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

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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. ^^;;

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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.

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.hack is one of the best games ever!! I was addicted with this game ever since the first time I played it. I already beat the game and I still play it all the time. This game goes on even after you beat it, plus after you beat it, it lets you save your game and transfer your game data over to .Hack 2 Mutation. This is a MUST HAVE game for the PS2.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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This game is cool. It's full of poop and stuff.

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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.

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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.

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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