( 4outof5 ) rather well done . They could have used some facial expressions , but the designers did a good job keeping an anime feel without resorting to cel shading ( which i HATE ! ) . other than that , great stuff . The attention to the monster's is fantastic , even though there are rather few of them , but they all look noticably different . unlike FFX , the designers did not just swithch the skins on set creatures .
Story : ( 4of5 ) people rave about how the story is bad , but the fact that must be kept in mind is that this game is a BEGINNING to a much larger series . in this aspect it does a good job , telling enough to keep a person playing , but not enough to detract from future episodes . there is enough intruige to confuse the writers of Days of our Lives , and the ending is a real cliffhanger , and makes you wonder what happens next .
Charectors : ( 5of5 ) the charectors are good on the most part . They each are noticably different from the other , so you won't get them confused . BlackRose is the greatest charector i have ever met , and the scene where she yells at Kite is rather funny . Mia is also a cool charector , but then what anime / manga would be complete without a catgirl ?
Music : ( 3of5 ) While the music is varied , and appropriate , it doesn't really catch the ear , and the piros theme is just stupid . The cathedral theme is neat , so it all cancels out .
Control : ( 5of5 ) the controls are simple , yet effictive , and are the shining point of the game . you can run , walk , attack , and access the menues very easily . its all very easy to grasp . Bes of all , accesing a menu will FREEZE the game , so the situation won't change while you try to pick the appropriate skill . Combat is a simple matter of running headlong into a mass of monsters , pressing X like crazy , telling your party members what to do , and killing things . The only problem I encountered was when you access the skills menu instead of the party menu , since they are accessed by square and triangle . the camera is vey good , though don't pay attention to the tutorial , and simply use the right analog for all your camera needs . You can even go first person . Overall , think Darkclould and you got the camera .
You can't acturally control your party members , but this is fine , since the AI is acturally SMART for a change !
Overall : ( 40f5 ) i will admit , the worst fault this game has is that it is very short . if you work slowly , and like to take your time , the game will be done in about 29 hrs . ( Unlike FFX , in which i got almost 90 hrs , and then data corrupted * sob * )
the online thing is done well , as long as you know that the gameis a computer game ( within a game ) . All in all this game is worth the money if you are a fan of the series and plan to buy the other three voloumes . Otherwise , you should go to the nearest blockbuster and save yourself 44 bucks .
013 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
YESS ! ! ! ! I LOVE THIS GAME ! ! ! I have been a fan of the . hack manga and anime forever , and this game was great ! ! !
I really suggest you look at the manga and anime before you buy the game . If you don't like that you probably won't like the game . If you STILL insist on playing the game , check it out at the video rental shop , k ? That way we dont get people claiming it was a total waste of money here ; )
Oh , when you buy a game it's basically like saying that you are going to play the game in the future . If you DONT play games more than once , yea , you did waste your money .
For those who are pissy about how people liked this game partially because of the anime , you should probably realize that the game was made from the anime . In order to completely get it you have to look over manga , anime , card games etc . Thus , THEY GET IT MORE THAN YOU DO . THE ANIME AND THE GAME FEED INTO EACH OTHER , SO IF YOU LOVED THE ANIME YOU'LL PROBABLY LOVE THE GAME , morons . . . : (
Also , I bet that the people who despised this game didnt watch the DVD with the game . THAT IS IMPORTANT . Generally when they give you a DVD with these things it'll help you see the point of the game .
Also , after you play the game you should read the . hack / / LEGEND OF THE TWILIGHT manga . It's a cute little manga . Rena , a beginner player of The World wins a contest to gain the character avatars of the legendary . hackers , Kite and Black Rose . Rena gets her brother , Shugo , to play with her . Soon after they enter the fields they encounter a level 40 monster which shouldn't be in the beginners area . Shugo is killed by the monster and wakes up to see Aura and is brought back to life by her kiss . Then she gives the braclet of twilight . Actually I suggest you read it BEFORE AND AFTER the game .
014 4 YESS ! ! ! ! I LOVE THIS GAME ! ! ! I have been a fan of the . hack manga and anime forever , and this game was great ! ! !
I really suggest you look at the manga and anime before you buy the game . If you don't like that you probably won't like the game . If you STILL insist on playing the game , check it out at the video rental shop , k ? That way we dont get people claiming it was a total waste of money here ; )
Oh , when you buy a game it's basically like saying that you are going to play the game in the future . If you DONT play games more than once , yea , you did waste your money .
For those who are pissy about how people liked this game partially because of the anime , you should probably realize that the game was made from the anime . In order to completely get it you have to look over manga , anime , card games etc . Thus , THEY GET IT MORE THAN YOU DO . THE ANIME AND THE GAME FEED INTO EACH OTHER , SO IF YOU LOVED THE ANIME YOU'LL PROBABLY LOVE THE GAME , morons . . . : (
Also , I bet that the people who despised this game didnt watch the DVD with the game . THAT IS IMPORTANT . Generally when they give you a DVD with these things it'll help you see the point of the game .
Also , after you play the game you should read the . hack / / LEGEND OF THE TWILIGHT manga . It's a cute little manga . Rena , a beginner player of The World wins a contest to gain the character avatars of the legendary . hackers , Kite and Black Rose . Rena gets her brother , Shugo , to play with her . Soon after they enter the fields they encounter a level 40 monster which shouldn't be in the beginners area . Shugo is killed by the monster and wakes up to see Aura and is brought back to life by her kiss . Then she gives the braclet of twilight . Actually I suggest you read it BEFORE AND AFTER the game .
029 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
This game is very complicated and if you don't know the multiple story lines i sugest you don't buy the game . This is what happened AFTER the Tsukasa's insidents , just to tell you . I havn't finished the game for i had lost my memory card wich was fixed Christmas when i got one so I just restarted but besides that it is quite hard . Saving is an amazingly IMPORTANT thing and that is what i hate the most . If you don't save and die well time to restart back to the last time you saved . Also this story line is very confusing because of how many characters you meet during the game . If you've just started playing i sugest ( sp ! ) that you get the . Hack / / Infection Part One Strategy Guide it is very useful . If you're really into anime and / or . Hack I pray you'll get this game for your own entertainment . During the game it's a good idea to keep an eye on your friends you Party with because defeating the Big Bad Bosses is the most important thing of the game . . . . It's how you win the game . If you still don't get the story line there's a OVA that comes with it so you won't be very lost but you might need to get the other 3 OVA's to get it entirly well got to see if my . hack / / sign dvds came BYE ! !
030 4 This game is very complicated and if you don't know the multiple story lines i sugest you don't buy the game . This is what happened AFTER the Tsukasa's insidents , just to tell you . I havn't finished the game for i had lost my memory card wich was fixed Christmas when i got one so I just restarted but besides that it is quite hard . Saving is an amazingly IMPORTANT thing and that is what i hate the most . If you don't save and die well time to restart back to the last time you saved . Also this story line is very confusing because of how many characters you meet during the game . If you've just started playing i sugest ( sp ! ) that you get the . Hack / / Infection Part One Strategy Guide it is very useful . If you're really into anime and / or . Hack I pray you'll get this game for your own entertainment . During the game it's a good idea to keep an eye on your friends you Party with because defeating the Big Bad Bosses is the most important thing of the game . . . . It's how you win the game . If you still don't get the story line there's a OVA that comes with it so you won't be very lost but you might need to get the other 3 OVA's to get it entirly well got to see if my . hack / / sign dvds came BYE ! !
050 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
This game at first , threw me for a loop . Since I had never played an on-line game , and the way this game approaches the on-line games is really great . You level up , and use magic and have dungeon crawls , just like any other RPG , but when you beat the game , your data is saved in a special file for download for the new installment . The game play is pretty easy to figure out , you just need to watch the areas to where you warp . You can be killed INSTANTLY ! The dungeons are pretty straight forward , but you also have monster all over the area surrounding the dungeons . . . A great opportunity to level up fast . I was a level 30 before I knew it ! I believe this game will become as great saga like the Final Fantasy Series is . I would definitely recommend this game to any RPGer's out there . The sites you can visit are almost unlimited since you can pick the areas based on words that are listed . These words dictate the difficulty of the level . NEAT !
053 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
I am a fan of anime but that is not why i bought this game . I like rpgs and this looked like an interesting one . You are someone in real life that has this game they are registering on in the beginning . ( reminds me of something : ) ) Anyway , this is a good game and i wanted to give it a 4.5 because the controls take some getting use to and the camera gets a little wackey sometimes . Battles arent the BEST but no battles are ever perfect so i would recommend this game .
072 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
This game's storyline is EXCELLENT . Some features leave much to be desired . The Myst Spring system , for example , is somewhat complicated and can confuse newbies ( unless you have a game guide or use online sites like Gamefaqs ) and the battles aren't the most exciting either . The Dot Hack series fans ( like myself ) will definitely love it though and so will anyone who enjoys games w / deep storylines will love it too .
073 4 This game's storyline is EXCELLENT . Some features leave much to be desired . The Myst Spring system , for example , is somewhat complicated and can confuse newbies ( unless you have a game guide or use online sites like Gamefaqs ) and the battles aren't the most exciting either . The Dot Hack series fans ( like myself ) will definitely love it though and so will anyone who enjoys games w / deep storylines will love it too .
089 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
I bought this game due to suggestions of everyone around me to go buy it . After playing through this first game , I have to admit , although I didn't find the storyline nor the gaming nearly as interesting as many other games , I was addicted . Immediately , I bought the sequel ( which possesses gaming almost IDENTICAL to this first game ) . The storyline was nothing memorable and despite having played both games only two months ago and having watched . hack / / sign , I have almost completely forgotten the entire storyline with the exception of the characters that were also mentioned in . hack / / sign ( oddly enough , I actually found that anime interesting ) The monsters and worlds are bland , which is the entire purpose as it is simulating a MMORPG . There are too many irrelevant missions into the same repetitive atmospheres and so by the time I was half-way through the sequel , I was falling asleep . Since this first game is pretty much like the first CD in a multi-CD game , if there's no motivation to continue on the second disk then i would have to say that the first disk is useless as well .
090 4 I bought this game due to suggestions of everyone around me to go buy it . After playing through this first game , I have to admit , although I didn't find the storyline nor the gaming nearly as interesting as many other games , I was addicted . Immediately , I bought the sequel ( which possesses gaming almost IDENTICAL to this first game ) . The storyline was nothing memorable and despite having played both games only two months ago and having watched . hack / / sign , I have almost completely forgotten the entire storyline with the exception of the characters that were also mentioned in . hack / / sign ( oddly enough , I actually found that anime interesting ) The monsters and worlds are bland , which is the entire purpose as it is simulating a MMORPG . There are too many irrelevant missions into the same repetitive atmospheres and so by the time I was half-way through the sequel , I was falling asleep . Since this first game is pretty much like the first CD in a multi-CD game , if there's no motivation to continue on the second disk then i would have to say that the first disk is useless as well .
119 4 In late May , I set it upon myself to get this game . I had seen the show , and although i was confused i liked the idea . So , i started to look around at reviews .
Big mistake
For one , almost every person had a completely different idea of what the game was . Some hated it , some loved it , and some were in between .
In the end , If you are a fan of . hack / / sign or interested in a NEW RPG , buy the game if you are none of the above head to blockbuster .
If you are looking for a place to dive into . hack , the game is a LOT less confusing then the show , on more then once a week , and able to be played anytime other than late night .
The opening menus are nice , if you know that it is a computer screen . The good thing is you can unlock wallpapers and music for your desktop A very nice touch .
graphics : ( 4outof5 ) rather well done . They could have used some facial expressions , but the designers did a good job keeping an anime feel without resorting to cel shading ( which i HATE ! ) . other than that , great stuff . The attention to the monster's is fantastic , even though there are rather few of them , but they all look noticably different . unlike FFX , the designers did not just swithch the skins on set creatures .
Story : ( 4of5 ) people rave about how the story is bad , but the fact that must be kept in mind is that this game is a BEGINNING to a much larger series . in this aspect it does a good job , telling enough to keep a person playing , but not enough to detract from future episodes . there is enough intruige to confuse the writers of Days of our Lives , and the ending is a real cliffhanger , and makes you wonder what happens next .
Charectors : ( 5of5 ) the charectors are good on the most part . They each are noticably different from the other , so you won't get them confused . BlackRose is the greatest charector i have ever met , and the scene where she yells at Kite is rather funny . Mia is also a cool charector , but then what anime / manga would be complete without a catgirl ?
Music : ( 3of5 ) While the music is varied , and appropriate , it doesn't really catch the ear , and the piros theme is just stupid . The cathedral theme is neat , so it all cancels out .
Control : ( 5of5 ) the controls are simple , yet effictive , and are the shining point of the game . you can run , walk , attack , and access the menues very easily . its all very easy to grasp . Bes of all , accesing a menu will FREEZE the game , so the situation won't change while you try to pick the appropriate skill . Combat is a simple matter of running headlong into a mass of monsters , pressing X like crazy , telling your party members what to do , and killing things . The only problem I encountered was when you access the skills menu instead of the party menu , since they are accessed by square and triangle . the camera is vey good , though don't pay attention to the tutorial , and simply use the right analog for all your camera needs . You can even go first person . Overall , think Darkclould and you got the camera .
You can't acturally control your party members , but this is fine , since the AI is acturally SMART for a change !
Overall : ( 40f5 ) i will admit , the worst fault this game has is that it is very short . if you work slowly , and like to take your time , the game will be done in about 29 hrs . ( Unlike FFX , in which i got almost 90 hrs , and then data corrupted * sob * )
the online thing is done well , as long as you know that the gameis a computer game ( within a game ) . All in all this game is worth the money if you are a fan of the series and plan to buy the other three voloumes . Otherwise , you should go to the nearest blockbuster and save yourself 44 bucks .
129 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
This game at first , threw me for a loop . Since I had never played an on-line game , and the way this game approaches the on-line games is really great . You level up , and use magic and have dungeon crawls , just like any other RPG , but when you beat the game , your data is saved in a special file for download for the new installment . The game play is pretty easy to figure out , you just need to watch the areas to where you warp . You can be killed INSTANTLY ! ! ! The dungeons are pretty straight forward , but you also have monster all over the area surrounding the dungeons . . . A great opportunity to level up fast . I was a level 30 before I knew it ! I believe this game will become as great saga like the Final Fantasy Series is . I would definitely recommend this game to any RPGer's out there . The sites you can visit are almost unlimited since you can pick the areas based on words that are listed . These words dictate the difficulty of the level . NEAT !
130 4 This game at first , threw me for a loop . Since I had never played an on-line game , and the way this game approaches the on-line games is really great . You level up , and use magic and have dungeon crawls , just like any other RPG , but when you beat the game , your data is saved in a special file for download for the new installment . The game play is pretty easy to figure out , you just need to watch the areas to where you warp . You can be killed INSTANTLY ! ! ! The dungeons are pretty straight forward , but you also have monster all over the area surrounding the dungeons . . . A great opportunity to level up fast . I was a level 30 before I knew it ! I believe this game will become as great saga like the Final Fantasy Series is . I would definitely recommend this game to any RPGer's out there . The sites you can visit are almost unlimited since you can pick the areas based on words that are listed . These words dictate the difficulty of the level . NEAT !
154 4 This is Bandai's Best vg ever ! As a . hack / / fanatic , I watch the show , and it's not the same . You'll still enjoy it though . It's an rpg where you don't take turns ( thank god ! ) , and you try to find out what happened to Bear ( Orca ) . You make friends like Mimiru ( Blackrose ) , and Tsukasa ( Elk ) on the way . You obtain the power of the braclet , which gives you DATA DRAIN . You can trade with people and raise / command grunties
( > = O which are different than from the show ! ) I'm not going to give the end away , but I'll tell you this . . . . . . it's a great game.Here are some of the + s and - s
+ s
have a party of up to 3 inc . you
based on the show
grunties
DATA DRAIN ; GATE HACKING
awesome magic and physical attacks & effects
Free 45 min . ANIME DVD ( Japanese ANIME all the way ! )
much more I can't fit
- s
You can't choose you're ilk ( you have to be a TWIN BLADE )
leveling up [ is not good ]
time dungeons
It's a to be contiued
It's deserves 4 stars .
Also : if you like Xenosaga GET THIS GAME
162 4 This game is asome ! ! It is about a boy named Kite who in the real world is invited by a friend to try an online game ( not realy online ) called The World . While in The World Kites friend is attacked by some monster wich puts him in a coma in real life . Kite is then transformed by a white player in the game , and is turned into an outlaw player . Desperate to revive his friend , Kite sets out in The World . . . The graphics are simply amazing , and the battle resembles Kingdom Hearts , minus the stupid camera problems . Dot.Hack : Infection is part one in a four part series of games . Let me give a basic reveiew :
GAMEPLAY : 9 SOUND : 9 REPLAY : 10 FUN : 10 OVERALL : 10 = 5 stars
This game is AMAZING ! ! ! For those of you dont already know , there is a tv show that airs on Cartoonetwork Saturdays at 3 : 00PM . Simply put , this should be an interesting game.LOG OUT .
164 4 Wow . I was thuroughly disappointed with this game . I feel lucky I am going to sell it to a friend for a fraction of what i paid for this .
The story is spotty , the graphics are soooo 4 years ago ( hehe ) , the gameplay is boring and repetitive and the game is so short that an introductory price to this INSTALLMENT of the whole game should be around $20 . If you paid full price , for this game , and the rest in the series , I hope you have a fat bank account .
With the lackluster graphics being so cheap looking , found and won items being uninteresting or not useful until you buy another game in the series , I have to say I want to WARN everyone that you do not get what you paid for .
If you are one of those who are happy with this game : good . I'm not . . . so off to Target to buy Final Fantasy Unlimited Saga . Final Fantasy series , not that's a REAL game .
Blah !
175 4 I found this game to be one of the worst games ive ever played . Why , why is it so bad . Heres an idea , get a life . Get over the anime and stop voting 5 because you love the anime .
This game is way too short . I did plenty of extra dungeons , and found this game to be so , incomplex . I traded this guy for these knives at the beggining , and I NEVER found a better weapon , too easy .
Anyways , heres the problems .
- Cannot change the class of character , any weapon you find that aren't dual sabers cannot be equipped ever .
- The dungeons are repetitive . They use the same terrains and pots and dead bodies and stuff .
- Trading system boring , its basically the only interaction you need .
- People say the same thing constantly .
