Full Review for .hack//G.U. Vol. 1: Rebirth by nobodys_savior

Introduction

In 2003, an original concept came to the Western shores. A simulated Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game by the name of .Hack caught the attention of RPG fans an Anime watchers alike, and while most RPG�s were content just spinning the same cliche stories over and over again, the makers of .hack decided to do something creative. While the battle system was dreadfully repetitive, and the lifespan of each individual game was unfortunately short, the Story is what kept most gamers (myself included) shelling out money 4 times to experience it. That�s right, 1 game split into 4 parts. Now 2 years later, the makers of .Hack have returned with an all new story, battle system, music, and World. But is it worth your hard earned cash to play it?

Graphics

First to what you�re going to be watching the entire game. Lets face it: The original quartet of .hack�s, while not ugly, wasn�t exactly ground breaking either. Certain skills had animations to them, but for the most part it was sub-par. This time around the game has more of a Cel Shaded look to it. Backgrounds have movement to them instead of just being pasted on around the play area, and the characters are more defined. Sadly, the enemy designs aren�t exactly as varied as they were in the previous installment, and walking around the Root Towns you�ll find several NPC�s that look identical and yet they�re different characters entirely. It gets the job done, but a few differences in the character designs would be welcome. Also, where the original sported many different areas to do battle in., this time around, there�s a field, a building, and an underground cave with waterfalls. Sure, they look good, but there�s just not enough variety.

Sound

Now, I don�t know about everyone else who played .Hack the first time around, but one of the things that stands out in my mind the most was the absolutely 5-star music that set the tone wonderfully. Whether it was walking in a decrepit dungeon, or fighting creatures in a snow-swept field, everything fit. This time around things went just as well. The field theme�s, the town theme, hell even the footstep sounds. I absolutely hated the footstep sounds in the first series, but everything in this game sounds great. There isn�t a single moment where the music ruins the game.

Gameplay

And now the meat of the game. Lets face it, the first series, while creatively fantastic left a lot to be desired for in the gameplay department. You were constantly mashing the X button, occasionally pausing to use a skill against the enemies that were immune to physical damage. The battles were always the same, and the dungeons didn�t show much difference either. In G.U, the battles are a lot faster. This time, you can do surprise attacks, pull off special moves and counters. While you are still mashing the X button, there are some variety to the attacks in the combo system. Land enough consecutive hits and you can perform a rengeki attack which, like most special attacks, do more damage. Also, your party members aren�t completely brain dead this time around. If you�re running low on health, they�ll automatically heal you. But, nothing is perfect. In the original you could choose what actions your party members could use. In G.U. You can chose between 4 styles, but the individual attacks are chosen by the A.I. Yes they are smarter, but at the expense of just a little bit of control. Getting back to the good, there are many things that were added in an attempt to prolong the life of the game. There�s an arena where you can test your skills against an A.I. Controlled party of 3, multiple side quests are also available, although they are essentially just varying forms of Fetch quests.
One final gripe I have with the game: In the first set you had many different party members to choose from. If you don�t like the axemen, you can use the Heavy Blade. Wavemasters piss you off? Try making a team of Twin Blades instead. In G.U., for the most part you�re using the characters that the game wants you to use. At certain points, characters will go offline or Busy, making it so that you can�t use them. That happens in a real MMO, so that�s no problem. But they make it so that you have to use specific characters throughout the game. If you prefer using certain characters, you have to wait until the game decides that you can use them. A minor gripe, but it does get annoying wanting to use a Harvest Cleric during certain levels and being stuck with the same group of 3 until you clear a storyline mission. Several improvements were made, most notably in the battle system which feels a LOT more natural than in the originals, but there were enough problems to keep this from being perfect

Lastability

With all the new side quests, campaigns and fetching to do, this game is going to last you a while. A LONG while. Currently, I myself have clocked in well over 40 hours. With all the weapons and armors to collect, as well as levelling up your characters for the next volume, there is no shortage of things to do, the only problem is that since it is a lot of "fetching", the game itself could get quite repetitive to the casual fan.

Overall

Rent or buy? I guess that all depends. For fans of the originals, this is a no contest, definitely buy, as there were many improvements that will delight fans of the previous installment. That being said, it�s not a mainstream title, as there are aspects that some gamers just wont respond to. It�s a pity that because it doesn�t have the title �Final Fantasy� ahead of it, most RPG fans won�t look at this title. The game is great, but since it�s not for everyone it�s kinda hard to recommend this to the masses. I strongly suggest renting it, as if you do find enjoyment in the rental then the purchase would be assured. That being said, if you DON�T like it, you wont waste 50 bucks on a game you�ll never play.

Final Score: 80%