment, both games prove to be better than their original counterparts.
Story and Presentation:
One thing that I heard about these games was the fact that the story just wasn't interesting, but I have to disagree. I fairly enjoyed the narratives of both games, the heavily anime inspired tale of a boy who ignorantly gets into the Jehuty is an intriguing experience. The huge mech gives him the power to not only save his home, but save the world from the evil robots that have taken control. The cutscenes are filled with cheesy dialogue, which I like, and it really seems like I'm watching a mech based anime. The visuals have been extremely polished, and everything looks clean and crisp. The framerate is solid, and it never really dips or stutters. Even when the action is at a high, the game runs smoothly. The huge mech models look better, and thanks to the HD upgrade, a lot more detail is noticeable. The Orbital Frames' unique designs gets brought into a whole new light, each one carries a distinct look to them. Environments tend to repeat, but each one of them looks good, with some pretty cool destructibility. The only thing that didn't age well were the cinematics. Disregarding the all-new opening cinematics, which was done by Sunrise animation house(Gundam, Cowboy Bebop), the other cutscenes just didn't age well at all. Its one of the only things that didn't get retouched during the HD remake process. The music is easily the best part of the collections' presentation. Each game has a wonderful and emotional score that engrosses you from the opening theme. 
Core Gameplay:
I used to watch the game a lot, when it first came out, but I never actually got deep into it. The game really shines at its fast-paced mech battles, throughout a particular sector, there are scattered squads of enemy mech warriors of whom you need to deal with. When you compare the gameplay to other mech based fighters, it can seem pretty simplistic, but Jehuty as a whole is worthy fighter. You can seamlessly alternate between melee and ranged attacks, it can make for some hectic but smooth fights. The controls are tight, and with the brief tutorials, learning the mechanics are a breeze. The game can start to feel repetitive at times, as you mindlessly enter one sector after another, defeating one enemy after the other will start to become a chore. The second game feels more like a complete experience, the characters and story feels a lot more mature and ambitious. The 2nd Runner's gameplay is close to the first game, but the set pieces are bigger and better. The battles are a lot longer, and each encounter feels more unique than the last. You get to use more of your surroundings thanks to some cool new spaces to fight in, the sequels sense of verticality is far greater than it's prequel and you can instantly tell that. Boosting your way above enemies that are closing in on you will feel like second nature, and using your environment to your advantage is imperative to completing each mission. The gameplay is a blast, and it really becomes addictive in the latter half of each game. 
Final Thoughts:Zone of The Enders is a good game, and ZOE: The 2nd Runner is a great game. This creates a package that any fan of the originals will want to pickup. A few technical issues can't hold this back from being a very good HD remake. The Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance demo is another reason to pick up the package, the demo is incredible and shouldn't be missed.
S&S Rating: 7.75/10 @whatsPlay