- In total , this game has 64 characters i believe . All together , civilians and players . I got the ryu book and it told me . I honestly don't know how boring it can get then 64 characters . ( like 12 of them being playable )
- Boring plot , your friend goes in a coma , some chick is running around , and the game doesn't have any plot .
- In order to mooch as much money as possible from the game , Bandai decided to release FOUR , F-O-U-R Games . For FIFTY dollars each . Meaning this series requires 200 bucks to be completed . Considered the first one took me 15 hours basically , Bandai could of easily fit in more , instead they want more and more money . Basically this means the game isn't even a full game . Its a PART of a game .
Good things
- There are so many bad things . Dungeons that look the same over and over , the same pots , dead bodies , and destructibles , and the same items . BORING
- Theres no good things I can think of , its a boring game , get over the anime .
179 4 In my first review I gave . hack only two stars , but after having played a couple more hours , I can honestly say that that's too good of a rating for this terrible , back-end stink of a game ! I would give it zero stars but that's not an option . . .
How many horrible things about this game can I mention ? Let's see , oh yeah , your weapons and armor level up by tossing them into a pond , and depending on what the weather is like , it get's weaker or stronger . . . sound stupid ? Wait there's more !
You can only use skills ( spells / special moves ) if you're wearing certain weapons or armor.Levels mean nothing ; no learning cool spells by leveling up the old fashoined way , all you have to do is sport the right threads ! WOW !
You only get a certain amount of EXP depending on how many levels the monster is stronger or weaker than you.I guess just having a set amount of EXP for each monster is just too much to ask ! Let's make something even more complex even though you already have to learn 5000 diffrent rules just to play this peice of junk !
Don't be fooled by thinking that this game has two worlds . . . this game always takes place in the online game the world ; the real world is just the computer desktop with that annoying music .
All you do on the desktop is read pointless e-mails that tell you
boring . . . , and if you don't kiss every character's . . . in the game they'll get mad at you and won't play with you . . . . oh , darn !
As for the whole illusion of being on an online virtual world ,
that's a total joke ! The dungeon graphics are VERY bland and repetitive ; in fact if it wasn't for the flashy cutscenes , this could easily be put on the playstation 1 ! Oh , and the other online players say the same three things over and over , including the ones that join your party !
And as for the whole story , I just didn't care ! It doesn't ever make you WANT to find out what happens next.The plot isn't gripping at all ; I mean yeah , you're friend goes into a coma , but as to why he did , it's just abstract and stupid.Some ghost chic get's chased by a guy with a pink staff and then he beats your friend with it ! UGH ! ! And you're telling me that Bandai wants to drag this out to three more sequals ! ?
Also , controlling the camera manually gets really , really old ! At first it might seems like a good idea , but you'll get a headache constantly switching the camera back and forth.It gets tiresome doing this just when walking in a dungeon , but when you've got a group of enemies that always run out of view . . . .
Lastly , the music was completely indistinct and unnoticeable ; Super Mario Bros .1 had better music than this !
Please rent this game before wasting your hard-earned cash on it , like I made the mistake of doing !
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
STORY -
You are an 8th grader who has recently been introduced to an online game known as The World by a friend . When you log in , your friend's character is attacked and he is put into a mysterious coma . As the rogue player , Kite , you must unravel the mysteries behind The World and the strange bracelet you have been granted . Along the way , you will cross paths with a variety of colorful players who will aid you in your quest for truth and give you insight into what lies behind the game .
The story of the game is probably one of the better aspects of the all-around package . It's not nearly as contrived and overused as the other standard RPG save the universe plot , and it offers up a fresh take on a game inside of a game . It does a good job emulating the feel of a true MMORPG , and I found myself wanting to play even after the gameplay became somewhat dull .
BATTLE SYSTEM -
The fighting in . hack is reminiscent of other MMORPGS such as World of Warcraft . The idea is basically that you run around dungeons , and upon encountering monsters , initiate in a real-time fight . There's not much strategy here : all you do is press the ` x ' button rapidly until one of you dies . It's hard to call this a step into new territory , especially when we've seen this done many , many times over . To be fair , as with everything else , the battle system holds true to the MMORPG tried-and-tested formula . You can attack with your weapons , cast buffs and debuffs and unleash spells on your hapless opponents . Along with the standard assortment of physical and magical attacks , Kite possesses a magical bracelet which allows him to perform a Data Drain on enemies ( essentially a one hit K.O . ) at the risk of becoming infected through overuse . Data Drain is a useful and interesting concept , and it provides you with Virus Bugs as well as the occasional new piece of equipment .
Kite can have up to two other members in his party at a time . You can command them through a separate menu and for the most part , their AIs do a decent job of supporting your character throughout the game . They can also be something of a hindrance , however . In dungeons and during fights , they have the irritating tendency to reciting mechanical one-liners ( such as Take that ! ) . These one-liners appear in large text balloons and occasionally obscure the action , especially when more than one person in talking . There's unfortunately no way to turn this off ; at least not that I've found .
GAMEPLAY -
Throughout the game , you'll be going back and forth from the game The World and the main area of your PC . You don't see the person controlling Kite , which only further alludes to the ` in a game ' sensation , and was something I felt was a nice touch . In the main screen of your PC , you'll be able to check your mail which lets you correspond with other gamers as well as worldwide news . There's even a forum for the game which is updated with threads periodically as you progress through the game . I've said it before and I'll probably say it again , but . hack really exudes the feeling of an MMORPG and involves you in the experience . When you're not on your PC's main screen , you'll be in The World . You can travel from different servers , each of which has their own special town . The towns all have basically the same shops and aren't really much to rave about , but they're accessible and easy to navigate .
The dungeons are created through the input of a three part keyword . The combination of the keywords sets the level and elemental type of the dungeon . There are a variety of different kinds , but after a while , they end up looking quite similar ( especially the insides of the dungeons ) . Most of the time you'll be trekking through dungeon after dungeon to grind levels or simply to advance the plot . As with many dungeon crawlers , the gameplay can become tedious after a while .
Overall , the gameplay isn't bad , but it can become mind-numbing after you spend hours slogging through wave after wave of dungeons .
VISUALS , CHARACTERS and AUDIO -
. hack part 1 is presented with fairly bright graphics , distinctive character designs and decent textures , but it still falls short of the mark somewhere . They graphics really aren't particularly impressive if you study them , and although the character animations are quite nice , there's a distinct lack of detail in a lot of your surroundings . Take the dungeons , for example . The majority of them are simply long , winding hallways with little decoration and almost no detail . The different types of dungeons have different walls and floors , of course , but they're still just long corridors connected by rooms . There's just not enough variety to make the graphics pop out .
The characters of the game are for the most part , well-presented . Although they're not always very well portrayed when you first acquire their assistance , the more you use them , the more you learn about their interests . Even the characters who don't play a large role in the main story of the game ended up having more developed personalities than I expected . Although none of them seem to experience any particularly deep emotional growth , it didn't bother me so much . The characters don't seem to be the main focus of the game anyway ; the story is what really drives everything .
The music of the game is standard RPG fare . It's nothing to write home about , especially the dungeon music and the repetitive battle theme . There are a few nice , catchy tracks , but for the most part it's basically average stuff .
CONCLUSION -
To summarize , . hack Part 1 is a dungeon-crawler with an above-average and fairly interesting story . The presentation of the ` game within a game ' concept can be very involving at times , and the idea is very well executed . The gameplay itself falls a little short of the mark , since there is too little variety between dungeon areas . The character models are pretty interesting and Kite's is fairly detailed , but the rest of the graphics are generally quite cookie-cutter .
If you're looking for something that has a different type of storytelling as well as lots and lots of dungeon levels to traverse ( there are probably hundreds of different keyword combinations ) then you'll have a roaring good time with this game . As for my personal opinion , I'd say that it's a decent game and a good way to pass time . I've seen better , but then again there's far worse . Give it a shot if this type of thing interests you .
034 4 well personally i'm am all about anime and rpgs . in . hack the graphics are eye candy , the music is cool , and it has a very awesome storyline . it's very cool how they have made it where your playing a game about a kid playing an online game . the way that they set it up so that some friends are on at certain times and some are'nt , it's great . i dont know how the makers can come up with it all . it takes alot of imagination , and a good idea . this game has everthing . it's most definently worth the $ $ $ ! this is my favorite game of all time !
. HACK INFECTION RULES !
036 4 My . hack experience started with the TV anime , . hack / / SIGN , which sucked me right in . As a lover of characters and storyline , I tune in to Cartoon Network every Saturday at midnight to catch the latest episode . . . I own the first two and have the third on order , and I absolutely love them !
So buying the game was a no-brainer for me . I happily shelled out the money for Parts 1 and 2 , and while they are short if one plays directly through , I spend a lot of time exploring , which has always been my favorite part of playing RPGs . More than anything , I love the World . Yes , it's repetitive . . . but I think that's what I like about it . It's like playing a MMORPG , only without rude people and PKs .
If you're an old-school gamer ( my first RPG was Dragon Warrior on Nintendo , followed closely by the original Final Fantasy ) , you'll probably like this . If you're a power RPG'er , I would imagine you won't be satisfied .
048 4 Now , before you start to say anything about the game based on what you heard from others , it is crucial to realize that this is part 1 out of 4 . Each part is about 15 - 20 hrs . long , which comes out to a very extensive adventure . Now what may seem frustrating to some is the thought that they will have to go through the task of building up their characters in the first part , only to have to start from stratch at the second part ! I had this problem in mind as well when I played until I learned that the save files carry over ! This makes the gameplay somewhat more rewarding . The realness of this pseudo-MMORPG is incredible . Yuo can send and recieve e-mails from your party members , they may or may not be there in The World ( the name of the MMORPG ) when you want them to be , and they interact like actual people ! The ability to give comands and battle tactics to your teammates rather that controlling them continues to add to the amazing realism and fun-factor of INFECTION . Well , I could go on , but I think it would be best if you experienced it for yourself .
Ideliron
P.S . Two tips :
1 . ) If you watch the 45 - minute DVD that comes with INFECTION , you can find hidden passwords for the game ; make sure to take advantage of that .
2 . ) If you are a newcomer to the . hack world , then some of the storyline will not make sense . In order to remedy that , try watching . hack / / SIGN . The two really go hand in hand . Enjoy ! !
074 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
STORY -
You are an 8th grader who has recently been introduced to an online game known as The World by a friend . When you log in , your friend's character is attacked and he is put into a mysterious coma . As the rogue player , Kite , you must unravel the mysteries behind The World and the strange bracelet you have been granted . Along the way , you will cross paths with a variety of colorful players who will aid you in your quest for truth and give you insight into what lies behind the game .
The story of the game is probably one of the better aspects of the all-around package . It's not nearly as contrived and overused as the other standard RPG save the universe plot , and it offers up a fresh take on a game inside of a game . It does a good job emulating the feel of a true MMORPG , and I found myself wanting to play even after the gameplay became somewhat dull .
BATTLE SYSTEM -
The fighting in . hack is reminiscent of other MMORPGS such as World of Warcraft . The idea is basically that you run around dungeons , and upon encountering monsters , initiate in a real-time fight . There's not much strategy here : all you do is press the ` x ' button rapidly until one of you dies . It's hard to call this a step into new territory , especially when we've seen this done many , many times over . To be fair , as with everything else , the battle system holds true to the MMORPG tried-and-tested formula . You can attack with your weapons , cast buffs and debuffs and unleash spells on your hapless opponents . Along with the standard assortment of physical and magical attacks , Kite possesses a magical bracelet which allows him to perform a Data Drain on enemies ( essentially a one hit K.O . ) at the risk of becoming infected through overuse . Data Drain is a useful and interesting concept , and it provides you with Virus Bugs as well as the occasional new piece of equipment .
Kite can have up to two other members in his party at a time . You can command them through a separate menu and for the most part , their AIs do a decent job of supporting your character throughout the game . They can also be something of a hindrance , however . In dungeons and during fights , they have the irritating tendency to reciting mechanical one-liners ( such as Take that ! ) . These one-liners appear in large text balloons and occasionally obscure the action , especially when more than one person in talking . There's unfortunately no way to turn this off ; at least not that I've found .
GAMEPLAY -
Throughout the game , you'll be going back and forth from the game The World and the main area of your PC . You don't see the person controlling Kite , which only further alludes to the ` in a game ' sensation , and was something I felt was a nice touch . In the main screen of your PC , you'll be able to check your mail which lets you correspond with other gamers as well as worldwide news . There's even a forum for the game which is updated with threads periodically as you progress through the game . I've said it before and I'll probably say it again , but . hack really exudes the feeling of an MMORPG and involves you in the experience . When you're not on your PC's main screen , you'll be in The World . You can travel from different servers , each of which has their own special town . The towns all have basically the same shops and aren't really much to rave about , but they're accessible and easy to navigate .
The dungeons are created through the input of a three part keyword . The combination of the keywords sets the level and elemental type of the dungeon . There are a variety of different kinds , but after a while , they end up looking quite similar ( especially the insides of the dungeons ) . Most of the time you'll be trekking through dungeon after dungeon to grind levels or simply to advance the plot . As with many dungeon crawlers , the gameplay can become tedious after a while .
Overall , the gameplay isn't bad , but it can become mind-numbing after you spend hours slogging through wave after wave of dungeons .
VISUALS , CHARACTERS and AUDIO -
. hack part 1 is presented with fairly bright graphics , distinctive character designs and decent textures , but it still falls short of the mark somewhere . They graphics really aren't particularly impressive if you study them , and although the character animations are quite nice , there's a distinct lack of detail in a lot of your surroundings . Take the dungeons , for example . The majority of them are simply long , winding hallways with little decoration and almost no detail . The different types of dungeons have different walls and floors , of course , but they're still just long corridors connected by rooms . There's just not enough variety to make the graphics pop out .
The characters of the game are for the most part , well-presented . Although they're not always very well portrayed when you first acquire their assistance , the more you use them , the more you learn about their interests . Even the characters who don't play a large role in the main story of the game ended up having more developed personalities than I expected . Although none of them seem to experience any particularly deep emotional growth , it didn't bother me so much . The characters don't seem to be the main focus of the game anyway ; the story is what really drives everything .
The music of the game is standard RPG fare . It's nothing to write home about , especially the dungeon music and the repetitive battle theme . There are a few nice , catchy tracks , but for the most part it's basically average stuff .
CONCLUSION -
To summarize , . hack Part 1 is a dungeon-crawler with an above-average and fairly interesting story . The presentation of the ` game within a game ' concept can be very involving at times , and the idea is very well executed . The gameplay itself falls a little short of the mark , since there is too little variety between dungeon areas . The character models are pretty interesting and Kite's is fairly detailed , but the rest of the graphics are generally quite cookie-cutter .
If you're looking for something that has a different type of storytelling as well as lots and lots of dungeon levels to traverse ( there are probably hundreds of different keyword combinations ) then you'll have a roaring good time with this game . As for my personal opinion , I'd say that it's a decent game and a good way to pass time . I've seen better , but then again there's far worse . Give it a shot if this type of thing interests you .
082 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
. . . is what I would have called . hack / / INFECTION upon its first being released . 6 games , and countless anime episodes and manga books later , I would still stick with my original decision .
In this game the player assumes the role of Kite , a newbie character in the fictional MMORPG ( Short for Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game ) The World set in the distant year of 2010 . Upon first logging in , Kite is invited by his real life friend , and fellow player of The World ( known as Orca ) to an area to level Kite's character up . I'm not going to ruin too much , but Kite and Orca quickly finds himself face to face with a monster no one has ever seen before .
The monster puts Orca in a coma , and Kite soon meets a mysterious girl named Aura that presents the newbie with a Braclet that infuses Kite with unimaginable powers beyond those of any character in The World .
This game is filled with bold characters , countless areas ( Literally there are 1000 ' s of random areas one could invent . ) and a unique storyline packed with twists and supprises along the way . Although the story can be a bit dull at times , and the dungeons can get quite tedious , the game is truly a masterpiece , and is worth the time of any gamer with a thirst for adventure .
( It is also my reccomendation that one should play this before diving into the . hack / / G.U . series . )
106 4 OK . For me , this game was long awaited . I had already seen the . hack / / SIGN series so the continuation of the story was a must . The gameplay is wonderful . Think of Kingdom Hearts . . . just . . . slightly different . Basicaly you control your team members by giving them orders . It sounds kind-of strange , but it is - really - easy to get into once you play it . Very addicting and interactive battle system . On boss fights the battles can get quite intense since there is alot you need to pay attention to . A far cry form the standard Final Fantasy style battle system that so many RPGs use ( d ) . The story for . hack / / INFECTION is interesting , even if you haven't seen . hack / / SIGN . Granted , I think . hack / / SIGN should be watched to get the most out of the story , but it isn't necassary . I know you have all read the summary of the story elsewhere so I won't take your time to explain it . The only problem with the story here is that it leaves you hanging . Literally . Nothing is explained for the most part . But then again , we all have to keep in mind that this is a 4 part series . So if your willing to hang in with Project . hack for those 4 parts , then I advise you get this game , it's truly beautiful .
110 4 It was a great game I mean I didn't know a whole lot about . hack / / SIGN but watching the dvd and some on tv and playing the game helped me learn alot.My cousin who is the worst video game player in the world thought it would be too hard but he got pretty far.It is hard enough to challenge skilled players but not hard enough to where you get frustrated .
I found it really cool to see these characters and awesome worlds.I had fun playing through the adventure and naming my character.It doesn't have a technical playing system it was mainly x and square .
I didn't have trouble playing the game or understanding the plot I found it really fun.It was exciting and interesting and I would recommend it for any player it was very neat !
113 4 I had a good time with this game . The storyline is interesting ( see the other reviews ) and is something that's never really been done before . The powerhouse team that created it did a very good job with the art , characterization , concept , etc . It really feels convincingly like playing an on-line game , and interacting on the BBS and through e-mail is a gas . I also highly enjoyed the Japanese vocal track . As someone learning the language , I valued the ability to be able to play in Japanese ( with English subtitles ) and avoid the bastardly English dub .
It is a fairly short game , yes , but one should remember that it's only the first episode , meant to set up the rest of the series . Probably the $ . . . price-tag is asking more than it should , but it was worth it to me . This game oozes Japanese flavor , which I highly appreciate . I may even replay it ( and don't forget that once you've beaten the game , you can still continue with your data file , building up your character and uncovering secrets in preparation for episode 2 ) .
The anime DVD that comes along with the game is also very good . I plan to purchse the . hack / / SIGN anime series eventually .
