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PSA: Zone of the Enders HD patch out in Europe. [Up: Now up in the US]

MechaX

Member
Finished the second half of the game. No dips in any Anubis battle, some very minor dips in the Fortress City (usually when you're destroying multiple buildings), the massive battle actually runs infinitely better than it did in the PS2 version, and even the cutscenes run a hell of a lot smoother.

Post-Patch ZOE2 is definitely the definitive version, hands down, no contest.
 

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?
So much talk about ZoE2... how's ZoE pre/after-patch?
 

Yoshichan

And they made him a Lord of Cinder. Not for virtue, but for might. Such is a lord, I suppose. But here I ask. Do we have a sodding chance?

chaosblade

Unconfirmed Member
Picked this up for $23 new thanks to this thread. Figured prices aren't going to stay that low once news of the patch spreads. Amazon already raised the price back to MSRP.
 

luka

Loves Robotech S1
Its not awful. Pretty good actually. Not up to the perfect standards of the post-patch ZOE2... But I find it quite adequate (unlike the pre-patch ZOE2).

I found it to be pretty terrible to be honest. The fact that it starts dropping serious frames the moment more than 2 enemies or any transparencies enter the screen space is pretty shocking and I found it actually made timing combos a lot more difficult than it should be. The Nebula boss fight is especially bad and runs in constant juddery slow motion. It only seems like a halfway decent port because it actually manages to hit 60fps sometimes instead of running at half speed all the time like pre-patch zoe2.
 

Lord Error

Insane For Sony
So it looks like now you can buy ZOE2 standalone on PSN (and ZOE1 standalone as well).

ZOE2: $20
ZOE1: $10
Collection: $35

Maybe this was always available seprate like this, I don't know. But can someone who has ZOE2 standalone in US/Canada tell me if the new patch works on this version?
 

AlphaSnake

...and that, kids, was the first time I sucked a dick for crack
So it looks like now you can buy ZOE2 standalone on PSN (and ZOE1 standalone as well).

ZOE2: $20
ZOE1: $10
Collection: $35

Maybe this was always available seprate like this, I don't know. But can someone who has ZOE2 standalone in US/Canada tell me if the new patch works on this version?

Why is the collection $5 more? :\
 

Not Spaceghost

Spaceghost
God I love this game, the EX missions were more fun than I remember.

In case anyone is struggling with them, the best trick is to 0 shift to them and drop an F bomb as soon as you appear behind the enemy, they should just blow up 9/10 times.
 

Yuterald

Member
I actually bought this collection near launch for the Rising demo, but I barely played it since I've already played ZoE 1 & 2 to completion. Got SS Ranks on the highest difficulties in both games, all EX Missions done with high scores, Yoji Shinkawa's background illustration unlocked, etc. back on my original PS2 copies (still have my saves too). Curious to boot it back up due to the patch. I only played ZoE 1 on this collection so far and some of the boss fights were pretty barf due to the FPS. That's pretty cool that it's all fixed now.
 

JoeFenix

Member
Originally posted in the other ZOE thread but it's dead so I'll leave this here.

It is actually possible to get an S rank in ZOE1

URPjOx7.jpg


The game actually only grades you on 3 things:

- Number of continues, anything under 5 is ok for best rank

- Difficulty, Very Hard is the only difficulty where you can get S rank

- SOS missions, you need to get A ranks on all 5 to get overall S rank

That's it, fairly straightforward but enemies can definitely murder you VERY quickly if you're not careful. Sadly you don't get any special unlock or reward for getting an S rank as far I could tell.
 

Tizoc

Member
Originally posted in the other ZOE thread but it's dead so I'll leave this here.

It is actually possible to get an S rank in ZOE1

URPjOx7.jpg


The game actually only grades you on 3 things:

- Number of continues, anything under 5 is ok for best rank

- Difficulty, Very Hard is the only difficulty where you can get S rank

- SOS missions, you need to get A ranks on all 5 to get overall S rank

That's it, fairly straightforward but enemies can definitely murder you VERY quickly if you're not careful. Sadly you don't get any special unlock or reward for getting an S rank as far I could tell.
Grrr eff rescue mission 2!
 

JoeFenix

Member
Mission 4 is the worst you can only do it while ADA is infected bleh.

Really? I think 2 is easily the worst one. 4 is actually super easy imo, use Phalanx to stun lock the enemies as you approach them and then square X 3 into Burst Melee.

There`s only like 3 or 4 squads there and the damage/survivors thing is really hard to mess up on that one.
 

Not Spaceghost

Spaceghost
Really? I think 2 is easily the worst one. 4 is actually super easy imo, use Phalanx to stun lock the enemies as you approach them and then square X 3 into Burst Melee.

There`s only like 3 or 4 squads there.

