After demoing the game on the OPM disc a month ago, I was ready to fly to Japan and get a copy. As much as I enjoyed the action of the first game, The 2nd Runner takes that enjoyment and raises it exponentially. An incredibly frustrating lock-on feature can detract from the game's better points, such as story, fmvs and special attacks; however, this is a problem easily corrected for any future incarnation. Watching clouds of snow or dust rise when landing Jehuty is an amazing experience; the simplicity of cell-shading fits nicely with the linear design of the games character models. A short game, with a limited two-player mode, ZoE: The 2nd Runner has tons of replay value, as you can restart the game upon completion with all the powers you have previously attained.