. hack is a worthy purchase which met and exceeded my expectations . Anyone who's a fan of Japanese pop-culture , anime and RPGs will enjoy this game . Others should probably give it a rent first . It's one that I , personally , am going to keep forever , and I'm anticipating the release of the next episode .
138 4 I'd like to start by saying I've beat this game and had a lot of fun with it . Even though I paid about forty dollars for it and know that the next installment cost about fifty dollars , I'd still be willing to pay that for it because the game is just that good . Some people say that this game is short which was true for me , ( about a week ) it was only thirty hours . However , the reason it only took a week is because it never came out of my ps2 . I played it nonstop the first five hours I got it ( only stopping to eat ) and then woke up at six the next morning when I usually get around ten just to play it .
Sorry I've gone on soo much about myself and how I have no life . The gameplay of this game is nothing new but it has the best execution so far . It is like Dark Cloud but without the limitations and water system . My favorite part of the battle system is the allies . You basically tell them what to do and they get around to it eventually . For instance , - First Aid ! - is a command that tells the AI to heal , cure , and revive who ever needs it . Also , you get all the treasure found in quests that you can use , ( if it fits your class-Twinblade - ) give as a gift ( to make allies have stronger abilities / stats ) or sell for cash . If you watch . hack / / sign the type of character you are is like sora , where you have 2 approx . 2ft . long blades . There's also a Data Drain move where you make a monster weaker or in some cases back to a normal monster and you gain different types of items , but your INFECTION goes up when you use it ( which can be deadly to you if you overuse it ) hence the name . hack / / infection .
As for the story of the game , beeing as how it is part 1 of 4 this game serves as an introduction to the series . If you have ever played Final Fantasy 7,8 , or 9 ( 3 - 4 disk long games ) it is kinda like buying the disc separate . I think the reason they did this is because they wanted the player to have what seems like a longer story and have sort of I wonder what'll happen to Orca feeling . Like in cartoons or citcoms you have a years worth of entertainment while a movie gives you one quick hit of entertainment .
Lastly , the 45 minute DVD that comes along with it is also entertaining . It is an introduction to the . hack / / Limitality four part series . What I like about the . hack craze is how you have the Sign , Limitality , and Infection ( includind the other 3 parts ) and they all are taking place around the same time . And if you listen closely ( and know all that is happening in the series ) you'll hear people talking about someone talking about something that happened in Limitality that occurred in Sign type of deal . So it doesn't have that feel of , why do I have to save everyone isn't someone else going to help themselves .
The main point I'm trying to make in this article is buy this game . The only way you may not like it is if your the type that only likes sports and racing , in which case you probably wouldn't still be reading if your like that . So for those of you still reading either go rent or buy this ASAP .
141 4 Having watched all of . hack / / SIGN and loved it , I thoroughly looked forward to playing . hack / / INFECTION . I loved the story in SIGN , and the story in INFECTION doesn't let down . However , the problem comes when you take into account that it isn't a COMPLETE story .
. hack / / INFECTION , as most people know , is only a quarter of the entire series . There's three more installments in the . hack series to round out the story . This is a decent marketing ploy , however it leaves the buyer feeling very alienated . When I reached the end of the game ( a mere 16 hours after starting ) , I was presented with a very open-ended ending . While this leaves room for the next game to pick up easily , the plot of the first game itself is non-existant ; almost NOTHING happens . It's a nice set-up , though .
The gameplay in the game is decent enough , but not enough to make up for the fact that I just payed 50 dollars for a 15 hour RPG . It's possible to make this game last longer ; there's an almost infinite number of dungeons to explore . However once yopu reach about level 35 , the enemies all give 1 exp per kill , meaning it would take forever to level further . The battle system itself I enjoyed , as it's very interactive , and not as confusing as I initially thought it would be . One easily gets the hang of it quickly .
All in all , the game is excellent . However , I don't feel it's worth the 50 dollars that it costs . Bandai could've easily put more story into it , and made 2 parts instead of 4 , and left us feeling less empty . However , people who play this game will probably thoroughly enjoy it , until they reach the end and wonder why everything stopped all of a sudden . Your call .
169 4 This game was big disapointment for me.I realize that my review will probabally be in the minority , but I feel that gamers should know exactly what they're getting into instead of just drowning in all the hype , as I made the mistake of doing .
First of all this is a unique concept for a storyline , but once again we see final fantasy 8 replaying all over again . . . EVERYTHING IS SOOO COMPLEX ! You start the game reading a bunch of rules to teach you about other rules.I don't understand why a GAME has to be so intricate ! ? Why can't you just equip weapons , hack and slash through random battles and gain EXP ? Why do people feel it's so important to study 1,001 diffrent charts and rules ?
The rules of this gameplay are diffrent , but terrible.For example alot of your skills only come from what weapon or armor your equipped with , so in other words if you sell it , that skill is gone ! It's not like leveling up and learning spells.Also for every so many levels you gain , you get less EXP from monsters that are so many levels below you.Why does this rule have to be made ? Why can't monsters just give a set amount of EXP regardless of your level ? And yet again we have another game where you have to trade 25 magic umpty umpth things for 1 golden razzle dazzle thing.Why can't you just buy or find certain treasure , or win it after a battle . . . what's with all the trading and combining ?
Also another big kick to the groin is what made final fantasy 10 terrible . . . . . play a little bit , then watch a flashy cinema , play
a little bit more , than watch another cinema that you can't skip . Don't get me wrong , the graphics are pretty , but first and foremost these are games , NOT MOVIES ! I have played this game for almost an hour , and I have fought a total of 6 battles . . . did you catch that ! ? Only SIX battles in one hour ! !
The voice acting is good , but only in Japanese ; in English it will make your ears bleed esp . Orca who sounds like some 38 year old , and BlackRose who has the same squeaky , whiney voice that people have come to know in voiced over RPGs . While the whole game-in-a-game plot is cool , some aspects of the gameplay just don't make any sense.For instance , the creating of diffrent levels by putting three code words together is just dumb ; and how did the creators of this game figure that those words would even equal the level . . . . Bursting Aqua Dookie . . . . . Holy Hairy Hotdog ! ? It's just stupid ! ! The e-mail feature is nice although pointless other than getting your three magical code words .
I should have realized that this game would be bad , when the company is already busy creating the next three sequals for it ! I've had it with these RPGs ; these games just aren't any fun anymore . . . . . . . looks like I'll have to take up a new hobby .
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
The game is REALLY pathetic , honestly be lucky I am giving a 2 and not a 1 ( cause i luv the series too ) . Now lets start with the Story :
Story based this game is solid , real good story / Plot all the way through 9 / 10 . . . You are a kid stuck in a game with a special hacking ability . You are trying to save the digital world from wondering AIs with the help of other people who are in the game too . . . Like I said strong Plot .
Game wise . . . . this is where it simply FAILS and I mean Fail with a Capital P-hail . I read a few reviews where some try to make excuses and blaming the companies ' reputatioin ' on the reviews it has gotten . . . COULD NOT BE MORE WRONG . Ok lets see , would you find a game where just about EVERY SINGLE Dungeon is exactly the same . . . . yes exactly the same except for the fact that almost each dungeon has a diffrent color scheme . You walk into one room and 5 seconds later ( a few feet later ) Onto another room and so on . Now besides the crappy dungeons theres also the monsters , the monsters just stand around and hit you , no moving around or anything ( mind you this game is not Stand around one at a time hitting game like FFs ) . Now the GAMEPLAY . . wow just walking towards a monster and swinging your blade ( Stop and punch like attacks with no Varietiess to them ) and when you want to use a skill . . . ready for this ? You have to PAUSE THE GAME to use it . For example , You find a wood type monster so you press pause choose a fire type skill and use it ! ( take up to an hour to figure out what attack you want . . talk about Player timing and skills ! and did I forget to mention that you can change weapons inbetween games , yep you dont have a weapon that is strong against the type you want just pause the game and switch weapons ( hold like 10 weapons at a time =。 。 ) . . . wow again with player skills . Who wouldnt think the game is challenging and fun this way ! ! . . . Seriously its pathetic . I expected it to be atleast alittle like the game Kingdom Hearts , but I was sadly dissapointed .
I have tried 2 of the games of this series and ALL OF THEM are almost identical to this gameplay - stop-pause-hit , repeat stop-pause-hit and so on . So if you are a hardcore . hack fan , get these games , if not dont even bother at all . - _ - '
144 4 once again i was not to interested in this game such as kingdom hearts but my friend rented it and showed it to me and i was simply horrified.this game is excellent ive only played the 1st 3 and ordered the 4th online and this 1 is 2nd place in my book my fav 1 overall so far is part 3 and i would reccomend this to all ages . just because theres violence in this game it shouldnt be rated t ive seen tons of games that are violent but rated e . this game is quite good the graphics could be improved a bit but it rocks . thay just need to tone down the goblin tag difficulty lvls on part 3 i cant beat martina s
167 4 The game is REALLY pathetic , honestly be lucky I am giving a 2 and not a 1 ( cause i luv the series too ) . Now lets start with the Story :
Story based this game is solid , real good story / Plot all the way through 9 / 10 . . . You are a kid stuck in a game with a special hacking ability . You are trying to save the digital world from wondering AIs with the help of other people who are in the game too . . . Like I said strong Plot .
Game wise . . . . this is where it simply FAILS and I mean Fail with a Capital P-hail . I read a few reviews where some try to make excuses and blaming the companies ' reputatioin ' on the reviews it has gotten . . . COULD NOT BE MORE WRONG . Ok lets see , would you find a game where just about EVERY SINGLE Dungeon is exactly the same . . . . yes exactly the same except for the fact that almost each dungeon has a diffrent color scheme . You walk into one room and 5 seconds later ( a few feet later ) Onto another room and so on . Now besides the crappy dungeons theres also the monsters , the monsters just stand around and hit you , no moving around or anything ( mind you this game is not Stand around one at a time hitting game like FFs ) . Now the GAMEPLAY . . wow just walking towards a monster and swinging your blade ( Stop and punch like attacks with no Varietiess to them ) and when you want to use a skill . . . ready for this ? You have to PAUSE THE GAME to use it . For example , You find a wood type monster so you press pause choose a fire type skill and use it ! ( take up to an hour to figure out what attack you want . . talk about Player timing and skills ! and did I forget to mention that you can change weapons inbetween games , yep you dont have a weapon that is strong against the type you want just pause the game and switch weapons ( hold like 10 weapons at a time =。。 ) . . . wow again with player skills . Who wouldnt think the game is challenging and fun this way ! ! . . . Seriously its pathetic . I expected it to be atleast alittle like the game Kingdom Hearts , but I was sadly dissapointed .
I have tried 2 of the games of this series and ALL OF THEM are almost identical to this gameplay - stop-pause-hit , repeat stop-pause-hit and so on . So if you are a hardcore . hack fan , get these games , if not dont even bother at all . - _ - '
002 4 I have played the japanese version of this game and it is indeed very good . The game-in-a-game concept and execution is amazing . The graphics are wonderful and the music isn't bad either . Playing the game makes your feel like your really playing online in another world . The storyline is interesting , though slightly confusing . The only problem with the game is the completion time . This is the first episode in a series of . hack games and as such , the game is very short . It took me 19 hours to beat the game and the ending left me hanging and feeling quite unfulfilled . You should take this into consideration before buying the game at full price . $ $ $ is a lot of money for a 19 hour game . I suggest renting this game first to see if you like it . . . of course you'll probably beat it before for you buy it . . . ^ - ^
025 4 This is a pretty good game that could have been an incredible one . The concept is interesting , but the game simply is not deep enough . I was really let down when I finished it in about 16 hours , and I wasn't making any effort to hurry through the game . The main storyline is very short and could have been developed into something more involving . In a sense , you could probably play this game for months without finishing all the possible levels , but they are essentially pretty repetitive after the main story is finished . I think this is a very mediocre execution of a great concept .
004 4 I am a big fan of RPGs and animes . I am a HUGE fan of Final fantasy rpgs too . While waiting for FF 11 to come out , I saw this game in a magizine . It looked pretty good , and Bandai is a familiar name . When I bought this game , it was confusing at first , but I got the hang of it fast . The concept is really interesting , playing a game of a person , who is also playing a game . It is really different from most rpgs that I hav played , which is turn based battles . I personally like these battles better , where you can run around during battles . This game was fun , and very interesting . It also makes you feel like your actually playing an online game , ( like certain players being in the towns at different times , and also your teammates are sometimes not logged on , so you cant put them in your party every time you play . ) I think there is only one weakness in this game . It only took me 15 hours to beat . FF games take about 50 or 60 hours . In all , I think this game is good for people that love rpgs , animes , and games with good stories . I can't wait for the next installment of this 4 part game to come out .
022 4 Let me start off by saying that unless you're into Rpgs , anime , and at least a little into . hack this game is not for you . For me I first say the cartoon then found the games . With that being said , onto the reveiw .
I have played a lot of rpg's and the only game that pulled me in this much was FF7 and . hack has one up on ff7 in that instead of feeling like you're playing someone else this game makes you feel like you ARE someone else . I kinda wish that they had a little LESS character development on Kite simply because because they tell you he's in 8th grade . That right there kinda pulls you out of the story a bit but I still find myself not wanting to shut it off because I want to know what happens next . And just like real life I find I like gameing with certain characters more than others . I even get angry at the other characters .
Simply put if you want a game you can throw yourself in and not look back this is it . I wouldn't rate it as high as FF games but it comes darn close . Give it a shot , it's the best 30 bucks I've spent in a long time .
116 4 I loved this game ! The ideas and the gameplay are awesome . The atmosphere is identical to that of online MUDS and forums , even to the smily expressions . This game's a lot like Dark Cloud with a much better weapon system and set of characters . Unfortunately it's SO SHORT ! Granted you can continue to level after the game's done , and you have a few more quests that you can complete , but those soon run out . I'd hate to recommend renting such an awesome game , but if you're not sentimental about owning good games then renting is the best way .
It was still the best waist of three days I've ever had though , and no game has made me go through withdrawl like this since FF7 . I just can't wait until the next game comes out ! ^ ^
153 4 I was playing this game days on end until I got stuck , but then I got the strategy guide , and I was back to playing it and eventually finished it !
There are some things people usually point out , saying they are bad : The graphics . Who CARES about the graphics . If this was a 8 - bit or 16 - bit game , I'd still play it . Yes , graphics are repetative , but what makes up for that is the amazing battle system . I played Kingdom Hearts , and the battle system is similar to it , but it isn't . You can't lock onto monsters , the only way to aim attacks is if you are within attacking range ( which is right in front of the monsters basically ) . In the end , I'd say play this game if you love good RPG's .
016 4 this is a great game with a great storyline . Anyone who enjoys anime or Rpgs will really enjoy this game . The way this game is layed out makes it , to me , better than the Final Fantasy series . There is a DVD that comes with it is a great addition to the game cause it tells you and lets you follow more with the story . The way the story unfolds within the game is pure genius . How everything you do is centered around the E-mail and the message board . But it is not an online game . Once more this was a great game and i would reccomend it to alll and i am looking forward to playing the other three .
180 4 this game i sprobly the most fantastic game ever made it breks free from all the rpg jonras and it has a intresting story line
033 4 I love this game . People complain that dungeons repeat and the graphics aren't perfect , but THAT ISN'T WHAT THE GAME IS ABOUT ! ! It's about the excellent and gripping story , which always compels you to keep playing . I've beat this game and am almost done with part 2 , which is also great . Buy this game before you play any of the other games in the series . It's not as short as people would have you think , with the side-quests it's about 30 hours . Buy this game immediately if you like RPGS !
021 4 this game is one of the best rpgs i have ever play with the the plot so Impressive but , here it comes you have to go to dungons over and over agin its sad . the battle sysem is real time so thats great and you get difrent looking wepons but so far where i am in the game no matter what difrent types of armor you put on your out look doesn't change but this is an Excellent game one of the best rpg i've ever seen .
052 4 fun game , decent game time , chance to have in depth relation ships with other characters . Now I personally hate playing on-line games due to the fact that 90% of the other people that play them are morons , anyway you don't play this online but it simulates one and does a very good job of it . You can read the board , recieve and send E-mails , characters talk about their outside life breaking character . They even sometimes send those stupid little smily face things you know these things - - - : ) , i hate those too by the way . But it adds to the realism of the game . I recomoend it to anyone .
035 4 This is a really great rpg and is a really fare price considering the free anime dvd inside . For those people who have watched . hack / / sign should definetly get this game . It helps u better understand the concept of the story within the anime . This game is like an online game thats not really online . Meaning that u do not need a hard disk drive or spend 200 dollars playing it . The story is about a young boy about 13 years of age named Kite that gets this video game which is called The World . The World is a online game which players interact and go within dungeons with parties . But when Kite goes into The World the first time with his friend , something incredible happens . Kite see a flying girl in trouble and him and his friend tries to help but in the process Kite loses his friend . Now you think this is only a game nothin happened to his friend , but it turns out his friend went unconscious in the real world . So Kite now is trying to help his friend get back to normal . This game has great graphics and a incredible story , so i suggest this game to any fan of the anime or someone who loves rpgs !
061 4 Well let's get started . the anime dvd was awesome . the game has very developed graphics and gameplay . i would recommend this to anyone who likes a good RPG . The game unfortuantly is short but you can expect 3 more titles this year alone ! ! . Hack infection #2 Mutation , due out 5 / 6 / 03 . . Hack infection #3 Outbreak , due out 8 / 5 / 03 . . Hack infection #4 Quarantine , due out 11 / 4 / 03 , according to ebgames.com ! ! ! Now back to the game . It's very good . I think anyone who wants a good rpg buy this . but get crackin only a couple more months for #2 ! ! ! ! If this helped please click yes so i know i helped . Have fun and thanks . ! ! !
100 4 I have only one thing to say about this game . It is by fare the best action rpg i have ever played . Many think kingdom hearts is better but this game dosen't have you runing around with donld duck . This game has great battle modes that even lets u shout orders to your other partty memebers as you and them battle in real time . A lot of peaopl complain that it is only 15 - 20 hours long but thats only if you rush through it and skip all the side quest . I really recomend this game for all types of games .
049 4 My thoughts of the game would have to be about 4 stars . It is a very good game indeed and I like most everything about it . But the downside is ( well maybe a downside for most people ) Is that when you start to play the game you want to play again and again . And basicly it sucks you roght into the game so you cant stop but otherwise I love this game alot i really like the very deatailed graphics and everything else about it ! I rate this game at 4 stars because the game deserves a good grade on how fun it is !
