Project dot hack Series Review! - The Game Collection
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 5 ต.ค. 2024
- In this sprawling review of Project .hack, SuperDerek reviews each of the following: .hack//SIGN, .hack//INFECTION, .hack//MUTATION, .hack//OUTBREAK, .hack//QUARANTINE and .hack//LIMINALITY!
#dothack
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"Could you imagine if they sold FF7 piece by piece today?"
Man that aged badly, lol.
The joke still works though xD
HAHHAHA come comrades, let's riot
Brandin Bertucci it’s a terrible fan fiction
That's the point of the joke
Why didn't we riot?
So happy to see this Derek!
Thanks Johnny! :)
HappyConsoleGamer one of the most underrated series man. Definitely one of my fave
Sorry to stalk you guys but we are one month away from Far East of Eden Zero english translation patch. In March we are starting the beta testing so if you want to be the first guys to review it check this thread:
www.romhacking.net/forum/index.php/topic,23162.0.html
H
I like how he says "how would you like it if FFVII was split up into separate release?" And now Square is doing that with the remake... YOU FOOL YOU GAVE THEM AN IDEA
They already did it once before fun fact...the extra versions of FF4 were already sold piece meal to people exactly how they're doing 7 now. However unlike 4 After Years and such 7 is too big to not do that with, 7, 8 and 9 being remade the way people keep begging for really will not work without massive cuts or the way SE is choosing to make them. But yeah to all those people getting mad...be greatful you didn't have to worry about that with FF4, they sold it piece meal in JAPAN ONLY, the western world got a fully put together copy much later, Japan also has said put together copy, but point being FF4 already did the cut it into pieces and sell each as its own game, After Years was split into what was it...6 parts? Then you have Interlude which was in a few parts, each sold separately and not all at once.
Having to spend 50 bucks for each one, hell no
Ff7 is it really that big if we take out all random battles how big or long would the game really be
@@robert23456789 I think most of the data is textures and cutscenes which would make sense given how much talking there is haha
This series is built for a specific type of person, which I love it doesn't try to appeal to everyone, you either like it or you don't.
As someone who completely loves these games, and am one of the few people to prefer them over GU, I completely understand where you're coming from with this review. As someone else said, these games are very much an acquired taste. I personally really like the quirks these games have because they feel so unique to other games at the time. To me, they're something special, but I understand if that also makes them unapproachable.
On that note, I know everyone else has said this, but GU addresses pretty much all of the issues these four games have. The gameplay is far more actiony, the characters definitely have a more visible personality, the story arcs hit faster, etc. I definitely think you'll really like 'em and they even come across as very different from these, that it'll also be very refreshing to you. Though, the story and lore is still pretty obtuse.
Anyway, sorry for the long comment. This is my first time watching a video of yours, and I really appreciate the effort you put into the review as well as the balanced approach you took to it. It's not a quality many reviewers have these days, at least from my experience. I also applaud you for sticking through this all the way through despite it all! That's pretty admirable. Good work on it!!! Hope you enjoy your next game much more.
I prefer the first four games too but I also love GU as well
God damn I love these games soooooo much!!!! Hopefully you do the G.U. Trilogy sometime when you aren't feeling so .hacked out. :D
It's on my bucket list! :)
SuperDerek RPGs From a non biased fan of .hack it's waaaaaaay better action wise. It has its repetitive points like most rugs, but it holds your attention a lot better. Especially when characters start coming and going from the story and you ACTUALLY want to know what happened.
Thanks for the tip!
DreamcastGuy what's G.U.?
Epic Joe Eppolito the sequel series to the original 4 games of .hack
Dude this was an insane thing to take on. Pat on the back sir! Thank you! Really enjoyed your review!
How many years has it been since I wanted someone to review the series? 5-10? now someone has finally stepped up. and it's Super Derek! Can't say thanks enough for this review and I hope others would give this series a shot.
Also 2 games you need to check out.
Radiata stories on ps2 and Radiant Historia on DS. 2 games you NEED. to play. both related.
Keep making awesome content. just sucks I can't be a patron. but maybe I can wiggle into one of those sexy T-shirts you've got.
+Austin Ellis thanks man, I'm glad you enjoyed the review! I think I've got the ps2 radiata game, I'm not sure though. I'll look into it. If all goes well I think I'll have a way to record DS footage sometime this year! :)
You're reviews are some of the best I have EVER seen.
