Zone of the Enders: HD Collection Review

In some ways, HD bundles have more to prove than modern sequels or original games. The quality of a re-master collection relies on the old games holding up in addition to what they bring to the table – if it falters on either side, and it’s probably not worth your time. Zone of the Enders HD Collection struggles here: On one hand, the first Zone of the Enders is a sort of necessary evil, a misstep on the road to success. It was and remains an extremely repetitive and directionless action game. But it laid the groundwork for an elegant, excellent sequel you shouldn’t miss – and Zone of the Enders 2 is reason enough to own this HD re-release.

Part third-person shooter and part melee action game, Zone of the Enders was unlike most other games at the time, yet the only thing it really had going for it from a marketing perspective was that it evoked Evangelion. An antisocial introvert in a robot suit defending friends from villains inspired by gods and mythology? Anime fans know the premise well.