155 4 Wow . I don't know what to say . It's my favorite PS2 game . Well , My favorite game . . . I need a strategy guide thing . . . It's really comlicated in the begining , but you get used to it . . . I really like the characters ! ( except for orca ! ! ! ) especially BlackRose . : D And Mia ( the cat girl ) biya ! and buy this game !
156 4 the game is very fun once you get into it
but once i found out that it's 8 - 20 hour game
There's alot of sidequest in the game though and if you beat the game you can keep powering up so you can stand a chance in mutation
hint . before the second town get something that gives Kite acurracy and strenth for a goblin trust me
174 4 i loved this game it was fun
it was challenging to
177 4 I was excited about this game at first but found the game to be a big disappointment . Zenasaga is a much better game .
My biggest disappointment was game play . Graphics are poor and the dungeons are plain and boring . Bandai should take note of the game play in Kingdom Hearts .
The movies , however , are well done .
A fiend broke his . hack CD . Bandai would not replace it for a small fee as other video game companies do . They wanted the full [ amount ] .
058 4 This game really did not do enough to make me want more . While the graphics and character designs were good for the most part , the story was ridiculous , and the attempt to make you feel like you were playing a game within a game simply didn't work . I would wager that if you didn't know ahead of time the opening screen was supposed to be you sitting at your computer , you wouldn't be able to guess what was going on at all . The illusion just doesn't hold . As for the actual game play , it's a bit of a mixed bag . I liked the characters ( for the most part ) , but the dungeons were very simplistic and overly repetitive . You had a few different environments that you played through again and again . The music was okay , EXCEPT you will never want to bring Piros on an outing with you due to the painful and repetitive music that accompanies his presence . Listening to his canned response whenever you communicate with him is also an exercise in agony . Elk is . . . annoying . . . , as well . The other characters are done much better . I had no problem with abilities being connected to various equipment , and I think that actually made for a more thought out and strategic use of resources . My main complaint with this game , aside from the terrible storyline , is the battle system . What a disastrous mess ! Half the time , you can't even see who you are supposed to be fighting , because the game throws up the enemy-warping-in graphic ( which keeps you from knowing what you are up against during a crucial part of the battle ) , followed up by your comrades talking throughout , making text balloons which obscure what is going on in front of you . During the final boss battle , I couldn't even see what it was I was supposed to be fighting . It really made battles a chore . If you are a fan of the anime series , I suppose that you will enjoy this game . Purely as a game , I think this one falls a bit flat , and due to its length and episodic nature , should not be priced as a full-fledged game . Over this game I would recommend either Final Fantasy X or Dark Cloud 2 , both of which have better story lines and less muddled battle systems . Plus , they are each full games . While I enjoyed playing this game well enough , I cannot envision buying any more in this series . I would not recommend purchasing this game . Maybe a rental .
097 4 There are some people who are crazy about Final Fantasy and some are crazy about Lord of the Rings . However , I am crazy about . hack because it is a great mystery , game , and show ! You start out with 2 people in your party but you gain more as you progress through the game . I have only played the first 2 but I hope to play the third really soon ! Overall , I think , other than the Ratchet and Clank series , that this is the absolute BEST game series ever !
098 4 This is a great game . The storyline goes as the following . . . . You are Kite , a twin-blader , who was asked to come to the ' World ' by Orca , your friend . But when Orca mysteriously goes into a coma , you continue to play the game in order to find out what happened to him . You'll meet many dangers on your way , but at the same time meet friends that will help you on your journey . Go to dungeons and beat the Data Bugs and bosses to attain special items and level up your character . You'll have a special bracelet that will help you Drain the monster's data . And the Virus cores that you get will help you with Gate Hacking to get into the protected areas . Hope this helps you out .
086 4 It's a really good idea to try the anime's as well as the books , because they all have a intersecting story . This game takes a bit to grow on ya but the story draws you in and keeps you wanting to know more . Your characters can carry over into the next volume too when you finish with this one .
092 4 Dot Hack is a very good game but in a needing status . It has a good story but bad camera system . You'll not need much time to finish this game . The battle system rocks out loud though . You can controll basically everything that your character does and they use common sense with stuff like not letting the mage attack that way they dont get killed . I never really got into the grunty thing though they did come in handy . The trading system was awesome .
099 4 You are Kite , a young boy who is invited by your best friend Orca to play an online game called the World . Everything goes well until Orca gets wiped out by a strange robot with a red staff . Join Kite as he travels through many different areas in the World with some new friends as he tries to figure out a way to save Orca .
136 4 the game was awsome . my favorite charector was elk . i really liked the extensive dungeons where you get to kick - - - . but the controls are a bit off . for me though i got bored because it was offline but other then that i loved it
142 4 This game is the Best RPG of the Year . Everything from the PSO like battle system to the storyline keeps the game intresting and makes u want to finish the game and see the ending . This game is also a good platform for the next three installments of the game because it is a cliffhanger in some parts . Generally u play as Kite , a new player in The World , the game . As the storyline progress alot of mysteries pop-up everywhere . You're job is to find out what is happen to the world as it is getting attacked by something . This game also gives u a large range of freedom with its keyword system and enemies . This game is a real RPG and anyone who is into RPG should get it .
147 4 Hey everyone . I recommend you buy this game because the gameplay is awesome , the character design is great , and a ton of other stuff . The only problem in this game is when you are playing , the peoples mouthes dont open ! hopefully in the next games they open they're mouthes . Any other Dot Hack lovers , IM me at NinjaRaiden02 to talk about the game and you can even ask me for help if needed . Oh , and dont forget BUY THIS AWESOME GAME ! YOU'LL LOVE IT !
123 4 don't get confused , this isn't a final fantasy game , but it sure as heck is as fun as one ! There is a 45 min . anime dvd that you should watch to get a small grasp of what is happening . If you've seen the tv show . hack / / SIGN , then you will understand it a lil more . Anyway , you are Kite , a newbie that was asked to come to The World by your friend Orca . The World is like a world inside a world where you can level up in dungeons , trade with non-playable characters , buy goods , raise grunties , etc . Your on a ' mission ' to find out what is happening to The World after your friend goes into a coma . After coming in contact with Skeith , the player that Data Drains Orca ; you recieve the same power from Aura , the white floating girl , that puts Orca into a coma . You need to figure out who's with you and who's against you in the ever fighting struggle to free The World ! ! Have fun , cause I know I did ! ! !
114 4 This is a fun rpg cause the free roaming everywhere and the graphics are great its worth buying but the game play is a bit short but thats y their got more than one part to continue the game and get farther it is a really long game . i love it !
128 4 Short and trite . This game was something of a let down . Don't take that wrong . The story is unique and fun , and once you master the battle system it is 5 times more fun than a turn-based RPG . But I took off a half star for both problems I had with the game ( and . . . the problems are a little more glarring , but I was leaniant on the stars cause this game grows on you . ) Problem 1 . ) The graphics . Should have been better , but Kite ( the main character ) looks a little too pixalated at times . 2 . ) and what really ticked me offwas I payed [ good money ] for a game that is half of what it could be . They are releasing the series into 4 parts , but I think the first one could have been a LOT bigger . Overall , though , it isa good game for RPGers .
019 4 This game does things in an action RPG that have never been done before , while maintaining the core . The character development is great , the soundtrack is great , the value is unprecedented because of the inclusion of a DVD movie . You should absolutely add this game to your collection .
081 4 This is a great game for any person wanting to start a good RPG , it also has more than one game to finish , allowing you to carry your levels and items from game to game
101 4 i thought that this game could have definitley been better considering how much hype it recieved . i played thid game for three days and beat it , no guides or gameshark . the game truly is nothing special but the story line will leave you wanting more so i will continue to buy the series , but be warned that true RPG players will most likely find this game easy and not worth the money you'd pay for it ! ! ! !
111 4 i liked it . most people told me it was different kind of RPG , but i don't see it that way . i saw it as a very creative hack and slash game . it's supposed to be an internet game inside the game you are playing and it did it perfectly to be except the people ' online ' seem to get too emotional unlike an actual online game , the is no profanity which all MMORPGers know is a DAMN LIE . there is not one online game that has never had a bad word spoken in it , and finally the overall gameplay ; such as play-time , and graphics could have been just a bit better if Ban Dai really tired for once to make a decent game . oh yeah , just throw away the DVD , all it is , is a few people talking for 45 minutes
133 4 Dot hack infection is about a kid named Kite whose invited by a classmate ( we'll call him by his online name , Orca . ) to play the online game the world . But , after a breif tutorial the two are attacked by a powerful , unknown monster named Skeith . Afterwards , the mysterious Aura gives Kite the book of twilight , from which Kite drew the twilight bracelet . Orca fell comotose in the real world . The bracelet Kite recieved has 2 essential skills : gate hacking , to get you there . And Data drain to weaken Skeith . It is an online-game simulation via RPG .
168 4 i liked it . most people told me it was different kind of RPG , but i don't see it that way . i saw it as a very creative hack and slash game . it's supposed to be an internet game inside the game you are playing and it did it perfectly to be except the people ' online ' seem to get too emotional unlike an actual online game , the is no profanity which all MMORPGers know is a DAMN LIE . there is not one online game that has never had a bad word spoken in it , and finally the overall gameplay ; such as play-time , and graphics could have been just a bit better if Ban Dai really tired for once to make a decent game .
172 4 This is a weird RPG with a weird plot . Bad graphics . Ugly environments . The The fighting system is bad . You have to stop . Characters are not who you'd care about . Just a bad game .
135 4 . . . i'll give the idiots a bit of a word here . The reason why there's ' little or no plot ' is because . hack isn't just about . hack / / infection , or the whole game series for that matter . The entire . hack project spans video games , mangas , anime , and a card game . To truly understand it all , you must see all of it . The plot is deeply encrypted into the entire project , and each part gives you a little bit of it . So , all that aside , time to review the game ! It's pretty straight foward , and you will be much more attached to it if you've seen all of . hack / / sign , which forces you to ask yourself , What the hell ? I though Skeith was dead ! Why is he still chasing after Aura ? Sure the gameplay is kinda repetative ( X button ) , but once you beat / / infection , you can't help but feel compelled to go on to / / mutation .
054 4 I am a fan of anime but that is not why i bought this game . I like rpgs and this looked like an interesting one . You are someone in real life that has this game they are registering on in the beginning . ( reminds me of something : ) ) Anyway , this is a good game and i wanted to give it a 4.5 because the controls take some getting use to and the camera gets a little wackey sometimes . Battles arent the BEST but no battles are ever perfect so i would recommend this game .
108 4 This is the best game I've ever played ! It has a couple of charecters that I know of ( Kite , Orca , Black Rose , Mia , Elk , Natsume ) It is fun to play the game and watch it unfold in front of your eyes . I haven't finished the game but I like it so far . Overall I suggest the game to all videogamers .
122 4 first of all the game is about a kid who joins a online game called the world . his one friend orca was data drained by a virus named skeith . he then meets the little girl in white gives him a book.his friend ended up in a coma . kite ( the main character ) travels with a female character blackrose who is a newbie or begginer just like him . she takes them to a viraly infected area called hidden , forbidden , holy ground where they find a monster who can not die . later they continue meeting virus monsters and screwed up areas . i gave this game a best game because i am a huge fan . if you like rpg and movement fighting you will love it .
124 4 im a big fan of final fantasy but i got sick of the battle mode got sick of the game play and sick of the game ( but it was fun ) . s oi was on a website andfounout about the series then got the game . i was stuned by how great the game was . it had fully interactive worlds a great ( but confusing ) story line great charicters great enemys and a new battle system . i fell in love with the game . and i think if you want a new RPG to have fun playing get this game , the dot / / HACK video game series the game within the game , within the game .
139 4 this is the bes game ive ever played so far ? wonderful story line , characters , and good battle system ( kinda copyied Kingdom hearts battle system though ) also is is annoying to press triangle to special skills . but other than thats it is a exellent game . u can order around ur guys u can chose where to go . u can chose who u what to bring along on ur adventur and leveling up is easy - only have to go up tom 1000 like is ff8 . if ur an RPG fan u should definitly get this and the nevt part is coming in may 9
159 4 i see these reviews that say this game is only like about 16 hours which it is if u play straight through but its part of a 4 part series . this game is so original its a game within a game . u play as kite a character in a huge online game set in the future called the world . the game is so much fun u can trade with other people in the game but its not a multiplayer game its single so its like a game within a game . the concept is prob the most original ive heard . the only rpg that compares to this is ff7 . buy this game if u want an out of the ordinary , super original , fun , and super addictive alot more than everquest game .
134 4 When I first saw this game on the shelves I thought , Oh just another hacker simulation like ones I've seen for the computer DOS platform serveral years back only with an anime cross-over . However , when a friend of mine showed me the game , I was more than awed at the wonderful graphics and deep and intense story line . It actually made me go out and buy the Playstation and the game I was that impressed . I recommend this game to all hardcore and newbe RPG players alike . Now if only they would make a spin off game for PC and call it The World . . . of course without the coma part . ^ ^ ; ;
137 4 i just got this game a week ago and I love it ! Now I've played FF 9 on PS once and liked it , then I got a PS2 and I hurred and got Kindom Hearts , which was like a superb thing of a miracle , then I played Everquest for the PC , and I thought it was another holy grail . This game is like all of those . It has the move around battle system of KH , certain RPG features of FF9 , and an Online SIMULATOR like Everquest . A must have for any PS2 game collector ! ! ! : p ! ! ! Plus know , it's only $ ! Not to shabby !
161 4 I must say this game is definitely in a league of its own . Just for starters . . . the storyline of this game is unique . The gameplay is very nice because this game simulates the playing field of an online game only its not literally online playable . Beating this game may not take you a long time , but the thing is there is alot to explore and alot of things to discover which makes this title pretty long . The characters are cool and the voice acting is very well done . Plus other bonuses to this game is the fact that it comes with an anime dvd inside plus . Hack Infection is but one of a four part series . The anime inside is very good too for those anime fans looking for something different . I highly recommend this game for anyone who likes an rpg of a different calibur and remember . . . this game is a FOUR part series so even though each game by itself may seem short . . . think about the game time yu'll have to put in to defating all four parts . So if you haven't got this title yet you better get started now cause . Hack Part 3 Outbreak is out now and . Hack Part 4 Quarantine is coming soon so you better hurry up !
044 4 This could be the best game created from an anime i have ever played . The graphics are smooth , The control is easy , It gives a nice challenge but nothing impossible , and there are tons of characters for you to tea up with . I say move over Final fantasy and make room for . hack .
055 4 I recently bought this game and I must say that I have enjoyed every second I have played it . The people who designed this game took the normal RPG format and gave it a refreshing twist . It is not the same stale RPG . The game interface is uniquie and nicely done , and it does not take countless hours to figure out how to play this game unlike some of the newer RPG out on the market . The graphics are great , and the charater design is strong with a developing storyline that is going to be followed in 3 additional games . Overall this is a great game and if you enjoy RPGs then buy this game ASAP you will enjoy it . The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars was for the fact that the game is somewhat short . I can't wait until the next game in the seires is released .
078 4 I have been playing this off and on since I got it , and anyone who is a fan of this series would enjoy this game . I feel it's a bit of a let down that all the games aren't in the same game , as now I have to shell out for each one in turn , but overall the game is something fun to do , and has yet to get old .
084 4 I think the gane is very good but its going to be hard to levelup.Plus you get a dvd as a bonus when the game / it's about a girl who played a game called the world and she must find out how she got out of a coma but her friend didn't get through the coma .
102 4 The game is one that you either love it to the extent that its all you think about or you completely hate it for what it is . but in the worst case youll probably over time take the time to beat it or at least complete at least half of it . I would recomend it to anyone looking for a new game , a good rpg or are just a fan of the series .
107 4 I say the graphics are awsome , a great story line , and the rpg is really different . To me this is like a new line of final fantasy . TO me i think its is a game to check out . .
109 4 This game is alot of fun . It was hard in the beginning though . I had no idea what to do . A hint for people who are going to play the game is to use data drain alot . It helps to get e-mails and to get cool stuff which helps move the game along . I played almost 6 hours without having a clue about what to do . But my peole are really strong now .
121 4 This game was great . I remember going between this game and an other one , and i'm glad i picked this one . The graphics are good and the story line is great . The levels they have are almost unlimited , u will never encounter the same level unless u want to . So i say , buy this game = D
125 4 I thought it was awesome how they decided to model the gameplay after many of the online games that we have today . One complaint I have is the repetative use of the same animations , and same backgrounds for the levels . The designers also overused many of the chat bubble dialogues for each of the characters . Overall , this was a good game , but lacked a lot in the animation department .
157 4 I bought this game just recently , and I love it ! I am not yet finished with the game , in fact I am not even sure how far I am ( I don't think I'm that far ) . HOWEVER the game rocks ! Some of the enemies can be tough , but you get through it . . . beware of some of the bosses because sometimes it is hard to make them break . Overall the game is pretty solid , trippy at times . . . always making me want to get further into the plot . BUY IT !
163 4 it wsa good , I liked the characters ! ! they had awesoem abilites , don't be fooled between the anime and the this game because they are totally different . . . . . . . but it is a good game so go out there and get it ! !
178 4 Overall , this game was annoying , long , and stupid . The only reason I finished it was for the cut-scenes . Wish I had a shut-up button for this .
170 4 This is the best Game in the world ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! so im going to tell you guys some secert's . If you go into a room were you break open stuff , you can always get back in and redo it . The best way to level up is to fight every monster portol you can find . you might have to searh a while to find all of them but it is so morth it . Do not die because you will lose all your levels which you don't want to do . After you leave an area if you are low hp and low mp you will get them back when you go to the the server .
104 4 It takes awhile to get the hang of navigating the world , but the game is exquisetely animated , the characters and settings are diverse and imaginative , and the story is complex and engaging .
171 4 This game is different but it is good and fun and the ending wants you to have more the only problem with this game it costs too much for how short it is but very good !
176 4 This game is cool . It's full of poop and stuff .
all you do is press the ` x ' button rapidly until one of you dies . It's hard to call this a step into new territory , especially when we've seen this done many , many times over . To be fair , as with everything else , the battle system holds true to the MMORPG tried-and-tested formula . You can attack with your weapons , cast buffs and debuffs and unleash spells on your hapless opponents . Along with the standard assortment of physical and magical attacks , Kite possesses a magical bracelet which allows him to perform a Data Drain on enemies ( essentially a one hit K.O . ) at the risk of becoming infected through overuse . Data Drain is a useful and interesting concept , and it provides you with Virus Bugs as well as the occasional new piece of equipment .
