The game is set in the year 2174 two years after the events of Zone of the Enders. It follows Dingo Egret, a miner working on Callisto. He inadvertently discovers the Orbital Frame, Jehuty, hidden. When he is attacked by BAHRAM forces who have come to seize it, Dingo climbs into Jehuty and engages the attackers, which include a female Orbital Frame runner named Ken Marinaris. During the battle, Dingo enters the BAHRAM battleship, seemingly defeating Nephtis, an Orbital Frame controlled by an AI program based on Viola’s fighting style, but is subdued by Anubis, Jehuty’s superior counterpart controlled by Col. Ridley “Nohman” Hardiman, leader of BAHRAM. Nohman requests Dingo to join him once again.[8] When Dingo refuses as his comrades were sacrificed by Nohman years ago, Nohman shoots him and leaves him to die.

The “Special Edition” PAL and NTSC-J versions of the game featured a variety of additions and extras to the game, including new VR Training options, added scenarios, more difficulties, a music video featuring a remixed “Beyond the Bounds” theme, improved anti-aliasing and graphical optimisations, and new Orbital Frames for Versus Mode, among other improvements to the game.

The “Special Edition” of The 2nd Runner was released in both Europe and Japan (as ANUBIS: Zone of the Enders Special Edition on January 15, 2004 alongside a CD soundtrack) after the US release of ZOE2.

This version of the game includes several minor game improvements and a few extras such as the “Beyond the Bounds 020203 Remix” music video, expanded EXTRA MISSIONS, and new FMV sequences in the main story mode.

Also known as