I remember playing this when I was a young teen, it seemed like the coolest thing ever. This replay has dulled some of the shine but it still goes hard.

The music is unmatched, the main theme is unforgettable even after all these years. The mech anime story is unreal, localisation is hilariously bad and the voice acting is really ropey, but given that script I don't blame them.

I still think ZoE has some special features to it that The Second Runner lacks, such as the ring world level selection map and the open exploration type gameplay which I found really immersive.

The Second Runner has an undeniable cool factor and a much more cinematic feel to it, with the anime cutscenes feeling a lot more dramatic.

Definitely play it, watch the opening trailer thing (though it's got spoilers all over the place, it's still amazing... reminds me of how good The Phantom Pain trailer was) all the anime cutscenes. It's fantastic.