Kite can have up to two other members in his party at a time . You can command them through a separate menu and for the most part , their AIs do a decent job of supporting your character throughout the game . They can also be something of a hindrance , however . In dungeons and during fights , they have the irritating tendency to reciting mechanical one-liners ( such as Take that ! ) . These one-liners appear in large text balloons and occasionally obscure the action , especially when more than one person in talking . There's unfortunately no way to turn this off ; at least not that I've found .
GAMEPLAY -
Throughout the game , you'll be going back and forth from the game The World and the main area of your PC . You don't see the person controlling Kite , which only further alludes to the ` in a game ' sensation , and was something I felt was a nice touch . In the main screen of your PC , you'll be able to check your mail which lets you correspond with other gamers as well as worldwide news . There's even a forum for the game which is updated with threads periodically as you progress through the game . I've said it before and I'll probably say it again , but . hack really exudes the feeling of an MMORPG and involves you in the experience . When you're not on your PC's main screen , you'll be in The World . You can travel from different servers , each of which has their own special town . The towns all have basically the same shops and aren't really much to rave about , but they're accessible and easy to navigate .
The dungeons are created through the input of a three part keyword . The combination of the keywords sets the level and elemental type of the dungeon . There are a variety of different kinds , but after a while , they end up looking quite similar ( especially the insides of the dungeons ) . Most of the time you'll be trekking through dungeon after dungeon to grind levels or simply to advance the plot . As with many dungeon crawlers , the gameplay can become tedious after a while .
Overall , the gameplay isn't bad , but it can become mind-numbing after you spend hours slogging through wave after wave of dungeons .
VISUALS , CHARACTERS and AUDIO -
. hack part 1 is presented with fairly bright graphics , distinctive character designs and decent textures , but it still falls short of the mark somewhere . They graphics really aren't particularly impressive if you study them , and although the character animations are quite nice , there's a distinct lack of detail in a lot of your surroundings . Take the dungeons , for example . The majority of them are simply long , winding hallways with little decoration and almost no detail . The different types of dungeons have different walls and floors , of course , but they're still just long corridors connected by rooms . There's just not enough variety to make the graphics pop out .
The characters of the game are for the most part , well-presented . Although they're not always very well portrayed when you first acquire their assistance , the more you use them , the more you learn about their interests . Even the characters who don't play a large role in the main story of the game ended up having more developed personalities than I expected . Although none of them seem to experience any particularly deep emotional growth , it didn't bother me so much . The characters don't seem to be the main focus of the game anyway ; the story is what really drives everything .
The music of the game is standard RPG fare . It's nothing to write home about , especially the dungeon music and the repetitive battle theme . There are a few nice , catchy tracks , but for the most part it's basically average stuff .
CONCLUSION -
To summarize , . hack Part 1 is a dungeon-crawler with an above-average and fairly interesting story . The presentation of the ` game within a game ' concept can be very involving at times , and the idea is very well executed . The gameplay itself falls a little short of the mark , since there is too little variety between dungeon areas . The character models are pretty interesting and Kite's is fairly detailed , but the rest of the graphics are generally quite cookie-cutter .
If you're looking for something that has a different type of storytelling as well as lots and lots of dungeon levels to traverse ( there are probably hundreds of different keyword combinations ) then you'll have a roaring good time with this game . As for my personal opinion , I'd say that it's a decent game and a good way to pass time . I've seen better , but then again there's far worse . Give it a shot if this type of thing interests you .
001 4 I normally don't do many reviews , but those posted here about this game so far don't really do it justice .
Dot Hack is the newest installment of the next generation of RPGs : live-action combat sequences , intricate plots , and complicated gameplay . You take the role of Kite , an eigth grade boy trying to discover why the online game The World caused his friend , Orca , to go into a coma . Split between the gaming world and the real world ( which is represented by Kite's desktop ) , Dot Hack allows you to email in-game players , keep up with the news , and follow threads in an expansive message board that probably is the most creative way I've ever seen a game present its own instructions . After working your way through Kite's desktop , you then play Kite's character in The World ( think a very big game-within-a-game ) .
The World is not unlike the Everquest style MMORPGs of today . You form groups , you trade with other players , you visit dungeons , you fight monsters , you find special items , and so on . Your parties rotate given who is willing to play and who is not ; if you are friendly to your favorite partners , for instance , they will more than likely team up with you when you catch them online . Given that the game is entirely computer-based , this well-done simulation bettered my original expectations .
The game has its weak points , as well . Kite's character's class is not chosen , which is frustrating to those ( like me ) who find some of the other classes far more interesting . Also , the name-generated playing fields have the feel of those old-style random dungeon crawls for the PC . This gets old quick , but the well-done cut scenes and fields that actually advance the story are just enough to keep the game spinning in my Playstation .
Gone are the basic turned-based games with simple storylines ; as a longtime veteran of RPGs , I appreciate and welcome this change . The innovative gameplay and absolutely fantastic storyline of Dot Hack ( and its anime counterpart ) has me looking forward to the rest of the series . Four stars .
003 4 One of the problems about reviewing this game is that it is hard to decide what it is that you are reviewing . Is it the total concept of game , film , manga , and TV series ? Or one fourth of a game ? Or any of the above . The reason this is particularly perplexing is that of all of the above , the game it the only thing that falls a bit short of expectations . It isn't at all bad , just ' ordinary . '
While formed from the interesting concept of a virtual gaming world gone psychotic , what . hack / / Infection really is a dungeon based adventure game comprised of hack-and-slash travels through levels to get treasure . The classic RPG with a bit of a twist , it starts when Kite , a new player , is introduced to ' The World ' by his friend Orca . On their first outing to a dungeon , Orca is attacked by a mutated monster and permanently loses consciousness . It is up to Kite , and the friends he makes to try to find out what is really going on .
Script is pretty minimal , especially when compared to the story lines of FFX or Suikoden III . Essentially , e-mails or board postings trigger events and supply the code names of playing fields and dungeons . Kite assembles a team of three and goes to each location for information . A fair amount of time is spent leveling up in order to be strong enough to accomplish the next task . To facilitate this , the player can compose his own keywords or even have a playing field generated for him at random . There is room for considerable variation , but the fields aren't really all that imaginative .
Despite a pretty face , the game engine is dated , and the game interface is a bit inconsistent . The same key doesn't always to the same thing . And it can take a lot of controller actions to run a real time battle . All in all , the game is entertaining , but not compelling . Character design is excellent though . Hopefully , future parts will extend playing capabilities .
The accompanying film DVD is called . hack / / Liminality ( volume 1 ) . It is the story of Mai Minase , whose boyfriend is demonstrating ' The World ' to her when they are attacked . He too loses consciousness for the duration . She meets Junichiro Tokuoka , who seems to have had something to do with the game originally , and is now investigating why people are permanently losing consciousness when they play . I wish I could take more time in this review to discuss this DVD , because it is excellent . An interesting plot , nicely drawn with interesting characters . I can see buying the games just to get the film DVD's .
Overall , the game is the weakest part of the . hack package . But I don't want to give the impression that it is bad . It simply doesn't live up to the overwhelming hype so far . I found it quite playable as a traditional dungeons oriented game . With three more chapters to go this could change in a flash , and I am too curious not to continue . I think you will find this true for yourself as well .
005 4 I know I'll get lambasted for writing this , but let's put it out there . This is NOT a great game . While a great story is certainly an important component to a great game , there are other essentials which must be present as well .
So , let's talk about the good first . . hack has a good story which should keep the gamer quite interested . You play as a another video game player who wishes to play the MMORPG The World . Invited by another friend who then mysteriously vanishes ( and in fact falls into a coma ) , you must determine the who's and why's behind this mystery . Along the way , you will meet up with other players who will help you in your quest as you hack your way further into the mystery that is The World . I was quite interested in the game myself , and will certainly purchase the sequel to see its continuation .
Now for the bad . The gameplay . . . . Essentially , you call up these friends of yours to walk through repetitive dungeons with little graphic splendor , each time trying to find a statue at the bottom which will reward your party ( i.e . you ) with items . Hooray . While the story kept me going , the gameplay is far from inspiring , reminiscent of the doldrums of Dark Cloud or the likes . I know that MMORPG's are like this , but somehow , I never really felt that I was interacting with real people , which is obviously the hope of this simulation .
I think that most RPGers will like this game , solely based on the story . However , be warned - this game isn't for everyone , and at fifty bucks , you might be quite disappointed . Buyer beware !
006 4 All in all , this is a spectacular game . It fills the empty space left in my heart by the horrible attempt at a sequel Konami tried to pass off as Devil May Cry 2 .
I rented . hack from the video store on a Thursday , and reluctantly brought it back on Monday , after committing 40 hours of playtime to this peice of art . Don't be tricked , this game * can * be short . But if you play RPG's like I do , you'll do sidequests , level up your character constantly , and try all sorts of weird things with the game , it's definitely not a 15 hour game .
I was originally attracted to the game because of it's basis in Anime ( it comes with a short anime movie to supplement the story in the game , which you should watch before playing the game ) .
Also , I've been learning Japanese for a while , and I really had alot of fun playing through the game with the Japanese language voices ( yes you can change it , and don't worry , it still has the english subtitles ) . All the fans of anime I've met have preferred the japanese language with subtitles , and I thank bandai for taking this into account when they made the game .
I was able to beat this game thoroughly in a 5 day rental . And because of that , I was able save [ $ $ $ ] + S & H . I would only buy this game if I had alot of money to spend . Otherwise , I suggest it as a rental .
007 4 Everyone's intitled to their opinion . I thought the complex concept of controlling a group of characters was done simply and effectively !
The game keeps you on track always giving you hints and pointers as to what to do next to keep the story moving . For those that have played everquest , the way the dungeons and creatures are presented will be very familiar . Sometimes , yes , the ' typed text ' from your allys gets in the way ( it depends on how zoomed in you are looking at things ) .
It was fun to interact with other ' player characters ' in ' The World . ' It did give you an online feel . Of course you ' know ' you're not online - - but it did a fairly good job at simulating it ! It took me about 30 hours to get through ( my characters were at lvl 34 . )
The music and animations are very ( VERY ) well done ! I played the whole game in japaneese with english subtitles - - thou the English voices were actually decently done ( in the short spirts I turned on the English track to compair ) . . .
I AM a big fan of the . hack / / sign series . The game takes place after the first series . . . With a new set of characters discovering what's happening .
It has totally left me waiting on pins and needles for the next part ! Didn't give it 5 stars because I benchmark against FF10 . Who knows , by the 4th installment of this game ( due in Nov ' 03 ) maybe it will be 5 .
008 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
It's only a game . . . a game about playing a massively multiplayer online role-playing game . . .
Plot
You play as a player who is just introducing himself to a MMPORPG called The World . Your friend , a veteran player and your mentor of the game , mysteriously falls into a coma after his game character is killed . . . and the reason behind his incapacitation lies within the game , which is mysteriously ridden with viruses . You must infilitrate the dungeons and rid of the parasitic evil , in hopes of finding a cure for the plight of your friend .
Graphics
There are many different kinds of fields and dungeons , including grasslands , snowfields , deserts , dry sea basins , etc . , and you'll infilitrate ruins , castles , palaces , even dragons ' bodies .
In viral infected levels , the screen flickers , and programming code floats about through the area .
Sound
The music is very trance-like , white-noise if you will , but not necessarily purely ambient ; it is constant , but not monotonous . . .
Definitely a plus on the part of the developer , you are offered the choice of English or Japanese voice-overs with English subtitles . . . the English voice-overs can definitely be embarrassing to listen to at times .
Gameplay
You check e-mail and read message board posts for objectives , which are updated with each mission .
The game is very open-ended ; in manner , you can create your own dungeons by inputting keywords at portals , which specify the strength of the enemies , and the value of treasures within the dungeon . Naturally , greater rewards mean greater risks . E-mails and message board posts will tell you different keyword combinations for dungeons related to side quests and advancing the story , but if you want to level build like crazy too , you can input intense keyword combinations for dungeons with insanely powerful enemies and valuable treasure .
Gathering allies and communicating with them is effectively reminiscent of real MMPORPGs , you have to meet them , and they gives you the means to contact them so that you can add or remove them from your party whenever you like ; of course , allies aren't always available , and that is a strategic limiter . You can also give and trade items to and with your allies .
Battles are rather reminiscent of Star Ocean 2 and other action RPGs ; just press the X button near an enemy to attack , or call up menus to use your skills or magic spells . You can also call up menus for your allies to use specific skills or spells , or you can specify certain general strategies that the AI can act upon .
Overall
If you want a game that effectively emulates a MMPORPG without actually being one , . Hack is your piece of cake . All of the nuances are there , including characters who make irrelevant comments about the state of the real world , or other things that do not relate to the game at all . Characters even use emoticons and online speak in their text boxes : D LoL .
009 4 It's only a game . . . a game about playing a massively multiplayer online role-playing game . . .
Plot
You play as a player who is just introducing himself to a MMPORPG called The World . Your friend , a veteran player and your mentor of the game , mysteriously falls into a coma after his game character is killed . . . and the reason behind his incapacitation lies within the game , which is mysteriously ridden with viruses . You must infilitrate the dungeons and rid of the parasitic evil , in hopes of finding a cure for the plight of your friend .
Graphics
There are many different kinds of fields and dungeons , including grasslands , snowfields , deserts , dry sea basins , etc . , and you'll infilitrate ruins , castles , palaces , even dragons ' bodies .
In viral infected levels , the screen flickers , and programming code floats about through the area .
Sound
The music is very trance-like , white-noise if you will , but not necessarily purely ambient ; it is constant , but not monotonous . . .
Definitely a plus on the part of the developer , you are offered the choice of English or Japanese voice-overs with English subtitles . . . the English voice-overs can definitely be embarrassing to listen to at times .
Gameplay
You check e-mail and read message board posts for objectives , which are updated with each mission .
The game is very open-ended ; in manner , you can create your own dungeons by inputting keywords at portals , which specify the strength of the enemies , and the value of treasures within the dungeon . Naturally , greater rewards mean greater risks . E-mails and message board posts will tell you different keyword combinations for dungeons related to side quests and advancing the story , but if you want to level build like crazy too , you can input intense keyword combinations for dungeons with insanely powerful enemies and valuable treasure .
Gathering allies and communicating with them is effectively reminiscent of real MMPORPGs , you have to meet them , and they gives you the means to contact them so that you can add or remove them from your party whenever you like ; of course , allies aren't always available , and that is a strategic limiter . You can also give and trade items to and with your allies .
Battles are rather reminiscent of Star Ocean 2 and other action RPGs ; just press the X button near an enemy to attack , or call up menus to use your skills or magic spells . You can also call up menus for your allies to use specific skills or spells , or you can specify certain general strategies that the AI can act upon .
Overall
If you want a game that effectively emulates a MMPORPG without actually being one , . Hack is your piece of cake . All of the nuances are there , including characters who make irrelevant comments about the state of the real world , or other things that do not relate to the game at all . Characters even use emoticons and online speak in their text boxes : D LoL .
010 4 The Good
- amazing story line that leaves you hanging
- Graphics are pretty decent
- you are able to create different parties ( friends to accompany you on your particular adventure )
- the sense of an actual living network is very strong
- free range the game allows an amazing amount of freedom . . you can explore hundreds of different areas . . optionally . Even after you complete the game !
- Mini games , like raising grunties ( pig like creatures you can ride )
- the game comes with a 45 min . DVD , which like the game has a strong storyline .
The Bad
- The game is pretty short . . though you can still play , the storyline just doesn't advance .
- repeating graphics . . the dungeons have different catagories . . ice castle , normal castle , cave , and insides ( human , dog or snail ) In the beginning they are all very exciting , but towards the end a little tiring .
- monsters also tend to repeat
overall this is a very fun game . . . but still not the best .
I definately would buy , but if sceptical rent .
011 4 If you're a huge fan of either MMORPGs , running around collecting rare items , or levelling your characters to godhood , this game is for you . I find the battle system / skills system to be quite enjoyable . It lends itself very well to mindless levelling and good old-fashioned carnage . The dungeon set-ups are pretty sweet , and I like the variety to the environments . Another really big plus is the option of using the Japanese voice track , which is something a purist like me has been begging for in the new generation of RPGs .
Now , on to the bad news . The gameplay is rather shallow . There are no minigames to speak of , though some of the extras you can unlock will keep you amused for a little while . There isn't much to the game , either . I think I'm going to be lucky to get 25 hours out of this one , which is somewhat disappointing .
012 4 The concepts and ideas for this game are excellent , and I bought it as soon as I could . However , while this game was pretty enjoyable , it has its downsides .
First and foremost , there is very little plot . Bandai tried to give this game a more epic feel by splitting it up into 4 games , but it ends up just being very slow and very little happens by the end of the game . Furthermore , the sequels are the same as the first game , just with continuation of plot . If you have a friend who is willing to share the cost , buy one part of the game and your friends by the other parts and just share them so that you can play all 4 parts while only paying for one .
Anyway , the gameplay is pretty straightforward . You control a single character , Kite , and have up to two characters follow you around and fight with you . There are a good selection of characters to choose from , but only a couple have any significant amount of character development ( others are just like , cool , you found this sword . can i have it ? thanks , now ill join your party whenever you call me ) . Also , all the characters are pretty much the same ( fighters ) , they just look different . There are a couple mage characters as well . The AI handles your two allies very well , based on the commands you give them . They automatically heal , fight , and cast spells on the enemy .
Speaking of the battle system , I like the way it's executed . You walk around on the map which has nodes scattered around it . When you come close to a node , monsters appear , the background music fades into battle music , and you start fighting . Very seamless and well done .
The levelling and skill system is one of the biggest problems that I have with the same . Characters DO NOT learn skills or spells . The abilities that they have access to depend on the equipment that they are using . To use a heal spell , you need a hat that has a heal spell on it . Remove the hat , and the heal spell is gone . You dont learn it . You end up using the same moves over and over again untill you find a better piece of equipment , and then you use that over and over again . Cool at first but gets repetitive .
I don't see why they couldn't have just compressed all four parts into just one game . Then it would be a worthwhile buy . But to buy four parts to a game when each part is the same as the last is a waste of money .
015 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
this is a great game with a great storyline . Anyone who enjoys anime or Rpgs will really enjoy this game . The way this game is layed out makes it , to me , better than the Final Fantasy series . There is a DVD that comes with it is a great addition to the game cause it tells you and lets you follow more with the story . The way the story unfolds within the game is pure genius . How everything you do is centered around the E-mail and the message board . But it is not an online game . Once more this was a great game and i would reccomend it to alll and i am looking forward to playing the other three .
017 4 Based on the anime TV show , . hack infection has you , the player , playing a character who is playing an on line multiuser RPG . Talk about layers of gameplay !
In essence , this is a great way for kids not quite ready for real , on line MMORPGs to get a feeling for how they work . Your character , let's call him Link , is playing an on line MMORPG . All of the people which Link interacts with are just computer-controlled characters . There is no real on line aspect to this game . But you get a sense for how to interact with other players , how to send messages to them , how some are on at some times and others log on at other times .
Your methods of moving around between areas of The World and killing monsters is pretty similar to most MMORPGs like Asheron's Call or EverQuest . You have weapons to hack and slash at creatures . You have magic and can heal your party members or harm the enemies . You can chat with your party members to ask them to give you a hand or heal you .
When you're not on line , you can read message boards about things going on , send messages , and progress through the game . After your first half hour of guided tutorial , one of your friends falls into a coma and you're concerned about it . More things happen as you get deeper and deeper into the game .
Amusingly , the graphics are better than most real MMORPGs out there but are not quite as good as many real PS2 games that are out there . So depending on which one you compare it against , it's either quite nice or not quite up to par . They're around the Dark Cloud level of graphics .
The 45 minute anime cartoon that gets you familiar with the game and the players helps to draw you into the world , and feel like this is a real situation with real people you are interacting with .
On the downside , you can't customize your character at all . Most of the fun of MMORPGs is that you can tweak your character to be just the way you wish . In this one , you are forced to be the character they have set up .
Still , it's fun practice for how a MMORPG works , and fans of the series will enjoy participating in its world
018 4 This game is really well done , except for the repetive parts . I know that it is just the part that sets up the upcoming games , but it is a bit short . The graphics are excellent , one of the better ones I have played . I would recommend this game for any person who is familiar with the Manga / other parts of . Hack , because this game sort of jumps directly into the plot , and it can be confusing it you have no history with . hack .
Graphics : 5
Plot / Gameplay : 4
Difficulty : 4
Funness : 4
Overall : 4.5
When you purchase this , you might as well buy all four parts becuse you can transfer your save game to the next part . Also , the plot gets better from part to part .
020 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
this game is one of the best rpgs i have ever play with the the plot so Impressive but , here it comes you have to go to dungons over and over agin its sad . the battle sysem is real time so thats great and you get difrent looking wepons but so far where i am in the game no matter what difrent types of armor you put on your out look doesn't change but this is an Excellent game one of the best rpg i've ever seen .
023 4 I was definitely expecting a lot more when I read the reviews about this game . It definitely has good points , but it has almost as many bad features .
It has an interesting , thorough story and I like that fact that they designed a simulated MMORPG , but it isn't very realistic . I didn't feel like I was playing a realist online game . The NPCs had almost nothing interesting to say and rarely had anything good to trade . And although the game had good graphics , the levels were to repetitive , and it stopped mattering . A short way through the game , I stopped caring about graphics , I just wanted to get past the repetative dungeons as soon as possible . Each level is the same with different graphics .
Another thing that bothered me was the ending . Don't worry , I wont ruin anything , but I will tell you it lacks a lot . That is if you could consider it an ending at all . I know it is supposed to be a series , but they definately could have done better for those people that may not return to the series .
Also , if the games don't come out relatively consecutively , then I'll start to lose interest in the story , no matter how good it is .
All in all , if you plan on playing every part of the series , it's worth buying , but if you don't want to spend a lot of money on one RPG cut into pieces , don't waste your time or money .
024 4 An extremly clever game that simulates an online game . You receive e-mails from your party , you can write questions on a board and get them answered and you can check the news of that world . it's amazing :
1 . Story line : great , you even get to know wht is happening in the outside world by watching a 45 minute anime DVD ! how cool is that ? you can't get bored with this game as it is always on the move .
2 . Graphics : Graphics are very good but not in FFX style nor in Grandia's [ disappointing ] graphics . it is colorful , detailed and near animation like except it's in 3D you can check screen shots on the net like I did ( and i'm extremly careful when it comes to graphics ) .
3 . Music : It has great classic RPG type of music , great enough to put you in the area's mood . If it is happy , dull ya know .
overall , this game is worth and to make it more interesting buy the anime series , it's great .
026 4 While . hack / / is quite a phenomenon , a review of the enjoyment of this game has nothing to do with the anime series ( although fans of the series can find little easter eggs in the game series ) .
When I first played . hack / / infection , the play style came across as a mix of Final Fantasy and Kingdom Hearts . Like Kingdom Hearts , you have control of your main character and can have two other characters in your group at a time ( similar to some FF games ) . But this game goes beyond just this action style RPG mode , your character in the game also receives email and has access to The World ' s message forum ( The World is the mock online-game your character plays ) .
I enjoyed this game like I did the first two Final Fantasy games . It was a new refreshing RPG that livened up the market - however , not without some flaws of miss-convenience ( like the original FF games as well ) . In . hack / / infection , your character has to earn some of the convenience factors in the game that you'll take for granted in the next 3 installments ( such as improved walking speed and the money to buy use of recall items and so forth ) . This is only a minor problem and I believe it detracted very little from the game .
The strength of this game is that it has a great plot line , interesting new skill system , easy to use interface , and you can continue on your character into the next of the series .
If I were to say this game has a weakness , it would be that it is quite a bit shorter than many comparable games . With completion of the story line ( in this installment ) , the extras , and just having a little fun , I completed the game in about 40 hours .
Overall , the . hack / / infection is a must have if you wish to play the series . I don't think that the series would have been as much fun if I did not play all of the installments .
027 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
The story and way they portay the elements of the atmosphere and a made-up MMORPG world are very nice . It's very easy to get hooked on the story and concept with all the mysteries in place , and very colorful characters
Gameplay-wise it's ok . Alot of it is repetitive , and the game overall is VERY short , giving you about 8 - 9 hours tops . It's really like they made one whole game and split it over 4 parts . Shame on them !
Overall it is nice , but really only if you love a good , interesting story
028 4 The story and way they portay the elements of the atmosphere and a made-up MMORPG world are very nice . It's very easy to get hooked on the story and concept with all the mysteries in place , and very colorful characters
Gameplay-wise it's ok . Alot of it is repetitive , and the game overall is VERY short , giving you about 8 - 9 hours tops . It's really like they made one whole game and split it over 4 parts . Shame on them !
Overall it is nice , but really only if you love a good , interesting story
031 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
This is the best game i have ever played ! ! ! it is soooooooo much fun . It may be a little repetative , but you get over that quickly becuase the gameplay and storyline are AWSOME !
you start off as a new player in the game The World ( A massivly multiplayer online RPG ) The first character you meet is Orca . Orca is very annoying but he gets into a come within the first few minutes so you don't have to worry about him for long . Anyway , the game is really awsome and has a very in depth storyline and the characters are interesting beyond word . . .
the characters ( even though they aren't real ) seem like they are . the way they write you emalis about their lives make them seem like they are real people .
( Based on a scale from 1 - 10 10 being the best )
Gamplay - 9 - repetetive
Characters - 10 - interesting / exciting
Storyline - 10 - in depth
Sounds - 9 - music gets kind of boring , but the charachters have good voices
032 4 This is the best game i have ever played ! ! ! it is soooooooo much fun . It may be a little repetative , but you get over that quickly becuase the gameplay and storyline are AWSOME !
you start off as a new player in the game The World ( A massivly multiplayer online RPG ) The first character you meet is Orca . Orca is very annoying but he gets into a come within the first few minutes so you don't have to worry about him for long . Anyway , the game is really awsome and has a very in depth storyline and the characters are interesting beyond word . . .
the characters ( even though they aren't real ) seem like they are . the way they write you emalis about their lives make them seem like they are real people .
( Based on a scale from 1 - 10 10 being the best )
Gamplay - 9 - repetetive
Characters - 10 - interesting / exciting
Storyline - 10 - in depth
Sounds - 9 - music gets kind of boring , but the charachters have good voices
037 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
. hack / / Infection continues the story that begins in . hack / / SIGN , the anime series on Cartoon network and DVD in America at present . You don't necessarily need to know or understand the . hack / / storyline previous to this game to dive in and begin the playing . As a story , it is a long , complex series of products going from 26 episode / / SIGN into the 4 sequential . hack video games ( this is the first ) and their DVD OVA ( original video animation ) , then into a 12 episode series in Japan currently called . hack / Udeden .
Infection can be quite a wall of information to overcome , and the structure of the game ( being a game within an internet connection layering outward ) seems strange at first . Read the meager manual first ! Once within the game , the story unfolds and teaches you how to play the game . Further hints fly at you in emails and BBS messages while playing inside the game . After a couple of hours trying to understand how to work The World you will grasp the finesse without needing help or manuals . If you get to any stalled areas , jump servers , wander about , read messages and emails for new dungeon addresses and use your time to gain experience points and up your level . Infection is really almost just a fun training ground for the three games that come after to complete the story . Data WILL transfer to the next game once you complete the one you are on , thus you can adventure and gain experience , money and items that can be continued in the next edition . If you are a medium skill gamer , Infection will take about 40 hours of game play . Mutation , because you know how to play the game at start , will take even less ( 24 - 30 hours ) . Regardless , it is a fun game . Not a pinnacle , but nice .
Each video game edition comes with a DVD OVA anime following a story that is taking place outside the game in the real world . Together , I assume , the game and DVDs will tie together into a cohesive finale at the end of the 4th video game .
038 4 . hack / / Infection continues the story that begins in . hack / / SIGN , the anime series on Cartoon network and DVD in America at present . You don't necessarily need to know or understand the . hack / / storyline previous to this game to dive in and begin the playing . As a story , it is a long , complex series of products going from 26 episode / / SIGN into the 4 sequential . hack video games ( this is the first ) and their DVD OVA ( original video animation ) , then into a 12 episode series in Japan currently called . hack / Udeden .
Infection can be quite a wall of information to overcome , and the structure of the game ( being a game within an internet connection layering outward ) seems strange at first . Read the meager manual first ! Once within the game , the story unfolds and teaches you how to play the game . Further hints fly at you in emails and BBS messages while playing inside the game . After a couple of hours trying to understand how to work The World you will grasp the finesse without needing help or manuals . If you get to any stalled areas , jump servers , wander about , read messages and emails for new dungeon addresses and use your time to gain experience points and up your level . Infection is really almost just a fun training ground for the three games that come after to complete the story . Data WILL transfer to the next game once you complete the one you are on , thus you can adventure and gain experience , money and items that can be continued in the next edition . If you are a medium skill gamer , Infection will take about 40 hours of game play . Mutation , because you know how to play the game at start , will take even less ( 24 - 30 hours ) . Regardless , it is a fun game . Not a pinnacle , but nice .
Each video game edition comes with a DVD OVA anime following a story that is taking place outside the game in the real world . Together , I assume , the game and DVDs will tie together into a cohesive finale at the end of the 4th video game .
039 4 I remember seeing and hearing about this game before it came out and how it was going to revolutionize the RPG as we know it with it's new concepts and innovative game play . Primarily , . Hack : Infection was supposed to provide us with the feeling of playing an online game without being online , and I admit that while I'm not the biggest fan of online games , the game within a game concept sound like a really great idea and I was really looking forward to getting home so I could play this on the big screen . Howerver , after getting home and playing through the first few hours , I quickly realized that this game did not live up to the hype . At it's core , once you trim away the one innovation they added with the game within a game , the game is nothing more than your generic dungeon hack with a very weak story between the dungeons . While the graphics are decent , the fighting is mindless and the dungeons you fight through start to feel the same after a while . The game is also very short for an RPG , clocking in at a maximum of 20 hours to beat . This may be a blessing in disguise given the repetitive nature of the dungeon fighting . The scenery of the dungeon does change , but after the first half-dozen they all feel essentially the same .
Most console RPG's are closed ended stories , though some of the newer ones have added features that allow the latter part of the game to change based on the way you played in an earlier part of the game . This one is no exception , but unlike the other games in this genre , it does a bad job of hiding the fact that you're essentially watching a scripted game . There is nothing to break up the monotony like interesting mini-games or side quests . That's not to say it doesn't have a mini-game , because it does . You feed and raise pig-like characters called grunties , but it's not much fun . The game does allow you to explore the many non-required levels by using the area password mechanism , but these levels start to feel the same after a while . Basically it follows this progression :
Teleport to area .
Run around area killing monsters and collecting food for the grunties .
Find dungeon entrance .
Run through dungeon , fighting monsters and collecting more food for the grunties .
Find and beat dungeon boss .
Leave dungeon / area .
When it's all said and done , this game is like riding a stationary bike or treadmill without any of the benefits of physical activity . You've worked and worked but you never got anywhere . The game finishes with no more information than when you started ; Interesting characters are introduced and the conspiracy plot is presented , but you learn nothing about these new characters and the plot goes nowhere . While this is the first in a series of four games and it's understandable that the story will be told over all four volumes , you'd expect that a certain amount of plot and character development would come from 15 - 20 hours of game play . You can skip this first game entirely and go directely to the second game in the series . . Hack : Mutation will even summarize the first game for you if you haven't played it . And at $50 when it came out or $25 now , you're looking at $100 - 200 for 60 - 80 hours of game content over all four chapters , which seems like a ripoff to me .
In the end I just felt like I'd wasted my hard earned cash and several hours of my life in an activity that ultimately left me unfulfilled . If you've never experienced some of the better console RPG games out there , then add two stars to this review . If you have , then this game will be a huge disappointment . The one area where this series really shines is in the ability to import character data from your previous games into the progression games if you choose . Other than that one feature , the game is ultimately unsatisfying if you're looking for an overall experience .
Pros :
Decent graphics
The ability to export your Hack : Infection saved character to the next game in the series .
Cons :
No plot development
No character development
Repetitive hacking and slashing through dungeons .
040 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
I picked up this game recently after playing some of the better RPG series out there : Final Fantasy 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / X , Dragon Quest VII / VIII and Xenogears / XenosagaI . dot.hack truly blows me away & I'll tell you why .
The action sequences remind me of Champions of Norrath & Gauntlet
. You use one button to swing your weapon , another to use magic & skills , and another to direct your party . At any point in time , the battle can turn based on you using all your weapons / characters to attack the enemy the right way . There is no battle that cannot be won .
The RPG elements combine the use of skills , armor , weapons & additional items to gain maximum advantage . With the right weapon in a battle , it might make the difference between a 5 minute battle and a 30 minute one . There are cheap shots you can take , but for the most part , if you are evenly matched with an enemy / boss , your win is dependant on how well you use what you have .
The exploration aspect comes from going into dungeons and talking to NPCs in town . Your best armor / weapons can be found by going into dungeons and opening the various treasure chests . Other NPCs will also trade with you , giving you the chance to get some of the better weapons . The BEST come from completing missions , logging onto the board and reading posts .
The unique thing about . hack is it's a game within a game . You cannot see yourself , but you sit in front of a computer screen that displays your email , lets you log on to read board posts , and ultimately logon to the actual game , The World . Many key parts of the game depend on how often you read your email ; responding poorly to an NPC's email to you might lose you some items . Keep up with board posts and it's like having your own gamefaqs in the game . This whole game within-a-game concept is incredibly fun , and lets you imagine you are playing an online RPG .
Dot.hack hasn't had the best of reviews , and I can understand . Bandai is more known for some really off-the-wall stuff that's not widely accepted . If this game were coming from Konami , Square , Enix or a few other companies , it would have received 9 ' s and 10 ' s . The game has some great graphics , the background music is almost perfect , there are a wide range of skills / weapons / armor / items to customize the game , and some really awesome cut scenes . Unlike Xenosaga , the cut scenes don't take hours . When you play the game , however , you'll notice that they add up to around 20 minutes . This allows you to see the development of your character , understand The World , and most importantly , piece together the story in a classic way .
Dot.hack Infection is really incredible and I give it a 9 / 10 rating . After having played all the games I mentioned above , Dot.hack represents a unique fusion of different elements that gives it high value & makes it very fun . Give it a rental and it won't be disappointed . If you love the game , there are 3 more waiting for you to try .
042 4 For this game , I have to cuss out loud ( in every positive sense ) . This game has BLOWN my mind ! Such an amazing lead , an astonishing game-within-a-game hook , great gameplay , actually GOOD music , and loads of character development . I can't say it's a good replay , because obviously some of us want to get on with the series , right ? But if you're going to play an RPG , play a freakin ' RPG and buy the entire series , today . Now . Whenever you can . Seriously ! This is THE ONE game you don't want to overlook ! ! !
043 4 I bought this game because it was on sale for $19.99 so I figured no matter what , it was a good deal and the reviews looked ok . Didn't think I would really get too into it . . .
Was I wrong . This game , after you get over the intial confusion , just absorbs you . I would forewarn people not to start this game unless they are willing to commit some serious time to it . . .
For some reason , I started this game right before my final papers were due this semester ( I'm getting a Masters , kinda pathetic to still be addicted to video games , but what can ya do ? ) Anyway , totally threw me off since I devoted almost all of my free time to the game .
Bottom line : It's a great game . Characters are beleivable , setting is eerily similar to real RPGs , weapons , skills , and magic are diverse and easy to use , and there are an astonishing number of battlegrounds to chose from .
046 4 I've loved this game ever since the first installment ( Infection ) and I've been collecting the TV Show and Comic as well . This game has a long re-playability , indepth story , a wonderful amount of options and so forth . I can hardly wait for this one to come out .
For those who complain about the fact that the game doesn't change much between the four volumn are probably the same that complained that Fellowship of the Rings was a clifthanger - - it's a standard 4 - part series ! A * story * in the normal tradition like 2001 , Tolkien and the rest . That alone means that they got the whole idea of an RPG right ! A true RPG is one that is a story that gives you a chance to play along . I recommend this game to anyone .
056 4 . hack is a good game , just release this is a quarter of the full game . I was happily playing along then it suddenly stops , and in order to continue you'll need to buy the next game . Then load up your old save game file and continue on in the game and story line .
Now , if you can get by the fact you'll be spending over a hundred dollars to play this through it . . . it is a very good game . Lots of exploration ability , graphics are ok , and a very unique interface . As I said , if you can get past this being .25 of a game then it's good .
