A bit out of order in terms of when I completed this game :-).  I've gone back to try to finish disc-based games (so I can safely pack them away).  In December 2021 I finished Zone of Enders, which was part of the HD remake for xbox 360 (box art shown is from the original xbox).

Plot from Wikipedia:

The game takes place in the year 2172; mankind has colonized Earth's, Mars', and Jupiter's moons. A military force known as BAHRAM sends its primary offensive unit to attack Antilia, a Jupiter colony, in an attempt to secure two advanced machines known as Orbital Frames. One of the few colony survivors, a young boy named Leo Stenbuck, witnesses a falling Laborious Extra-Orbital Vehicle (LEV) killing his friends. He flees to a hangar, where he finds an Orbital Frame by the name of Jehuty. Using this suit and its built-in intelligence, A.D.A, he fends off the BAHRAM forces led by officer Viola who seek to claim Jehuty on the orders of their leader, Nohman. Leo is then contacted by Elena Weinberg, the commander of the civilian transport vessel Atlantis; it belongs to Earth's military forces, the United Nations Space Force. As Jehuty's original pilot died during the attack, Elena requests Leo's assistance to deliver Jehuty back to them so they can take it to Mars. Leo, however, refuses to kill enemies.

Battling through Antilia, Leo rescues civilians, including Celvice Klein, a friend; he defends the colony from destruction, defeating the BAHRAM forces and their commanders one by one.[9] Before reaching Atlantis, Leo encounters Viola, who seeks a rematch; Leo defeats her, but is unwilling to kill her. Later, Atlantis pilot Rock Thunderheart meets Leo in person, revealing that BAHRAM forces are still determined to obtain Jehuty and are threatening to destroy the colony. Thunderheart requests Leo's help to pilot Jehuty, as he has realized Leo's skills are superior. Viola then appears, shooting Celvice this time, forcing Leo to fight again. Celvice is taken to the Thunderheart to be treated while Leo goes to save the colony.

Leo goes to the docks and Viola battles him once more. However, Viola is defeated again and killed when a leftover bomb blows her out of the colony and into Jupiter's atmosphere. Nohman himself then appears in Jehuty's superior twin Frame Anubis, forcing Jehuty's escape. As Jehuty is docking, A.D.A. reveals to Leo its programming: when taken to the fortress Aumaan on Mars, the mechas is to eject its pilot and self-destruct Jehuty, destroying the frame and the fortress. Leo leaves Jehuty's cockpit and meets up with the crew of the Atlantis and Celvice, who survived her gunshot wound.

The game was fairly short, which I think made it bearable😂. The story wasn't bad (it seemed like a run-of-the-mill mech-based anime, which was fun), but the battles felt very repetitive.  I did end up getting leveled up to Level 9 (with a little grinding), which made things go by easier. Even with a Level 9 Jehuty, it did seem like major bosses involved A LOT of dashing to avoid continued fire, followed by a few blows that dealt a small amount of damage.  Rinse, and repeat. Saving was also a pain because I had to exit the game map to into the over-area map to save 🙄

All I can say about this game is that I finished it on normal, with very few explorations of the optional missions 😂

Here's an old school screenshot of my end-game stats: