Platform: PlayStation 2
Genre: Action/RPG
Developer: CyberConnect2
Publisher: Bandai
Release: 24 October 2006
Rating: Teen
Price: $20
While the first .hack series was decidedly mediocre, the G.U. follow-up trilogy is an excellent series of action RPGs. The premise of a game-within-a-game as a setting is brilliant. .hack takes place within an MMORPG called "The World." G.U. picks up several years after the origial series, in the sequel: "The World:R2." The aesthetic is steampunk this time rather than high fantasy, and it works very well. The cast is mostly new, but has many old characters returning--with new avatars in the game.
The plot is excellent, though following it in its entirety requires playing all three G.U. games and watching the tie-in anime ".hack//Roots," which functions as a prologue for the games (you can understand the games' plot without watching the anime, but it does answer a few questions).
As for how G.U. plays, it functions somewhat like a standard RPG, with towns and party members, and all the trappings. Combat, however, is in real-time, and is quite fun. There isn't very much variety in the dungeons, and the whole series reeks of repetitiveness, but the gameplay is still fun, and the plot is gripping enough to keep you playing.
While the first of the three, Rebirth, is very much flawed (swapping weapons mid-combat feels sticky, for example), the sequels improve on it. I would say that the third volume, Redemption, is the best gameplay-wise, but the story there isn't quite as good as it is in the first two (with a few plot twists coming completely out of nowhere). Averaging them all together, though, the G.U. trilogy is a landmark example of a fun, engaging action RPG.
Start off with the first volume, which GameStop offers used for $20.
Play, save, and enjoy. See you next week.
--Kotaro
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