057 4 This game simulates an online RPG without the online . If you have ever played everquest for a length of time then you know how frustrating it is when you run across the rude player , or when you spend more than an hour looking for a group . I like RPGs and the simulation of an Role Playing Game on this Sony game is enjoyable . The game pretty much pulls you in with it's story line . The number of areas to fight in do seem endless , but many of them will look the same . And there is always a npc ( non-player character ) to group with and go fight . There is also a simulated city area where you can trade items you collected during battle with other non-player Character that are there at diffrent times .
Playing time , it took quite a while to finish the first level . I pretty much had to stop playing because I had to go do other things , so I haven't finished the game , or have I ? I don't think I have since it seemed like the npc's were still indicating we needed to go somewhere .
I found this game to be most enjoyable and if I ever find the time to finish playing this one I hope to get the next two .
059 4 Well , admittedly , this is only a preview . I don't know about anyone else , but I'm glad someone is stepping up to the plate and trying to be innovative in the world of rpgs . Final Fantasy X didn't have a shred of innovation in it ( except maybe sphere grid ) , and turned out to be easily the worst FF ever . From what I understand , . hack's battle system is something similar to a Star Ocean or Parasite Eve . You move you're characters around the screen and press a button to attack , choose what magic to do , etc . One of the coolest things about this game , however , is the fact that once you beat an area , you can then go to a certain computer and load and battle field you want . In other words , if you are in a castle overlooking a forest , but you want to fight in a desert or snowfield , walk into this weird device , pick it , and you will have a desert or snowfield to play with automatically .
This is all possible obviously to the idea of the plot in which you are in a computer's world the whole time . Not only can you hack into an enemy's data stream and lower his strength or hp ( for example ) but you can also talk to the other characters as if you were chatting on AOL with them . Even the main menu looks like a computer menu . You could tell Bandai was really going for atmosphere in this one .
To add to this game , you will also get a good 45 minutes of anime in each chapter in the form of parts from the . hack OVA . I'm telling you , . . . that is a very good deal . The only thing you might want to consider is that each game in the series will only be about 20 hours long , since each game is thought of as chapters of a bigger game and not a singular game in itself . Interesting , but watch out for replay value . All in all , this is definitely a game to watch out for and could be a sleeper hit .
060 4 . hack is more of a media event than a video game , and unfortunately the video game is the weakest part . The designers would have done well to design levels after trying something like everquest or perhaps a MUD . The dungeon areas , with the exception of at least 3 very small areas , are essentially identical set piece rooms assembled in random ways .
The characters do talk as if they are strangers in an on-line rpg ( By this I mean dimwits . ) However they don't play in the typical power-gamer type fashion you might expect . For instance , when fighting the last boss , a realistic situation would be if Kite got everyone online to attack him with seperate parties .
Of course the gameplay itself is far too simple , which removes that necessity . After a player is approximately 5 hours into the game he can simply change his equipment during combat to give him whatever spell / skill will cause massive elemental damage to a monster , allowing you to kill any creature in two hits . The point of increasingly rare health potions is diminished because Kite can simply use small ones very fast . These are but a few examples of how easy the gameplay has been made . If you don't want the DVD , you probably don't want the game either . The games storyline literally fits a paragraph . Just read a walkthrough if you're going to pick up on it in volume 2 .
The game does have its high points , however , and if you're just looking to blow away 16 or 17 hours of your time , it's a fine way to do it .
062 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
NOTE : I have never played this game , this review is for the free DVD that comes packadged in it . Vol 1 of the . Hack / / Liminality mini series . I would put the review in the DVD section but it was never available to buy alone .
. hack / / Liminality ( called . hack / / L throughout the rest of this review ) is better then . hack / / sign and FAR better then . hack / / Legend of the Twilight Bracelet ( the 2 other . hack anime ) For those of you wanting to know Vol . 1 is 45 minutes long and has a . hack / / Sign look NOT a . hack / / legend look . The main difference between it and its counterparts is it takes place out of The World . I is the bi polar of . Hack / / Sign which is about someone who is stuck in the game and in a coma on the outside trying to break out from the inside . This is instead about someone getting stuck in The World but it actually follows his girlfriend outside trying to find out whats going on . ( confused yet ? no ? Your smarter then I thought ! ) anyway , his girlfriend Mai in Vol 1 . is confronted by a strange middle aged man who you find out is the ex . president of the C.C . Corporation ( guys who designed The World ) anyway , He is attempting to find out how everyone is going in a coma , he comes across Mai who is unique cause she is the only person ever to wake up from it . In other words this is the opener for the series . But this is ! NOT ! a cheesy give-a-way spinoff mini series like youd expect , it has fantastic music , much better then . hack / / Signs . ( id mention . hack / / Legend of the Twilight Bracelet , but its music sucked to begin with ) anyway . Its also got beautifull animation , great dubbing , extras , and a suberb story , like i said it is the bipolar of sign . If you liked . hack / / sign buy it . If you liked . hack / / legend of thw twilight bracelett . . um you'll think this is the best thing since the wheel by comparison .
063 4 NOTE : I have never played this game , this review is for the free DVD that comes packadged in it . Vol 1 of the . Hack / / Liminality mini series . I would put the review in the DVD section but it was never available to buy alone .
. hack / / Liminality ( called . hack / / L throughout the rest of this review ) is better then . hack / / sign and FAR better then . hack / / Legend of the Twilight Bracelet ( the 2 other . hack anime ) For those of you wanting to know Vol . 1 is 45 minutes long and has a . hack / / Sign look NOT a . hack / / legend look . The main difference between it and its counterparts is it takes place out of The World . I is the bi polar of . Hack / / Sign which is about someone who is stuck in the game and in a coma on the outside trying to break out from the inside . This is instead about someone getting stuck in The World but it actually follows his girlfriend outside trying to find out whats going on . ( confused yet ? no ? Your smarter then I thought ! ) anyway , his girlfriend Mai in Vol 1 . is confronted by a strange middle aged man who you find out is the ex . president of the C.C . Corporation ( guys who designed The World ) anyway , He is attempting to find out how everyone is going in a coma , he comes across Mai who is unique cause she is the only person ever to wake up from it . In other words this is the opener for the series . But this is ! NOT ! a cheesy give-a-way spinoff mini series like youd expect , it has fantastic music , much better then . hack / / Signs . ( id mention . hack / / Legend of the Twilight Bracelet , but its music sucked to begin with ) anyway . Its also got beautifull animation , great dubbing , extras , and a suberb story , like i said it is the bipolar of sign . If you liked . hack / / sign buy it . If you liked . hack / / legend of thw twilight bracelett . . um you'll think this is the best thing since the wheel by comparison .
065 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
No need to add to what has already been said . This is a fun game , and if you're a . hack / / fan , you'll love it .
Buy used , play it through . If you don't feel like keeping it , sell it to someone else . You'll end up only two or three dollars in the hole in exchange for playing a great game as long as you like . That's better then renting it .
066 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
No need to add to what has already been said . This is a fun game , and if you're a . hack / / fan , you'll love it .
Buy used , play it through . If you don't feel like keeping it , sell it to someone else . You'll end up only two or three dollars in the hole in exchange for playing a great game as long as you like . That's better then renting it .
067 4 No need to add to what has already been said . This is a fun game , and if you're a . hack / / fan , you'll love it .
Buy used , play it through . If you don't feel like keeping it , sell it to someone else . You'll end up only two or three dollars in the hole in exchange for playing a great game as long as you like . That's better then renting it .
068 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
The game just feels unfinished . It deeply lacks a story or a feeling of purpose for all that you do in the game . The deep story of . hack is just completely missing from the game . It's doesn't feel at all like an RPG .
I loved the Anime series of . hack / / sign it was so interesting and amazing to watch . With characters like BT , and Lady Subaru , Mimiru , Silver Knight , and Crime etc etc . It was great to watch . Matter of fact I saw all the animies realeased of . hack . That's what brought me to purchase the game so that I could experience what the characters experienced . Enjoy the game they called The World just as they did . I was so let down and dissapointed by . hack . The outline of the game is great That feeling of being at a computer terminal and loging in is great , but the game itself just doesn't match the greatness of the anime . The game feels unfinished , and really redundant . You do the same things over and over again untill something happens . You fight . . . then some something happens . . . you fight somemore then something happens . The story development just doesn't seem well developed in the game . If this wasn't . hack I admit I would have rated it 1 star but , this is the game based on a great anime series . Just an extreme let down for those expecting more . This was a 2001 release on the PS2 . The PS2 at the time still new in the market . The game looks like it could have ran on Nintendo 64 . Not the beauty you would expect from a ps2 level RPG game . It could have been done much better . Then to add insult to injury the game has been broken down into 4 disk . I'm not sure if I wish to continue after this one .
069 4 The game just feels unfinished . It deeply lacks a story or a feeling of purpose for all that you do in the game . The deep story of . hack is just completely missing from the game . It's doesn't feel at all like an RPG .
I loved the Anime series of . hack / / sign it was so interesting and amazing to watch . With characters like BT , and Lady Subaru , Mimiru , Silver Knight , and Crime etc etc . It was great to watch . Matter of fact I saw all the animies realeased of . hack . That's what brought me to purchase the game so that I could experience what the characters experienced . Enjoy the game they called The World just as they did . I was so let down and dissapointed by . hack . The outline of the game is great That feeling of being at a computer terminal and loging in is great , but the game itself just doesn't match the greatness of the anime . The game feels unfinished , and really redundant . You do the same things over and over again untill something happens . You fight . . . then some something happens . . . you fight somemore then something happens . The story development just doesn't seem well developed in the game . If this wasn't . hack I admit I would have rated it 1 star but , this is the game based on a great anime series . Just an extreme let down for those expecting more . This was a 2001 release on the PS2 . The PS2 at the time still new in the market . The game looks like it could have ran on Nintendo 64 . Not the beauty you would expect from a ps2 level RPG game . It could have been done much better . Then to add insult to injury the game has been broken down into 4 disk . I'm not sure if I wish to continue after this one .
070 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
This is a really neat rpg video game . The Storyline is a very simple one . When a 14 - year old boy named Kite joins his friend on an online video game called The World . His friend is brutually attack and ends up in a coma . The only clue that Kite has the attack is somehow connected to The World . Now , Kite must search out for other players , who like him want solve the mystery of the world . Before , more players end up in comas too . But , how far is Kite willing to go , to solve the mystery of The World .
075 4 STORY -
You are an 8th grader who has recently been introduced to an online game known as The World by a friend . When you log in , your friend's character is attacked and he is put into a mysterious coma . As the rogue player , Kite , you must unravel the mysteries behind The World and the strange bracelet you have been granted . Along the way , you will cross paths with a variety of colorful players who will aid you in your quest for truth and give you insight into what lies behind the game .
The story of the game is probably one of the better aspects of the all-around package . It's not nearly as contrived and overused as the other standard RPG save the universe plot , and it offers up a fresh take on a game inside of a game . It does a good job emulating the feel of a true MMORPG , and I found myself wanting to play even after the gameplay became somewhat dull .
BATTLE SYSTEM -
The fighting in . hack is reminiscent of other MMORPGS such as World of Warcraft . The idea is basically that you run around dungeons , and upon encountering monsters , initiate in a real-time fight . There's not much strategy here : all you do is press the ` x ' button rapidly until one of you dies . It's hard to call this a step into new territory , especially when we've seen this done many , many times over . To be fair , as with everything else , the battle system holds true to the MMORPG tried-and-tested formula . You can attack with your weapons , cast buffs and debuffs and unleash spells on your hapless opponents . Along with the standard assortment of physical and magical attacks , Kite possesses a magical bracelet which allows him to perform a Data Drain on enemies ( essentially a one hit K.O . ) at the risk of becoming infected through overuse . Data Drain is a useful and interesting concept , and it provides you with Virus Bugs as well as the occasional new piece of equipment .
Kite can have up to two other members in his party at a time . You can command them through a separate menu and for the most part , their AIs do a decent job of supporting your character throughout the game . They can also be something of a hindrance , however . In dungeons and during fights , they have the irritating tendency to reciting mechanical one-liners ( such as Take that ! ) . These one-liners appear in large text balloons and occasionally obscure the action , especially when more than one person in talking . There's unfortunately no way to turn this off ; at least not that I've found .
GAMEPLAY -
Throughout the game , you'll be going back and forth from the game The World and the main area of your PC . You don't see the person controlling Kite , which only further alludes to the ` in a game ' sensation , and was something I felt was a nice touch . In the main screen of your PC , you'll be able to check your mail which lets you correspond with other gamers as well as worldwide news . There's even a forum for the game which is updated with threads periodically as you progress through the game . I've said it before and I'll probably say it again , but . hack really exudes the feeling of an MMORPG and involves you in the experience . When you're not on your PC's main screen , you'll be in The World . You can travel from different servers , each of which has their own special town . The towns all have basically the same shops and aren't really much to rave about , but they're accessible and easy to navigate .
The dungeons are created through the input of a three part keyword . The combination of the keywords sets the level and elemental type of the dungeon . There are a variety of different kinds , but after a while , they end up looking quite similar ( especially the insides of the dungeons ) . Most of the time you'll be trekking through dungeon after dungeon to grind levels or simply to advance the plot . As with many dungeon crawlers , the gameplay can become tedious after a while .
Overall , the gameplay isn't bad , but it can become mind-numbing after you spend hours slogging through wave after wave of dungeons .
VISUALS , CHARACTERS and AUDIO -
. hack part 1 is presented with fairly bright graphics , distinctive character designs and decent textures , but it still falls short of the mark somewhere . They graphics really aren't particularly impressive if you study them , and although the character animations are quite nice , there's a distinct lack of detail in a lot of your surroundings . Take the dungeons , for example . The majority of them are simply long , winding hallways with little decoration and almost no detail . The different types of dungeons have different walls and floors , of course , but they're still just long corridors connected by rooms . There's just not enough variety to make the graphics pop out .
The characters of the game are for the most part , well-presented . Although they're not always very well portrayed when you first acquire their assistance , the more you use them , the more you learn about their interests . Even the characters who don't play a large role in the main story of the game ended up having more developed personalities than I expected . Although none of them seem to experience any particularly deep emotional growth , it didn't bother me so much . The characters don't seem to be the main focus of the game anyway ; the story is what really drives everything .
The music of the game is standard RPG fare . It's nothing to write home about , especially the dungeon music and the repetitive battle theme . There are a few nice , catchy tracks , but for the most part it's basically average stuff .
CONCLUSION -
To summarize , . hack Part 1 is a dungeon-crawler with an above-average and fairly interesting story . The presentation of the ` game within a game ' concept can be very involving at times , and the idea is very well executed . The gameplay itself falls a little short of the mark , since there is too little variety between dungeon areas . The character models are pretty interesting and Kite's is fairly detailed , but the rest of the graphics are generally quite cookie-cutter .
If you're looking for something that has a different type of storytelling as well as lots and lots of dungeon levels to traverse ( there are probably hundreds of different keyword combinations ) then you'll have a roaring good time with this game . As for my personal opinion , I'd say that it's a decent game and a good way to pass time . I've seen better , but then again there's far worse . Give it a shot if this type of thing interests you .
076 4 Amazon Verified Purchase
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This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
I have been playing this off and on since I got it , and anyone who is a fan of this series would enjoy this game . I feel it's a bit of a let down that all the games aren't in the same game , as now I have to shell out for each one in turn , but overall the game is something fun to do , and has yet to get old .
077 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
I have been playing this off and on since I got it , and anyone who is a fan of this series would enjoy this game . I feel it's a bit of a let down that all the games aren't in the same game , as now I have to shell out for each one in turn , but overall the game is something fun to do , and has yet to get old .
079 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
Script is pretty minimal , especially when compared to the story lines of FFX or Suikoden III . Essentially , e-mails or board postings trigger events and supply the code names of playing fields and dungeons . Kite assembles a team of three and goes to each location for information . A fair amount of time is spent leveling up in order to be strong enough to accomplish the next task . To facilitate this , the player can compose his own keywords or even have a playing field generated for him at random . There is room for considerable variation , but the fields aren't really all that imaginative .
083 4 . . . is what I would have called . hack / / INFECTION upon its first being released . 6 games , and countless anime episodes and manga books later , I would still stick with my original decision .
In this game the player assumes the role of Kite , a newbie character in the fictional MMORPG ( Short for Massive Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game ) The World set in the distant year of 2010 . Upon first logging in , Kite is invited by his real life friend , and fellow player of The World ( known as Orca ) to an area to level Kite's character up . I'm not going to ruin too much , but Kite and Orca quickly finds himself face to face with a monster no one has ever seen before .
The monster puts Orca in a coma , and Kite soon meets a mysterious girl named Aura that presents the newbie with a Braclet that infuses Kite with unimaginable powers beyond those of any character in The World .
This game is filled with bold characters , countless areas ( Literally there are 1000 ' s of random areas one could invent . ) and a unique storyline packed with twists and supprises along the way . Although the story can be a bit dull at times , and the dungeons can get quite tedious , the game is truly a masterpiece , and is worth the time of any gamer with a thirst for adventure .
( It is also my reccomendation that one should play this before diving into the . hack / / G.U . series . )
087 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
I like anime games . I played my brother's Final Fantasy games , mostly watched him play , played a few others every now and again . . . Then I watched my brother play this game . He wasn't very far in it , but I like it fast . It was interesting , the graphics where good , the cut-scenes were beautiful , the voiceovers were nice , this game had lots . I haven't finished it yet , but I love it already . My favorite charecter is Elk , just because he's awsome ! It's worth playing , even though some parts can get annoying at times . I like how the battle system works , and the grunties . Sometimes it can be confusing , and hard , but this game is good for all ages .
091 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
Dot Hack is a very good game but in a needing status . It has a good story but bad camera system . You'll not need much time to finish this game . The battle system rocks out loud though . You can controll basically everything that your character does and they use common sense with stuff like not letting the mage attack that way they dont get killed . I never really got into the grunty thing though they did come in handy . The trading system was awesome .
093 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
. hack is a bit confusing , and dungeons can be hard , but once you get the hang of it , this game is really cool . I'm not very far in the game , so I don't know much , but 2 of my friends are , and they LOVE it . From the part of the game that I have completed , I highly reccommend this game , but I would definitly buy Dark Cloud 2 , or the golden sun series , that I have both written reviews on , first
117 4 The past few reviews covered the basis of the plot , so I won't repeat what has already been said .
Now as an anime purist , I will talk about the dubbing . Surprisingly , the anime ep that came on the first disc was actually dubbed okay , so this in itself is an achievement .
And if you hate dubbing , you can turn on the Japanese voice track , which is so much better !
That said , I have just started playing this game , and I have to honestly say that it reminds me Everquest , which really helps the story come alive . Of course , the downside is all the time wasted to level up , which feels just like Everquest without the real online gaming experience .
In a few short words , the game is a What If for Everquest . And having played that game for far too many hours , I gotta say that the story just works well .
Have a great game ! And I might just bump into ya at Gen Con .
Happy Gaming : )
Tweak
120 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
This game was great . I remember going between this game and an other one , and i'm glad i picked this one . The graphics are good and the story line is great . The levels they have are almost unlimited , u will never encounter the same level unless u want to . So i say , buy this game = D
126 4 read other reviews for synopsis of the plot .
The game doesn't really pull of the feel of an online game , but it gives you enough that you don't mind . The dialoge bubbles above your computer controlled party members can get alittle old , but for the most part it's a nice feel .
Randomly generated dungeons means there's not alot of variation in flow , but the game is fast paced enough that this doesn't really bog you down either .
The short span of the title can also be a downside ( about 15hrs )
When viewed from the side there's alot of faults that might turn you off from this title . However , as soon as you pop it in your PS2 you just sort of forget all those things and get sucked in . I was hopelessly addicted to this title , and now must anxious await vol 2 ( may 2003 )
127 4 I had a lot of fun playing this game . Being a fan of the anime series it was like bring the show to life .
Still I don't think there is enough to the game to recommend it to non-fans . The game within a game thing is pretty neat , but it's really not much more than a novelty . The game play works alright , nothing steller but nothing to complain about . Dungeons and monsters are very repeatative , though they get somewhat less so as you get to higher levels . Boss battles are more tedious than difficult . And the game is short . Even fans might be better off renting it a few times and beating it , since you can upload your saved game into part 2 ( due in May I think )
Even with the flaws I had a lot of fun playing , raising and riding Puchiguso ( . . . called Grunties in the American version ) is pretty cool , leveling up your weapons and armor is cool ( once you figure out the secret anyway ; ) . Even though the levels are repeatitive there are literally thousands of dungeons to choose from . And Data Draining is cool , especially when it gets you valuable or rare items . . . you'll also eventually unlock extras so you can customize your desktop .
A note on the OVA that comes with this . . . if you watch it expecting hack sign or hack dusk you're going to be sorely disapointed , the animation it dismal in comparision and it takes place entirely in the real world ( hopefully that'll change in the next parts ) .
131 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
This game came out a while ago . . . 80 ' s I think . Anyway , I got bored with it rather quickly because I'd just beaten the . hack / / GU games , and the gameplay is just about the same . You still dungeon dive , you still make up dungeon keywords , and there's still a lot of leveling involved ( which is why I got bored ) . Personally , I think seven games with the same gameplay is pushing it , especially when the story doesn't even change much from game to game . All things considered , the . hack / / GU games are better : graphics , story , gameplay , etc . , and they should be ; they came out long after the original . hack games . The backstory of the original games isn't important to GU either , so I recommend just those three .
. Hack / / G.U . Vol .1 / / Rebirth Special Edition
. Hack : GU , Vol . 2 : Reminisce
. hack : G.U . , Vol .3 : Redemption
132 4 This game came out a while ago . . . 80 ' s I think . Anyway , I got bored with it rather quickly because I'd just beaten the . hack / / GU games , and the gameplay is just about the same . You still dungeon dive , you still make up dungeon keywords , and there's still a lot of leveling involved ( which is why I got bored ) . Personally , I think seven games with the same gameplay is pushing it , especially when the story doesn't even change much from game to game . All things considered , the . hack / / GU games are better : graphics , story , gameplay , etc . , and they should be ; they came out long after the original . hack games . The backstory of the original games isn't important to GU either , so I recommend just those three .
. Hack / / G.U . Vol .1 / / Rebirth Special Edition
. Hack : GU , Vol . 2 : Reminisce
. hack : G.U . , Vol .3 : Redemption
140 4 I first heard about this through AnimeNation.com . Bandi , the company who distrubutes this in the U.S . , is one of the more well-know companies that deals with Anime , so I knew I was going to get my money's worth . I first feel in love with RPGs thanks to Golden Sun ( GBA ) , so I'm always looking for excellent RPGS to play . After seeing everyone milking this thing to death , I finally gave in the bought the game and the Guide Book . After spending a month playing and defeating it , I was impressed . The story line and characters is a mixture of The Matrix and Everquest and the graphics where impressive . The music could use improvement , since it was boraderline annoying ( except for a few tracks ) and it almost killed the character's voices , which you can choose as either Japanese or English . I had the English dub and it's Bandi-approved , since they always do a good job in that department , though I would like if they changed a few of the voices around ( Sanjuro's English VA made him too gruff sounding and Minstral can get a tad bit annoying at times ) . But what really made me change my opinion is that I always kept coming back for more . I always wanted to increase my character's level and weapons and you can do this even after you defeat the game ! And since the game will be a four volume set ( and includes an exclusive 4 - part OVA with every game ) , I'll be in line to buy the second volume .
143 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
once again i was not to interested in this game such as kingdom hearts but my friend rented it and showed it to me and i was simply horrified.this game is excellent ive only played the 1st 3 and ordered the 4th online and this 1 is 2nd place in my book my fav 1 overall so far is part 3 and i would reccomend this to all ages . just because theres violence in this game it shouldnt be rated t ive seen tons of games that are violent but rated e . this game is quite good the graphics could be improved a bit but it rocks . thay just need to tone down the goblin tag difficulty lvls on part 3 i cant beat martina s
145 4 This review is from :
. hack , Part 1 : Infection ( Video Game )
I enjoy long role playing games , like the 70 + hour type . That's why I was intrigued when I heard the mention of the new 4 part . hack series . It had an interesting premise in that it recreates an online world through offline play .
Unfortunately , the game is just pure tedium , and getting to the end really feels like a chore . All the game is just one endless dungeone crawl between each randomally generated dungeon to the next . Your clues are spelled out in the ' email ' snippets you get .
Hardly too exciting . You'll easily forget the reason you're playing by the 5th hour or so . Especially since so little of the story is spelled out in the 1st game . Why would it be when they want you to buy the next 3 at $50 a pop ?
Most weapon acquisition ( which is done through a frustratingly limited inventory system ) is done through the ' fun ' act of trading . And the weapons and armor are so poorly balanced you feel the need to hold on to each piece , as one piece holds no clear advantages over the other .
I really can't imagine why anyone after getting to the end of the first game , having played through 20 + hours of the same random duneons , and battled against the same variety of enemies ( who are only differented by name and color ) would really want to invest in the whole ' series ' .
146 4 I enjoy long role playing games , like the 70 + hour type . That's why I was intrigued when I heard the mention of the new 4 part . hack series . It had an interesting premise in that it recreates an online world through offline play .
Unfortunately , the game is just pure tedium , and getting to the end really feels like a chore . All the game is just one endless dungeone crawl between each randomally generated dungeon to the next . Your clues are spelled out in the ' email ' snippets you get .
Hardly too exciting . You'll easily forget the reason you're playing by the 5th hour or so . Especially since so little of the story is spelled out in the 1st game . Why would it be when they want you to buy the next 3 at $50 a pop ?
Most weapon acquisition ( which is done through a frustratingly limited inventory system ) is done through the ' fun ' act of trading . And the weapons and armor are so poorly balanced you feel the need to hold on to each piece , as one piece holds no clear advantages over the other .
I really can't imagine why anyone after getting to the end of the first game , having played through 20 + hours of the same random duneons , and battled against the same variety of enemies ( who are only differented by name and color ) would really want to invest in the whole ' series ' .
149 4 Wendsday , August 13 , 2003 -
I had been interested in the game for a while . I finally bought a copy , and put it in my PS2 . I played , and played , and played , looked out the window , and wondered how it got dark so fast . This is a magnificent game ! I played for about 12 hours straight ' cuz it's so good ! Uh . . . buy the game . Now . That means stop reading and buy it . You're still reading aren't you ? This makes so sense , because I told you to stop reading this and get the game , because it is and excellent rpg . I realize that by continuing to write , you will continue to read . So , I'll end with this :
Very Good Game
I reccomend buying it
You will have fun
151 4 When I had a choice between buying Enter the matrix or . hack / / infection , i chose . hack and I'm really glad I did . I never liked ANY RPG before ( except Diablo which isn't for ps2 ) but after playing this game I really got into ps2 games . Any way this game only took me 30 hours which is surprising because I [ stink ] at most games and I never really beat any games by my self meaning this game is really short . But still it deserves absolute 5 out of 5 stars . Some people say it has [ bad ] graphics but I don't it's graphic is that bad compared to other ps2 games and I don't mind the graphic . But the only weakness is that the whole game is divided in to 4 really short CD's , and that means the whole thing costs whopping $ . . . And I'm not really sure I'm gonna buy the next part I wish I could just skip to the last one . But overall this game is a definete must have for all ps2 owners .
152 4 Since everyone else has covered the basics soundly enough , I'll get straight ot my point . This game has a great story and solid gameplay , though repetitive it's not boring because most of the time your driving the story forward . I was completely sad that I finished it so fast ( the game's biggest weakness in my eyes ) . And after the story portion is completed the levelling up can get boring due to lack of story to drive . But it's really worth the extra leveling to take out that damned special boss dragon , he can be a beast .
Basically , it's a great game for any anime devotee and is completely worthwhile to pick up if you enjoy a good story with your game . If you only like to play games for hack and slash that can keep you hacking and slashing for hours without getting boring you should avoid this one though . I alos would highly recommend this game for any MMORPG players because the concept is so cool .
158 4 this is the best RPG ! ! !
like because story it reeks mystery and cause of DD ( data drain )
I would give . hack / / infection 100,000 starz ! ! !
160 4 This game is soo cool !
First of all - its unique . The whole game within the game concept worked amazing ! U dont just play a regular RPG , u also interact with users who's characters r in ur party through emails . Like if u pick a certain character a lot of times to go to the dungeon with you , and you give them items ( you have to , really , to equip new weapons and stuff ) - they will start sending you emails about their outside the game life , which you can respond to , to keep the conversation going .
The music is great , the camera - you control it , so you cant complain , the graphics - very pretty .
Also , there are tons of sidequests and little things that make this game even more enjoyable . Little things like you can unlock new backgrounds and music for you desktop by defeating certain number of monsters and so on . . . ( raising a . . i forgot what that creature was called )
There are also plenty of characters for you to choose your perfect party . And the story is very mysterious thus intersting .
Is it difficult ? Only as difficut as u decide to make it . If you take extra time and go level up for a while before following the story - u'll be ok , if not - its pretty hard .
Will you get hooked on this game ? - i have ^ - ^
Definitely worth your money and time . Oh and if you can - get the guide for this game ( it helped me alot so far )
165 4 Now don't get me wrong , I love dotHack . I'm one of those kids who sits around in the bookstore reading the manga . So I thought even if the game wasn't so good , I could deal with it . Right ? Uh . No .
I forced myself to play for about two hours . The graphics were insanely bad , the voice acting made me squirm , and the dungeons were just horrible . There were a couple of intriguing concepts in it , which could've been awesome if handled right - as it is , I think they ultimately take away from the game . For instance , the idea of picking words to shape a custom dungeon was really cool , but maybe if they hadn't done that they would've been able to spend more time on actually making the dungeons interesting and playable . Also , being a total Warcrack addict , I liked the idea of a simulated MMORPG , but after a while reading the stuff on the forums to get new words and hints and stuff just gets tedious .
173 4 This game is gonna be awesome . You take on the role of Kite , a kid who plays an online game called The World with his friend , Orca , when something goes terribly wrong . A virus attacks them and in the real world , Orca becomes seriously ill . Kite is determined to play the game more and find a way to revive Orca .
This is soooo awesome . This isnt no same-old-boring rpg plot . All rpgs are the same now . This is finally a new , cool idea . Just think , you are playing a video game within a video game . This game is gonna be great !
You can equip many different weapons and skills , level up , and even meet new friends in the game game and ask them to join your party and give them your email address ( which is NOT real email ) . In the game , in the real world ( not The World game ) you can go on your computer and you get email from people that have your address . This email feature helps you during the game because characters email you and tell you important things that are needed to complete certain tasks and that help you .
This game is so detailed , if you didnt know better , you would think you were playing a real online video game . It is made to look like you are actually playing a real online rpg ( by the way , this is NOT a real online game ) .
I almost forgot a great part . This game is part 1 of 4 games , so more will come out after ! They will probably come out 4 - 5 months between each other , so you'll have plenty of time to beat each one and enjoy each game thouroughly .
When this game comes out in early February , I tell you BUY BUY BUY ! ! ! ! Definitly No Doubt BUY THIS GAME . It is gonna be an excellant game and it will be a different kind of game ( a rest from normal rpgs ) I know i will buy this game and you should too .
Final Fantasy 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / X , Dragon Quest VII / VIII and Xenogears / XenosagaI . dot.hack truly blows me away & I'll tell you why .
The action sequences remind me of Champions of Norrath & Gauntlet
. You use one button to swing your weapon , another to use magic & skills , and another to direct your party . At any point in time , the battle can turn based on you using all your weapons / characters to attack the enemy the right way . There is no battle that cannot be won .
The RPG elements combine the use of skills , armor , weapons & additional items to gain maximum advantage . With the right weapon in a battle , it might make the difference between a 5 minute battle and a 30 minute one . There are cheap shots you can take , but for the most part , if you are evenly matched with an enemy / boss , your win is dependant on how well you use what you have .
The exploration aspect comes from going into dungeons and talking to NPCs in town . Your best armor / weapons can be found by going into dungeons and opening the various treasure chests . Other NPCs will also trade with you , giving you the chance to get some of the better weapons . The BEST come from completing missions , logging onto the board and reading posts .
The unique thing about . hack is it's a game within a game . You cannot see yourself , but you sit in front of a computer screen that displays your email , lets you log on to read board posts , and ultimately logon to the actual game , The World . Many key parts of the game depend on how often you read your email ; responding poorly to an NPC's email to you might lose you some items . Keep up with board posts and it's like having your own gamefaqs in the game . This whole game within-a-game concept is incredibly fun , and lets you imagine you are playing an online RPG .
Dot.hack hasn't had the best of reviews , and I can understand . Bandai is more known for some really off-the-wall stuff that's not widely accepted . If this game were coming from Konami , Square , Enix or a few other companies , it would have received 9 ' s and 10 ' s . The game has some great graphics , the background music is almost perfect , there are a wide range of skills / weapons / armor / items to customize the game , and some really awesome cut scenes . Unlike Xenosaga , the cut scenes don't take hours . When you play the game , however , you'll notice that they add up to around 20 minutes . This allows you to see the development of your character , understand The World , and most importantly , piece together the story in a classic way .
Dot.hack Infection is really incredible and I give it a 9 / 10 rating . After having played all the games I mentioned above , Dot.hack represents a unique fusion of different elements that gives it high value & makes it very fun . Give it a rental and it won't be disappointed . If you love the game , there are 3 more waiting for you to try .
041 4 I picked up this game recently after playing some of the better RPG series out there : Final Fantasy 6 / 7 / 8 / 9 / X , Dragon Quest VII / VIII and Xenogears / XenosagaI . dot.hack truly blows me away & I'll tell you why .
The action sequences remind me of Champions of Norrath & Gauntlet
. You use one button to swing your weapon , another to use magic & skills , and another to direct your party . At any point in time , the battle can turn based on you using all your weapons / characters to attack the enemy the right way . There is no battle that cannot be won .
The RPG elements combine the use of skills , armor , weapons & additional items to gain maximum advantage . With the right weapon in a battle , it might make the difference between a 5 minute battle and a 30 minute one . There are cheap shots you can take , but for the most part , if you are evenly matched with an enemy / boss , your win is dependant on how well you use what you have .
The exploration aspect comes from going into dungeons and talking to NPCs in town . Your best armor / weapons can be found by going into dungeons and opening the various treasure chests . Other NPCs will also trade with you , giving you the chance to get some of the better weapons . The BEST come from completing missions , logging onto the board and reading posts .
The unique thing about . hack is it's a game within a game . You cannot see yourself , but you sit in front of a computer screen that displays your email , lets you log on to read board posts , and ultimately logon to the actual game , The World . Many key parts of the game depend on how often you read your email ; responding poorly to an NPC's email to you might lose you some items . Keep up with board posts and it's like having your own gamefaqs in the game . This whole game within-a-game concept is incredibly fun , and lets you imagine you are playing an online RPG .
Dot.hack hasn't had the best of reviews , and I can understand . Bandai is more known for some really off-the-wall stuff that's not widely accepted . If this game were coming from Konami , Square , Enix or a few other companies , it would have received 9 ' s and 10 ' s . The game has some great graphics , the background music is almost perfect , there are a wide range of skills / weapons / armor / items to customize the game , and some really awesome cut scenes . Unlike Xenosaga , the cut scenes don't take hours . When you play the game , however , you'll notice that they add up to around 20 minutes . This allows you to see the development of your character , understand The World , and most importantly , piece together the story in a classic way .
Dot.hack Infection is really incredible and I give it a 9 / 10 rating . After having played all the games I mentioned above , Dot.hack represents a unique fusion of different elements that gives it high value & makes it very fun . Give it a rental and it won't be disappointed . If you love the game , there are 3 more waiting for you to try .
105 4 . hack / / infection is a worthy introduction . But sadly that's all it really is , the first of 4 games in a series . That said , let's move beyond my one big quibble and talk about the cool aspects of the game .
You play a newcomer to the World a massive online role playing game . You and a friend are hanging out when he's struck down by a mystery assailant . You have to find who did it , and why .
The combat system is innovative . The interaction between you and the other characters is fun . The amount that you can customize your party is interesting and the visuals are gorgeous .
Sadly , one more problem - there aren't enough PC's in the newb area - as anyone who's played EQ can attest .
118 4 . hack the first of 4 games in a series . This game obviously deserves better that a 1 out of 5 . . hack is the story of a boy in the Real World who is invited to play the popular online game The World by his friend , a veteran of the game . When they are playing a virus attacks them both and kills their characters . In the Real World his friend goes into comatose . He takes his character , Kite , enters The World to try to find a cure for his friend . Later he merges with the virus and his quest begins .
The game also has a dvd contain an anime version of what happens in the Real World during the events in the game . The game has a fake mailer and fourum for you to look up any hints for when you get stuck . . hack launches February 11th enjoy !