This game series is tied in first place as my favorite game series of all time I love these games
Great review and great overview on the franchise.
As a little side note: Yoshiyuki Sadamoto, the character designer for .Hack is also the guy behind the character designs for Neon Genesis Evangelion, Nadia - Secret of Blue Water and Gunbuster and one of the founding members of GAINAX. His very first assignment at GAINAX was creating the character designs for Royal Space Force: The Wings of Honnêamise. You could say, he is basically one of the people who were responsible for the TV anime revolution in the early/mid 90s.
I always found his work also very reminiscent to the Lunar series or rather the character designs. Interesting enough he actually worked with Toshiyuki Kubooka, the person behind the character designs for the Lunar series on Gunbuster and Nadia, so both do have some connection.
I played a little bit of the first game a long time ago but couldn't get into the gameplay. I thought the concept (now ofcourse done to death in anime) was the most interesting part.
Big props for sticking with the series even tho you didn't enjoy it all the way through so you could review it properly. Good job.
Thanks man! Definitely wan't easy at times. :)
Getting the series wasn't too expensive for me as I got the last one first and then found the rest in a bargain bin at an electronics shop. That place cared more about selling sports games and AAA titles and tried to get rid of all other games as quickly as possible so I'd often strike gold in that bargain bin. Unfortunately they stopped selling games altogether a few years ago.
Anyways; I love .hack and especially the concept. Newer things in that genre like SAO and Log Horizon never quite did it for me like this series did. With the anime and manga it really built a cool world that couldn't really be done justice in the PS2 era so it would be great if it made a comeback now that the whole trapped-in-MMORPG thing has become an entire genre.
Nearly fainted when I saw project .hack. I thought it was a bandai video and they were actually doing something with the property.
Sorry, Project .hack is the name of their first set of media, including SIGN, the games, OVA, and the trading cards. :)
SuperDerek RPGs nice review
Well I ended up getting quality entertainment out of it either way. Now my favorite games can get some fresh recognition!
You did hear they're remastering G.U. Vol 1-3 with expanded content right?
If you haven't heard, They are Remaking the .Hack GU games and they are adding a 4 vol!
Thanks for doing these!
.hack//SIGN is my FAVORITE anime show EVER, and (personally) feel it's underrated.
New Derek Day, is always a good day!
Thanks Wood! :)
.hack was mu favorite childhood game. i remember collecting all of the games to make the donkey thing you ride on the side of the label. i liked g.u. but infection and the other ones were my favorite
I had never heard of you before - you came up on the recommended sidebar while I was listening to the original Altimit OS theme from the original .H quadrilogy. Instant subscribe!
I still have every last game because this was my favourite series when I was in middle school including the gu trilogy
Back in 2011, the going rate for a mint condition, complete .hack//QARANTINE on ebay was $80. I'm kind of surprised it's continued to go up-all the way to $120.
Very nice review Derek. I loved the anime and got the games as they came out. The music alone is enough reason to watch the anime and i loved the OVAs with the hidden keywords for you to track down. I had a blast with the series and I'm glad you eventually got into it.
Did you finish the Item quest in volume 4? That was such a major pain for such a minor reward, but I did it anyway. I was hoping for something awesome as a reward... didn't happen.
I was thinking about it, and I started playing the post-game, when I realized I had already spent enough time playing the game to do the review, and it just needed to come out already! I'm kinda glad that I passed it up though, to be honest. Especially if the payoff wasn't all that.
Love this series.
I was dead at “one of the strongest enemies in the game that you ll fight is the camera” 😭😭😭
I personally love these games. Trying to find part 4 is a hassel though. I was a young teen when these games came out and couldn't afford them at the time.
You can always download roms and emulate them.
I was honestly prepared to be annoyed by this review (having played and owned all the .hack games (it's a precious series to me)), but this is fair. I didn't get into teh actual series 'til around it's gen 2, Legend of the Twilight (I did NOT have the patience when I was younger). Nowadays, the .hack series is definitely my all-time favorite, and the fact it can successfully weave it's lore and what makes the series great into every bit is absolutely fascinating.
Tangent aside, this was a fair review. Good work.
I love .Hack this is my favorite video game series I am working on longplays of all of the games now.
Do you know how many gaming TH-camrs attempt to drum up interest in their videos by screaming like a carnival barker, pretending that every turd that they shit out of their mouth is golden? "WHAZZUP GUYS! This is your new SMASH THAT LIKE BUTTON guide to ALMOST NOTHING!!! Send me some PATREON DOLLARS because I"M JUST THAT GOOD!!!"
It's so nice to get some intelligent conversationally-toned material that is smart and listenable. I really appreciate it.
Yay! Super Derek is back! Missed you fella
Thanks Jordan, I missed you guys too! :)
I personally love the Dot Hack franchise, though it actually gets better from here, the Legend of the Twilight manga is excellent (though the anime based on said manga... isn't), and the G.U. games are also fantastic... minus being soul-destroyingly expensive. If there is any set of games that really, really needs an "HD collection", this is it.
Consider //G.U. on my to-buy list. :)
SuperDerek RPGs Bandai just announced a ps4 remake disk of the g.u. games in 1 with ps4 graphics, would be much easier on the wallet
Doketsu or if it's coming to the west.
Micaiah the Otaku Gamer [HybridAngelZero] I found all of them for 20 bucks each
I've got it pre-ordered it is coming to the west, its only 50 bucks for all three games its a steal, and they are adding a 4th vol, I am ecstatic
really need to play this again i did not liked it 10 years ago.anyways good to see you back on youtube nice video
I guess we won't see reviews of .hack//G.U. any time soon then? Great review, Derek. When I think back to this game, the first word that comes to mind is 'repetition'.
Watching all of this just brings back so many good nostalgic memories. Definitely some of the best games I ever played. I cannot wait for the last recode! I want a original trilogy remake as well!!!
I went in with the expectation of the review and went out with a philosphical thinking of how to buy most stuff from now on. Those last few words were treasure
Glad to see you back!
Glad to be back! :)
such a great series.
Bummed that you didn’t enjoy it more, but I can definitely understand your feelings. For me I love just about everything in this series but it’s definitely not for everyone.
I legit cannot believe you suffered through all three games. You're a hero, Der Bear.
Always been interested to hear how the series turned out, but never had the patience for the show or the game. Really glad you broke it down for us - I always wondered if this series had any real redeeming features, and some of what you went over with the combat system later on was pretty interesting.
8:41 oh god
+Mothra FOUR! Four games! But who's counting, right??? xD
I’m not into JRPG’s but I did watch my brother play these games back in the day and if anything, they are nostalgic. I even remember watching one of the anime’s with my sister (I dunno if there are more than one, but the characters in the show I watched were actual children as opposed to the teens in the clips you shared).
Anyway, great review of the entire series! I may not like JRPG’s, but I really liked your presentation and writing!
About time, I have been waiting months for another review from you....
Keep up the good work.
Thanks Andrew! Yeah, all told I plugged well over 100 hours into the anime and games, which takes a long while with my new job. I think new reviews should be coming more consistently now though. :)
I love your content so happy to see a new video :)
Love the anime series, particularly Signs, my favorite of all time.
I wish the dot hack games were made available for the PS4 in the PlayStation store. Really would love to replay all the games. I absolutely loved all of the games
I'll always have a bit of nostalgia with this franchise. With .hack//SIGN, the novels and G.U., it was one of my first fandoms in high school and although I never owned the G.U. games (borrowed from a brother's friend) I spent a pretty penny collecting the 4 originals (QUARANTINE was at least $115 with the shipping). That being said, although the story and concept was neat, the execution and gameplay wasn't always and the dungeons were excruciating to go through in the originals because they were extremely repetitive. I think your review is fair and your points are valid. .hack is a cult classic that isn't for everyone, an acquired taste of wine that has to be slowly sipped, not chugged, in order to appreciate.
I watched the anime back in the day when it was on the air and I enjoyed it. never played the rpgs but a friend of mine does like them.
Another bad ass video from you Derek!
Been waiting a LOOOOONG time for this one.
You and me both, hope I didn't disappoint! :)
not at all, you even covered the anime, which I didn't think you'd go for! If you ever get the G.U. trilogy I'd want to see how you compare both.
You got it!
I really enjoyed a nice long solid review of the original games I love so much! This was some great work.
Thanks! I hope to do something similar for the .hack//G.U. titles soon :)
Man....they should develop a remake for the first games. It would be amazing. This franchise has so much potential
I totally understand how the original games might not appeal to you. In my head, whenever I say that the .Hack// series is my absolute favorite franchise of all time, I mostly think of the G.U. series, with IMOQ being kind of an afterthought. It definitely didn't age very well, relatively speaking. I still have a soft spot for them, despite all that.
I really enjoyed this review. I like your style. Consider me a fan.
Great Review super Derek! I watched the .hack//sign movies back in high school as they were being given released. THE grunting may be the weirdest part of that show.
.Hack// feels so old now. I remembered .Hack// used to be a game that played just like MMO at that time.
G.U really keep that principle intact. The changes does represent how MMO changed over the past few years after the original .Hack//
So when they announced a remake of G.U, I was disappointed when I found out that they retained the combat system, instead of build something different, to mimic current MMO gameplay. The game suppose to mirror MMO gameplay at the time of the release. It was a missed opportunity to completely revive .Hack// franchise and brought newcomers into the franchise.
excellent episode as always.
Thanks Joel! :D
I have vast amounts of nostalgia for this multimedia project. Never beat the series, but I did watch all of //SIGN. I wish so much that Bandai Namco would make HD ports of these games.
a remake could be better, there is a lot of padding in those games. and upgrade some mechanics to make it more fun. like G.U did.
another great video as always busy looks like it was worth the wait it seems and your hard work has truly paid off keep on aiming high can't wait for the next video and stream
Next I just gotta decide what to play. Grandia II seems to be doing well in the voting on my website though. :)
SuperDerek RPGs ohh voting is up I didn't get notified going over right now
I heard they may consider continuing the series
Chris really were u hear or read this
Fantastic review! I love your format! I highly enjoyed this! Cheers. =)
Thank you for this Derek. Very Informative video, a great way to learn the .hack series.
Dude this is so good Keep up the good work. Your vids really got me inspired to work on my show
Thanks Metal! :D
I 100% agree with you. If you force your self to beat a game you won't enjoy it as much. Games should make you want to continue playing them and if they fail to Do do that then in my opinion then game fails.
+No Fun Intended are you enjoying yourself though??? Do you keep coming back for some reason?? Or are you biting yourself to beat it??
See it's a personal thing and not all games can be judged by it
No Fun Intended only a few K souls and 4 humanity? Dude that's a sad reason to quit those games, when you get to a point where enemies drop 5-10K souls per kill its not a loss at all and humanity is an easy find. I'm seriously not trying to be a dark souls "get gud" player but trust me you didn't lose as mush as you think you did, off the top of my head I've lost over 100K souls in DS2 & DS3 on multiple occasions and I once lost 2 hours worth of echoes grinding in Bloodborne which totaled out to be about 2.5M Bloodechoes sooooooooooo yeah you kinda baby'd out dude
i know this video is old. but there is a book seires that focuses on Black Rose and i love her side of the story.
20:20 that Video game title currently reflects how were dealing with the current Pandemic
And the timestamp is 2020.
4:04 shots fired! lol
love the review i have been for the longest time interested in the series
good job man i love your videos so much please keep it up
Maybe I ought to review the SAO PS4 game next? ;)
a couple of my friends told me that the SAO games are all bad and doesn't deserve wasting your time on them of course it's all up to you man just wanted to warn you :)
love your channel, I found it by accident but now you have a new sub
Overlooking that Log Horizon .hack//sign comparison lmao. Overall I'm surprised to see that you were able to power through it all. the games have been an interest to me but I never had the opportunity due to how rare the games were and the time required. From my experience sign can be good for people who have never played the games like myself and several of my viewers, but at the same time its usually too slow paced for many. I'm almost glad i didn't splurge one day and buy all these games because the EXP system sounds like a complete pain in the ass. sounds good for when you get new characters but its fixing a small problem by creating a large one. From my experience I would recommend limiting the amount of game requests you take, I used to take many anime review requests and felt it to be draining so I'd recommend alternating a game that's requested and a game that you personally want to play to keep a balance of enjoyment in what you do. Good review though, looking forward to the next one.
Thanks Bob, glad you enjoyed the review! I don't think I'll be jumping into the realm of Anime reviews though. It was fun to dip my feet in, but I'll leave that to the pros. ;)
I completely understand what you mean by taking requests. I've got a big list of game voting on the site, which doesn't mean that I'm necessarily going to pick the top game each time, but it gives me a good way to gauge general interest in the titles. For the next game, I picked a couple from the list that I already felt like playing anyway, then let the Patreon crew be the deciding factor.
