Doujin Classics: Es Beta (PC)
I am a huge fan of Zone of the Enders and mech games in general. Nothing beats blazing through a city and battling huge enemies, but recently such games are few and far between, even ZOE3 was put on hold. Es was 9th Night’s last project, but like so many before it, the company never lived long enough to get it out of the beta.
The only version of Es that was released is a beta trail, but even then this title showed great potential. Featuring 3D graphics, a story mode and fast gameplay it was supposed to be a really impresive action game.
This game features quite a few similarities with Zone of the Enders. You dash around town at incredible speeds slashing through opponent mechs using your sword. Your basic arsenal also features a machine gun which is perfect for quickly taking down weaker opponents, a laser that locks on nearby enemies and a canon whose explosion can hit multiple foes. Correctly combining each of these weapons is imperative so that you lose as little HP while maintaining a combo in order to gain more points.
Like Blood-Over, Es Beta encourages linking attacks in order to maximize your score. Those points can then in turn be used to purchase weapon and system add-ons in-between missions. For example allowing you to customize your character with a double boost or a missile launcher. The final version was supposed to feature weapon upgrades that would make specific weapons more powerful.
As with Blood-Over, Es Beta also uses 3D graphics. While not too impressive they are definitely a step up from those in Blood-Over. The stages you fight in are huge and you can see buildings in the distance. The game has a ton of effects such as motion blur, explosions, lasers and I would have liked to see what the final version would have to offer. All this combined with the fact that the game is ridiculously fast makes you less prone to notice the sub-par graphics. The screenshots don’t do this game justice, you have to see it for yourself in order to witness the blindingly fast pace of Es.
THE VERDICT
It’s a shame that this game was never finished because it definitely had huge potential. While it does lacks polish in some areas I cannot criticize it as it was never completed. Es Beta is a recommendation for all the fans of Zone of the Enders and people that love extremely fast paced gameplay.
Es Trial Beta, Mirrors [1] [2] [3] [4] [5]
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