.hack//infection

<body topmargin=0 leftmargin=0 marginheight=0 marginwidth=0> <table cellpadding=0 cellspacing=0 border=0 height="100%"><tr> <td valign="top" width=200 BGCOLOR="#003333" TEXT="#F7F7FF" background="040d4c00dduajq.gif"> <div> <TABLE BORDER="0" CELLPADDING="2" CELLSPACING="0" WIDTH="95" BORDERCOLORLIGHT="#C0C0C0" BORDERCOLORDARK="#808080" FRAME="BOX" RULES="ALL" ALIGN="BOTTOM" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0" > <tR> <tD VALIGN=TOP HEIGHT= 46 WIDTH="91"><IMG BORDER="0" SRC="1x1.gif" HEIGHT="46" ALIGN="bottom" WIDTH="91" HSPACE="0" VSPACE="0"></tD> </tR> </TABLE></div> <bR> <bR> <div> <A HREF="id17.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Anime Reviews"><U>Anime Review</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id180.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game Reviews"><U>Game Review</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id193.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Manga Reviews"><U>Manga Review</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id195.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Product Reviews"><U>Product Review</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id252.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Editorials"><U>Editorials</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id101.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="The Sites"><U>The Sites</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id18.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Game Walkthrus"><U>Game Walkthrus</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id148.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="D50s Top Five Lists"><U>D50's Top 5 Lists</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id156.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Otaku Profile"><U>Otaku Profile</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id19.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="About the master"><U>About the master</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id20.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Links to better sites"><U>Links to better sites</U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="id21.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="Email me"><U>E-mail me</U></A></div> <bR> <div> Quick E-Mail:</div> <div> <A HREF="mailto:dugtrio50@hotmail.com" TARGET="_top" TITLE="mailto:dugtrio50@hotmail.com"><U><I>dugtrio50@hotmail.com</I></U></A></div> <div> <A HREF="index.htm" TARGET="_top" TITLE="D50s Anime hideout"><U><IMG SRC="0aba07c0.jpg" border=0 width="160" height="124" ALT="What are you looking at?" 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30 hrs. to do everything in the game and level up ten levels.</B></div> <bR> <div> <B>Music: 5</B></div> <div> At times it blends well.  At times it's just annoying.</div> <bR> <div> <B>Replay Factor: 6</B></div> <div> It's short, so you can relive old memories easily.  Also, even if you don't have the sequels, you could power up your character data by leveling up, getting armor and items, etc. so you can be insanely powerful when you get part two.</div> <bR> <bR> <div> .hack//infection is part 1 of a 4-part series.  The key elements are the simulated MMORPG and the story that can be fully appreciated by enjoying .hack in all of its forms.  In Japan, .hack spans all forms of media: OVA, TV, video game, manga, radio.  Okay, so it's missing a movie.  If you're not in with the .hack experience, this is the beginning.  If you hate it, ignore it, but it could be pretty tough to ignore.  </div> <bR> <div> As an RPG, the story is interesting, but the battle system leaves much to be desired.  First of all, practically all you'll be doing is avoiding and attacking using the X button.  Occasionally you'll be forced to change equipment using the menus and using techniques from the menus, but time freezes as this happens, which ruins the possibility of it being an MMORPG.  Don't believe anyone that says the battle style is like Kingdom Hearts, as it doesn't even come close to that masterpiece in that sense.  It does, however, beat it in its strongest element: the story.  Because of its presence in all forms of media, you can see the entire story behind the mystery of "The World," and in different forms.  </div> <bR> <div> The gameplay is repetitive and occasionally so much so that it's boring.  You enter three words in the Chaos Gate found in each Server Town, and it takes you to a different field.  There are thousands of fields possible, and the enemies you encounter has more to do with thelevel of the field rather than the environment.  The dungeons found in each field are also repetitive.  All they are is a combination of rooms - of which there are about 8 types - with boxes and treasure chests and monsters.  The point is to reach the Gott Statue found at the bottom of the dungeon.  Because it's so meaningless, your real reason for getting into battle is to progress the story, and that's over in a short amount of time... well, short compared to the average RPG. </div> <bR> <div> If you're going to play .hack, you better want to get all four parts, otherwise, it's meaningless.</div> <bR> <div> <I><B>Until next time, you'll be staring at a "Loading...." screen.</B></I></div> </td> </tr></table></body>