.hack is my one of my favorite series, I believe what helped me was I borrowed .hack//Infection from the newsagency I frequented at the time with no expectations, the cover art looked nice, and I saw the DVDs for .hack//SIGN they had there and seemed interesting, not knowing what I should check out I just borrowed the game, watched the liminality DVD as I got home, got really interested, then played the first part of the game and I got unexpectedly hooked, the only other mmo I had ever played at that point was Phantasy Star Online so I think that contributed to me enjoying the games as I did since I was already used to the grind and repetitive nature of both, but what really hooked me was the story, I can confirm though that as much as I enjoy the series, I definitely agree that it can be an acquired taste, especially these days, but I think that can be said for a lot of games from that era, as for the anime, I say its best to not marathon it but maybe a couple episodes at a time, maybe even finish Infection first despite it taking place before that game that way you may be more interested in whats going on and certain terms wont be lost on you, can definitely say you'll have alot more "oh shit!" moments.
So you are a person with an RPG channel. Nice. Big reviewers avoid the genre because the cost to benefit analysis isn't on its side, or they do a pretty sloppy job.
But i notice, you haven't reviewed Anachronox. Now i know, it's not technically from Japan, it doesn't seem impressive because it got delayed for 3 years just around when all the hardware changed so it kind of got caught in the early 3D technology with blocky characters, and it's not even on any console, but by its principle it's a JRPG, so maybe you can give it a shot. Also it's Film Noir, and Cyberpunk, and genre parody of all kinds of things. I think it manages to have depth both in writing and in gameplay and be absolutely hilarious at the same time. I wish Tom Hall could write another story driven game!
@@SianaGearz You really know what you're talking about. Subscribed.
the G.U games are some of my favorites on the ps2
Seems like lots of people feel the same way, I've added the series to my to-get list. :)
Great Review Man! Came here looking to see the lore and wondering if the games were worth it. I remember my mom renting one of them for me for the PS2 and really loving it before I had to return it. I might play Infection one of these days but the menu system both detracts and adds to it's charm for me, if that makes any sense. :)
dot hack is my first PS2 J-RPG. dude i love this series like crazy, and dot hack GU is legendary as well.
I was waiting for someone talking about thoses games. Personallity I think DOthacks is good game with interesting story despite of the lax gameplay. Thanks Super Derek.
My first 5hrs of this game was slamming potions, running into the middle of an enemy portal and hitting the spin attack killing them in 1 hit usually. Also, giving your followers all of your buff potions and hitting "strengthen" removes a fair bit of time menu skipping, which also took a hell of alot time too
While I'd hate the gameplay, I really like the presentation of the game and how the world exists outside to give you advancements on The World. That seems very clever. Had a buddy who bought all of these as they came out.
I think you just saved me a bunch of money. I had an internet-friend who was obsessed with these games back when they came out, and I was finally (a decade and a half later) going to play them. Then I saw the prices. Here's a question: Are the OVAs watchable without playing the game? If I only watched SIGN and then watched the OVAs, would I get the gist of what's happening? Or would there be a lot I'd be missing? I'm interested in the story of these games, but I'm not sure I have the patience to actually slog through them.
The OVAs are pretty much a self-contained story that plays out along-side the main game-story, I think you could watch them back-to-back without missing out on much, and I don't think anything would spoil the games either if you gave them a shot later.
For the price of Infection you can get a pretty good idea of how well you'd like the rest of the series, and it's well worth that price IMO. I hear though that the GU series is super fun to play. I'm looking forward to that. :)
the OST is just epic! Yuki Kajiura's voice is amazing
there was also .hack//Fragment game :) - online mode is dead, but it's like first game, but there - you can play as other classes with some customization, so...it's kinda cool!
I found your review to fair enough. I played these games when I was in my teens and found them to be exciting and kept me wanting the next one by the end of the game. It was a franchise that to this day I am still very much a fanboy of. I say that if you want more of an interesting story that is faster paced, since you've already played the infection series, I would recommend you trying GU which is also getting a remake on ps4 and PC. www.ricedigital.co.uk/remake-hack-heading-ps4-pc/
I guess the at the time this series came around for me, it was when I began to watch anime and it was a perfect series for me. I loved how it was more about the back story of the world as apposed to about just the characters. When you watch this series and the events, don't think too much about character interaction but the world behind them. One of the more interesting things to me was that this was the first anime I had watched that was solely about promoting a back story you had to pay a lot of attention to, to even understand.
as a huge dot hack fan I still don't understand why they would rerelease G.U. before the original series
derek I can understand why. .hack//GU was set in 2017, and its artstyle and gameplay would be easier to digest for people nowadays. I love .hack//IMOQ, but it needs a proper remake, not a remaster. It hasn't aged well.