They're both a huge pain, I always end up getting hit by a stray shot from some one during that mission but I never thought to use phalanx to stun lock, do you use wide spread or focused? I'd imagine widespread could be dangerous but easier to control enemies with. Mission 2 is awful because SOMETHING always gets blown up so you gotta restart from last save.
 

JoeFenix

Member
They're both a huge pain, I always end up getting hit by a stray shot from some one during that mission but I never thought to use phalanx to stun lock, do you use wide spread or focused? I'd imagine widespread could be dangerous but easier to control enemies with. Mission 2 is awful because SOMETHING always gets blown up so you gotta restart from last save.

Does Phalanx even have pressure sensitive spread in ZOE1? It`s not something I`ve noticed in the first game although I definitely use it in ZOE2.

As for mission 2, were you aware that the Tempest boss fight that takes place in Town 1 actually influences the damage % in SOS mission 2? You need to make sure to skip the intro cutscene to that fight to avoid the buildings getting damaged and you need to lure the boss in the middle of the bridge so he doesn`t cause more damage during the fight. After that it`s a matter of going for the squads that patrol first, those are actively destroying buildings while the stationary ones are just chilling out and can wait.

You can definitely pull it off with a little bit of patience and luck, the game is also really short so restarting isn`t that big of a deal. Skipping cutscenes I can finish it in under 1 hour on hard.

Hope that helps!
 

Not Spaceghost

Spaceghost
Does Phalanx even have pressure sensitive spread in ZOE1? It`s not something I`ve noticed in the first game although I definitely use it in ZOE2.

As for mission 2, were you aware that the Tempest boss fight that takes place in Town 1 actually influences the damage % in SOS mission 2?

You need to make sure to skip the intro cutscene to that fight to avoid the buildings getting damaged and you need to lure the boss in the middle of the bridge so he doesn`t cause more damage during the fight.


After that it`s a matter of going for the squads that patrol first, those are actively destroying buildings while the stationary ones are just chilling out and can wait.

You can definitely pull it off with a little bit of patience and luck, the game is also really short so restarting isn`t that big of a deal. Skipping cutscenes I can finish it in under 1 hour on hard.

Hope that helps!

Holy shit wow, I had no clue that makes so much sense then! Jesus that's some konami level bullshit right there. Thanks a ton!!
 

Schlomo

Member
Damn Vic Viper fight in ZOE2 took me like 20 tries, but you get a little better every time, glad I didn't give up.

With all the talk about how brilliant the patch is I was a little disappointed with the frame rate dropping to about 20fps when Vic Viper shoots his big yellow barrages at the end of the fight.
 

CamHostage

Member
So can we now say that High Voltage Games are lazy devs?

Look, can we please compliment the new developers and not tear down the old ones? This was as hard a damned job as they come as far as actually replicating and improving a game so clearly coded to the metal (and that "to the metal" isn't like other chipsets when we're talking the beast that is PS2,) using the term "lazy" for anybody crazy enough to even try is disrespectful and unfair. You don't know what the budget was, you don't know what the time constraints were, you don't know how well the original code was documented, you don't know how much more complicated adding a second totally unique hardware platform to the equasion of redeveloping and testing and approving made the port job, you just don't know.

Blame the publisher for shipping it in an unsatisfactory state; blame the bookers at the studio who underbid the job; blame Kojima for signing off on a remastering that didn't live up to the typically high stardards of his studio; blame those who over-promised and under-delivered. Blame them all for taking your dollars, that's fine: this should have been done better if it were possible (and clearly, somehow, it was possible.) But insults are unnecessarily destructive. Compliment Hexadrive, and encourage developers like HVG to strive to accomplish that level of excellence. Thank Kojima Productions for continuing to search for a better way to play ZOE even after it was shipped. Do something constructive with your words. Because otherwise, it's just contributing to the "dickhead gamer" culture that helps lead to these subpar works, where publishers don't care about ace work when sales will be roughly the same no matter if the complaints are great or small.

High Voltage Games did a workman-like job (as likely they were contracted to do, with no room in the budget or schedule to veer from the plan of delivering two products on at set schedule at a certain MSRP) on a project that required finesse and custom tuning to really do perfectly. The work that Hexadrive put in, that's dedication above and beyond the pay. If developers who do it for the love only see negativity aimed at the HD remastering business, they eventually will find something else to do, or they will leave the love at home and just take jobs that pay out on their schedule when the project gets as done as the boss says it needs to be.
 

jett

D-Member
Getting my ass kicked on the train stage in ZOE2. any tips?

I just can't survive the last part.

:(

Think i reached my physical limits.

