Zone of the Enders (video game)

Zone of the Enders is a hack and slash and third-person shooter game in which the player takes the role of Leo Stenbuck, a child who becomes the pilot of the advanced mecha, or Frame, known as Jehuty. Jehuty is capable of three-dimensional movement, flying, and hovering. Leo uses Jehuty to traverse across different areas of a space colony orbiting Jupiter while attacking rogue Orbital Frames using its advanced weaponry. In some stages of the story, there is also the objective of minimizing damage to nearby buildings and civilians, encouraging more strategic combat. Players are given ranks depending on how many buildings and civilians were destroyed or spared. This grading affects the ending sequence outcome. Additionally, the player is given options where to fight in order to avoid linearity. In order to restore Jehuty's health, an item known as Metatron Ore can be found and used in every area. Upon completion of the game, a Versus Mode is unlocked. The player can use it to compete with the artificial intelligence (AI) bots or another player while controlling two Frames. ==Plot==

The game takes place in the year 2172; mankind has colonized Earth's, Mars', and Jupiter's moons. A military force known as BAHRAM sends its primary offensive unit to attack Antilia, a Jupiter colony, in an attempt to secure two advanced machines known as Orbital Frames. One of the few colony survivors, a young boy named Leo Stenbuck, witnesses a falling Laborious Extra-Orbital Vehicle (LEV) killing his friends. He flees to a hangar, where he finds an Orbital Frame by the name of Jehuty. Using this suit and its built-in intelligence, A.D.A, he fends off the BAHRAM forces led by officer Viola who seeks to claim Jehuty on the orders of their leader, Nohman. Leo is then contacted by Elena Weinberg, the commander of the civilian transport vessel Atlantis; it belongs to Earth's military forces, the United Nations Space Force. As Jehuty's original pilot died during the attack, Elena requests Leo's assistance to deliver Jehuty back to them so they can take it to Mars. Leo, however, refuses to kill enemies. Battling through Antilia, Leo rescues civilians, including Celvice Klein, a friend; he defends the colony from destruction, defeating the BAHRAM forces and their commanders one by one. Before reaching Atlantis, Leo encounters Viola, who seeks a rematch; Leo defeats Viola and spares her. Later, Atlantis pilot Rock Thunderheart meets Leo in person, revealing that BAHRAM forces are still determined to obtain Jehuty and are threatening to destroy the colony. Thunderheart requests Leo's help to pilot Jehuty, as he has realized Leo's skills are superior. Viola then appears, shooting Celvice this time, forcing Leo to fight again. Celvice is taken by Thunderheart to be treated while Leo goes to save the colony. Leo goes to the docks and Viola battles him once more. However, Viola is defeated again and killed when a leftover bomb blows her out of the colony and into Jupiter's atmosphere. Nohman himself then appears in Jehuty's superior twin Frame Anubis, forcing Jehuty's escape. As Jehuty is docking, A.D.A. reveals to Leo its programming: when taken to the fortress Aumaan on Mars, the mechas is to eject its pilot and self-destruct Jehuty, destroying the frame and the fortress. Leo leaves Jehuty's cockpit and meets up with the crew of the Atlantis and Celvice, who survived a gunshot wound. ==Development==

Zone of the Enders entered development for the PlayStation and PC, but in actuality Konami had no intentions of releasing them for those platforms. The game's focus is on anime-style robots with an emphasis on realism compared to common sci-fi works. Development staff were advised by professionals who had done scientific research for other anime series. Director and scenario writer Noriaki Okamura wanted to write a serious story featuring people with complicated lives; its main theme examines the purpose and nature of life, as reflected in Leo's hardships during the game. To support this message, multiple endings for the main narrative were avoided, although side quests could feature different endings. Despite this, two other endings can be unlocked depending on the player's performance when protecting civilians. In contrast to other 3D games, the team worked to give players the sensation that they are controlling a fast robot; this demanded a year of camera work to achieve. Okamura designed Zone of the Enders to tell a story through gameplay sequences, rather than during cutscenes. As such, the staff focused on adding details such as the destroyed buildings to inform the player's objectives. Character designer Nobuyoshi Nishimura expressed difficulties in designing characters who would both fit the mechas and the 3D models. In order to take advantage of the 3D space, Nishimura sought to move the camera as often as possible. He tried not to "go overboard" during cutscenes to emphasize the appeal of the mechas during gameplay. During development of the game, producer Hideo Kojima assisted the team. As a joke, Shinkawa placed the cockpit in the Frames' crotch region. The staff first had the idea of naming a Frame Anubis based on Egyptian mythology; this led to the name Jehuty for the main Frame, a reference to the Egyptian deity, Djehuti. LEVs were intended to appear during the gameplay as weak, easy opponents that would target Jehuty and the Raptors; however, they ultimately appeared only during cutscenes. Zone of the Enders was originally set to release in Japan on February 1, 2001, but was delayed to March 1, 2001. The Japanese edition premium package contains an original video animation titled ZOE: 2167 IDOLO; produced by Sunrise, it is set five years before the events on the game. Okamura was satisfied with Sunrise's work, noting their experience in producing robot anime. They were originally sold packaged with a preview demo of the then-upcoming Metal Gear Solid 2: Sons of Liberty. The game's soundtrack was released in Japan on April 25, 2001 by Konami Music Entertainment. According to director Okamura, the music is calm during normal situations, with new tracks added in combat situations to increase the complexity of the music while fighting. The main theme, "Kiss Me Sunlights", was composed and performed by Heart of Air. ==Reception==

The original Zone of the Enders received "generally favorable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic. The visual design has also been praised as highly detailed. On the other hand, GameZone criticized this mode stating it was not worth the wait to unlock it. It was the sixth best selling game in North America during March 2001; sales were boosted by the inclusion of a demo for the highly-anticipated Metal Gear Solid 2. The game was nominated for the "Most Disappointing Game" award at GameSpots Best and Worst of 2001 Awards, which went to ''Luigi's Mansion''. Legacy In June 2001, Konami announced a spin-off game titled Zone of the Enders: The Fist of Mars for the Game Boy Advance to be developed by Sunrise Interactive. Sunrise also produced an animated television series titled Z.O.E. Dolores, I in 2001. Although there were no plans for a sequel to the original game, To bridge the two games, Konami published an intersequel following Leo's activities with Atlantis and witnessing his growth as a pilot. A sequel to The 2nd Runner was announced in May 2012 as "The Enders Project," but was cancelled a year later due to difficulty with the HD ports. ==Notes==