@@FlowerEmblem that's true, but because the OG 4 games and even sign have some connection to GU. Of course anyone can watch retrospectives like this but. If you're like me and received the game being told to get into the series its jarring to jump into the sequel trilogy
the first series was good for fans because of the nostalgia but for the new players that would want to try it out it might kinda suck because it is so outdated. And as most gaming companies, they want to earn too so bandai-namco chose the GU series as it is more marketable with the cost they will do for the remaster. And The GU series can be played comfortably without playing the first ones.
Great review man. Very thorough and thoughtful.
hope U 2 a Legend of Legaia Review in the Future
I wish they broadened those OVAs!!! T.T
You're back! Good to see content from you again.
I personally really like dot Hack and would love a The World MMORPG, but the series is definitely an acquired taste. People have fallen asleep while watching me play the game lol
In Japan, there was a game called .hack//FRAGMENT which was basically the same as the PS2 games, same engine and story, but you could party up with other players. It only lasted about a year though, but it sounds pretty awesome!
Great coverage! I never could get into the dot hack games. Something about the way they played never jived with me.
I'm not going to advocate for piracy here but as a fan of the series who knows it's a niche game that might not be worth the amount of money it costs... I'd suggest trying it out on a emulator, you can find the first game relatively easily and if you do start to enjoy the series then I'd recommend purchasing it. Weirdly enough, the third game was the hardest for me to find, for the longest time I had discs 2 and 4, and eventually found the third game with the help of a friend, though the third one lacks the liminality disk.
I grew up with these games and this franchise, so any amount of reception to it makes me happy :) I'm glad you played the games and I'm happy you found your pace in them, I personally never beat the first boss of the first game, I had to use my parents save haha (curse you skeith...)
What an awesome comment, thanks for sharing, Mouse!
Do a review on Shadow Hearts.
Have hard time to appreciate the hack series because it was episodic and confusing when they released so many games in short period of time.
That Plue plushy (Plueshy) is cetainly something else
You're probably burnt out from .hack// but I would eventually like to see your take on the G.U. series (Roots + Returner included) like you did with the original series. I had just finished them myself and was looking to see if the original games would speak to me... however, you're review didn't get me too pumped to play the original series all too much, but did pique my curiosity--so I may still get around to them to build on some more dot hack lore.
Anyway, I really do recommend you take a swing at G.U. when you have time and energy--I honestly believe it is the better series and multimedia mash up...maybe it'd be more worth being in your game collection than the original series. :)
.hack//SIGN is my favorite anime. I've always been interested in these games but figured it can't be the same experience. First, the limitation on world size due to the PS2. Second, the long conversations between characters wouldn't make for much of a game. Very well done video... basically just confirming this. So while I love the source material, I have zero interest in repetitive battles and complex menus.
Loved the poke at Final Fantasy 7... I've been saying the same thing since they announced it.
But good advice, you shouldn't jump right into them, its expensive, and is definitely not for everyone.
But to be honest, the books/manga are definitely a better read than the games an anime.
Awesome video!
Thanks Ten-Button! :D
I might be very late to this review but considering with the announcement of .hack//GU I just had to omg. I really liked your analysis and it was very fair ! 50 hours is impressive, as Namco's early 2000's RPGs tend to be. Even now their more recent ones like Tales of Zestiria are very long ! If you ever have time, perhaps you could go into the Xenosaga? I believe it is just as long as .hack//IMOQ but it would be interesting to see your take on it.
Never played the games, but I did really enjoy the manga "Legend of the Twilight"!! It's cute!!^w^
Great Review, btw!!^^
I keep hearing great things, I should check that out. :)
The manga and .Hack GIFT were some of my favorite things about the series :)
i started with that too, is a little lighthearted story after the events of the first game, there is a little mystery, but most of the manga resolves about the new players joining events and having fun.
its a nice closing for the first era of .hack, before the dark stuff in G.U.
(sadly the anime adaptation is terrible)
Had this on my to watch list for almost two weeks now. I had no idea you set up a website, I'll be heading over there now.
As for the review, I now know that this game series probably isn't for me. It seems like a very interesting concept however, and I respect the mammoth undertaking you endured to get this review out.