Dash+laser on the guns and gauntlet for the mech enemies, pray for the best. Replaying this game after 10 years...I don't want to call it shit, but it is kinda shit.
 

graywolf323

Member
Look, can we please compliment the new developers and not tear down the old ones? This was as hard a damned job as they come as far as actually replicating and improving a game so clearly coded to the metal (and that "to the metal" isn't like other chipsets when we're talking the beast that is PS2,) using the term "lazy" for anybody crazy enough to even try is disrespectful and unfair. You don't know what the budget was, you don't know what the time constraints were, you don't know how well the original code was documented, you don't know how much more complicated adding a second totally unique hardware platform to the equasion of redeveloping and testing and approving made the port job, you just don't know.

Blame the publisher for shipping it in an unsatisfactory state; blame the bookers at the studio who underbid the job; blame Kojima for signing off on a remastering that didn't live up to the typically high stardards of his studio; blame those who over-promised and under-delivered. Blame them all for taking your dollars, that's fine: this should have been done better if it were possible (and clearly, somehow, it was possible.) But insults are unnecessarily destructive. Compliment Hexadrive, and encourage developers like HVG to strive to accomplish that level of excellence. Thank Kojima Productions for continuing to search for a better way to play ZOE even after it was shipped. Do something constructive with your words. Because otherwise, it's just contributing to the "dickhead gamer" culture that helps lead to these subpar works, where publishers don't care about ace work when sales will be roughly the same no matter if the complaints are great or small.

High Voltage Games did a workman-like job (as likely they were contracted to do, with no room in the budget or schedule to veer from the plan of delivering two products on at set schedule at a certain MSRP) on a project that required finesse and custom tuning to really do perfectly. The work that Hexadrive put in, that's dedication above and beyond the pay. If developers who do it for the love only see negativity aimed at the HD remastering business, they eventually will find something else to do, or they will leave the love at home and just take jobs that pay out on their schedule when the project gets as done as the boss says it needs to be.

to be fair HVG can get that label for the body of their work not just ZOE HD
 

Eusis

Member
Look, can we please compliment the new developers and not tear down the old ones? This was as hard a damned job as they come as far as actually replicating and improving a game so clearly coded to the metal (and that "to the metal" isn't like other chipsets when we're talking the beast that is PS2,) using the term "lazy" for anybody crazy enough to even try is disrespectful and unfair. You don't know what the budget was, you don't know what the time constraints were, you don't know how well the original code was documented, you don't know how much more complicated adding a second totally unique hardware platform to the equasion of redeveloping and testing and approving made the port job, you just don't know.
Plus it's very possible the only way to get it as good as it is now was to develop SPECIFICALLY for the PS3's architecture. Maybe Hexadrive could've done a better job on 360 too even if not AS good, but I think HVG just opted for general multiplatform friendly design, prioritizing the 360 as most western developers and publishers hoping to sell more outside of Japan will do. I do imagine that between hitting both PS3 and 360 but going with a sub-optimal port, or sticking with PS3 but going for a knock out job they should've done the latter, but we have the patch and hopefully not TOO many were burned. Helps you can buy the second at a discount on PSN at least.
 
HOLY FUCK... that escort mission with ardjet is fucking frustrating.


done with this game for the day. >.<


edit: annnd i forgot to save...


*puts game at bottom of backlog*
 
Just saw this is on sale for 360. I haven't played either but I've always wanted to. Am I understanding correctly that there's no patch for the 360 version? If so, how do they play as they are? I'm more interested in ZoE2 unless 1 holds up really well. Are the stories related?
 

cj_iwakura

Member
Just saw this is on sale for 360. I haven't played either but I've always wanted to. Am I understanding correctly that there's no patch for the 360 version? If so, how do they play as they are? I'm more interested in ZoE2 unless 1 holds up really well. Are the stories related?

1's protagonist is older in 2 and helps Dingo along. Beyond that, not really, but there are some references to 1. And the FPS is just all over the place without the patch. I don't think it's dire, like say, Silent Hill 'HD'.
 
1's protagonist is older in 2 and helps Dingo along. Beyond that, not really, but there are some references to 1. And the FPS is just all over the place without the patch. I don't think it's dire, like say, Silent Hill 'HD'.

Not so great, then? That's too bad. Hopefully they still patch the 360 version.
 

Ishida

Banned
I haven't played 2 since it came out, but
what's the point of Anubis? Were frames going to self destruct at Aumaan?

Jehuty and Anubis were the control keys for starting Aumann. One of the two frames was needed to start up the machine. Nohman already had Anubis, and wanted Jehuty destroyed or captured so it couldn't be used to stop his plans.

Jehuty was captured by the Space Force first, and was installed a Self Destruct system so if the Frame was ever in contact with Aumann, it would explode and take the fortress along with it.
 
Just thought everyone should know the PS3 collection is $23 on amazon. I've already got a copy on 360 and have been waiting to double dip thanks to the patch.
 
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