- Publisher: Bandai
- Release Date: Feb 10, 2003
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The end of this first episode of .hack - dubbed Infection - will leave players hanging and longing for more.
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netjakWhile .hack is not going to thrill anyone with its visuals or sound, the sheer replayability and depth of gameplay is incredible, and that’s what games are SUPPOSED to be all about. Bandai, you have guaranteed yourself a customer for your future .hack episodes.
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The most fun I have had playing an RPG in a long time! This game just spews forth with innovation.
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Clever story twists; excellent character design, and an addictive gameplay engine can go a long way.
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This sense of fun defies all odds. I never would have thought it, but these encounters with computer-generated pals can sometimes be even more enjoyable than the real thing.
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Game InformerI also realized that what really made it good wasn't just its refreshing take on conventional RPGs, but that it also captured some of the community aspects of a MMORPG. [Mar 2003, p.82]
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The character models are very well done. The facial expressions impressed me the first time I played. The characters have an anime look that I think the developers were trying to pull off and they did a good job.
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Despite some dated-looking visuals (it REALLY does look like PSO), Dot-hack is an impressive bit of high-concept work, and scores lots of points for its presentational excellence.
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Don't buy this game if you don't plan on getting the whole series. It would be like watching "The Fellowship of the Ring" and not bothering to watch the rest.
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Play MagazineThe game itself is a very competent dungeon-exploration affair that neither looks great nor is that polished, but it's very addictive. [Apr 2003, p.62]
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Despite the simple battles and plain story, .hack is addictively fun for the 15 hours it lasts. [Nov 2002, p.182]
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The illusion of an online community is maintained flawlessly.
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PSM Magazine.hack scores major points for its unique setting, but there's also some very solid game design to back it up. [Nov 2002, p.50]
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The game-within-a-game concept is fantastic and the simulation of the MMORPG experience is flawlessly executed.
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A complete package that is both a solid adventure and a promising beginning for this Bandai series.
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The story integrates so well with the faux-online theme that it drives you to continue playing almost as addictively as the real social interaction of a legitimate online game does.
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Cheat Code CentralYou will get so caught up in the story you won't be thinking "Dungeons and Dragons." Can't wait for the next one.
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Definitely something that is not for the faint-hearted. It can be a tough to keep your attention from wavering onto another game. Believe me; with all the other games being released now, it was a challenge. But if you stick with it, you will be pleasantly surprised.
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NPC reaction isn’t all that diverse, as it would be in a real MMORPG. The visuals, aside from the character designs, aren’t all that impressive.
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The only real let down is the moments when you’re thrown out of the World and have to sift through all the message board posts and e-mails in order to figure out what to do to log back onto the game.
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The feeling of “just one more dungeon” dominated our lives for the 3 days to completion. The engaging environment held our attention without much effort.
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Highly original and addictive, .hack is more interesting than most of the MOM-RPGs the game attempts to simulate.
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A truly brave, and hopeful germination of pertinence in the typically banal garden of videogames.
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I had to muddle through almost half of this 20-hour RPG before .hack really grabbed me... And now, I'm hooked. [Feb 2003, p.100]
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A simple, repetitive experience that's over fairly quickly for an RPG, and its story doesn't go anywhere at all. Nevertheless, it's pretty fun while it lasts, and anime fans probably won't be able to resist it.
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A game so fresh and unique, it just begs to be experienced despite its flaws. [Feb 2003, p.138]
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If you can forgive it for some plain visuals and don't mind wading through menus - it may be fast-paced, but it's still an RPG - it's worth your time. [Mar 2003, p.58]
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The main bulk of the gameplay, which mainly consists of battles in fairly unattractive dungeons is clichéd, and highly repetitive. The graphics as a whole fall a little below average, and for a standalone game, it’s fairly short.
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Ugly. It's got a muddled battle system. [Feb 2003, p.44]
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games(TM)That it makes no bones about the fact that you're in a game doesn't make it less of an experience - indeed, it's one of the few things that saves Infection from being a run-of-the-mill RPG. [Mar 2004, p.104]
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Edge MagazineIt gains points for plot and the audacity of simulating an online world, and could have scored higher, but its simplicity and inflexible save system drag it down. [Apr 2004, p.108]
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By being forced to set-up a premise that MIGHT evolve into something interesting in the long haul, ".hack's" storyline drags and plays second-fiddle to average-at-best (and done better elsewhere), random-dungeon clearing RPG fodder.
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There is no doubt that Bandai has a really, really interesting concept here, but it’s just so unfortunate that things like the camera system and inexcusably repetitive dungeons lower the game’s status to just another mediocre RPG with tons of potential just waiting to be noticed and explored.
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The most disturbing thing about .Hack is how short it is. Perhaps the whole series, or at least two of the games, could have easily fit on one disc.
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It’s all rather tiresome and disappointing in a release that promised something different. But what remains is a bog standard RPG, dressed up as something else but flattering to deceive.
Awards & Rankings
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84
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42
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#42 Most Discussed PS2 Game of 2003
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43
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#43 Most Shared PS2 Game of 2003
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User score distribution:
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Positive: 58 out of 73
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Mixed: 9 out of 73
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Negative: 6 out of 73
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Apr 14, 2020Played on PlayStation 2.
Gameplay: GREAT.
Story: GOOD.
Graphic: GOOD.
Music/Sound: GREAT.
Dialogue: GOOD. -
Apr 11, 2017
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Oct 6, 2015