Thanks Seafoam! :)
Bought the first one back when it released on the PS2. This was an amazing time when I was really into MMOs. I already had played EQOA & FFXI on my PS2 and then this released. Not to mention back in the early/mid 00's we were limited on anime and this game came with a DVD, that was another bonus. One of my childhood memories I can recall is sitting down with all my friend who I played the aforemtnioned games with & being excited to watch the OVA and play .hack as we were all into the MMORPGs, JRPGs, & anime. Sadly, I never followed up with the other 3 in the series for whatver reason. Side note, I watched the anime just a few years ago & it was rather boring... Good review nontheless, makes me still want to collect all 4!
Oh my. I used to spend my summers playing the new releases. Will never forget the day I got Balmung in my party at the end of .hack 3; experienced true happiness for a while there. Was also never the best student in middle school but had a huge folder with data on all the characters and best party for types of dungeons. [just added all there strengths lol was probably gibberish, but still I put effort in that shit.]
Ahh... Let the memories fleet
There is a difference between selling 4 games that take like 30 hours to complete a piece. And a game that's going to be sold as episodes. That usually means a 10 hour game.
Great video dude! Your channel is amazing ^_^
That moment when you look at your list of JRPGs titles on your shelf and cry inside because you only have //Outbreak of the original four titles, but also really want to play G.U. and generally really want all seven games:( Sorry, I'm gonna ask about one more game, if you don't mind-will you ever cover the Xenosaga Trilogy for the PS2? Love your content, will subscribe!:)
I fucking love this franchise and wish it would come back. I've got all seven PS2 games, and play them once every couple years.
That said, you're absolutely right. The games are *not* for everyone, and they are very much a product of their time. They have not aged well - even the GU series, which is far better in terms of gameplay - wouldn't be considered fun by today's standards.
great review Derrick. love these series. music is amazing.
Thanks Cuong Tran! The music in the series really is one of the high points across the board.
I totally agree!
Video of your videos I watched... gotta admit there’s a strong pro Jared feel
That's a wonderful compliment! He's one of the TH-camrs who inspired me to start a TH-cam channel over 5 years ago. :)
great video, I have always wondered how good the game is since it has so much games and media around it, but I've been really hesitant to start playing it
A balanced review, though I gotta ask did you use Speed Charms and Fairy Orbs much? They would've helped make travelling and dungeons much easier xD You didn't mention about the Books of Ryu which unlock desktop images and music :P
While i'm a big fan of the series I can see why people may be put off with various aspects of .hack//SIGN / IMOQ,however I'd just like to make some points in its defense.
- .hack//SIGN / INFECTION came out before larger MMOs like Warcraft were out, I doubt the developers really had much of an idea of how MMOs should be back then. The e-mails,BBS Board,fields for me were a nice touch for the pseudo MMO experience and ofcourse unique at the time. Now with retrospect of the modern standard people would prefer SAO/Log Horizon compared to a slower paced show based on mystery with little action. Sure some more action would be nice but thats what the game series is for,grind away to your hearts content xD
- Sure grinding can make people lose interest but don't all JRPGs have this? Yup dungeons are very similar and can be tedious but hey just use a fairy orb and you know the way to go.
- True the games aren't much different but then again they were all released fairly quickly in Japan though some changes would be nice.
- Combat mechanics may not be everybody's cup of tea but making use of elemental weaknesses,commanding your party via commands/strategies,having additional gear for useful skills/spells for a quick change makes battles easier. Although you need to give party members equipment they atleast level up even if you don't use them,unlike say SAO were you have a large roster and need to train everyone up individually. IMOQ has a rare combat aspect where unlike many games if you (Kite) gets killed its not automatically game over,just command them to revive you. It always seemed odd in other games if your party member dies you can revive them but somehow they couldn't do the same when you are taken down ^^'
- As you pointed out games are still sold in separate parts even today. Heck its technically worse nowadays with DLC as data miners find DLC content already present on the game you've paid for but it requires more payments to unlock,especially when its the dubious Day 1 content that they totally couldn't put into the game ^^'
- .hack//Quarantine's rarity is most likely due to .hack//GIFT's end theme xD
As others have said .hack//G.U. tackles many issues raised by players and even one that you haven't brought up which was only being able to play as a Twin Blade...though you could use magic with the right equipment. I hope you'll enjoy the G.U. games more and beable to find them for a reasonable price.