Reviews .hack//Infection[PS2]

Tom Badguy

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.hack//Infection
Developed by: CyberConnect2
Published by: Bandai Games
US Release Date: February 11th, 2003
Platform: Playstation 2

Intro

.hack//Infection is Part 1 of a 4 game series. I chose to do a review on this game because it is a guilty pleasure of mine. I first played the series back in 2005 and just now got it again. I remember the games being very addicting and wanted to see if they held up to what I remembered. The .hack games are based on you playing the role as someone playing a game so I hope this doesn't get confusing. Before I begin, I would like to also state that the .hack games came with Bonus Anime DVDs enititled, ".hack//Liminality." There is a 45 minute short that goes with Infection. I will also include some information regarding it in this review. Also, some notations: I will be refering to the game itself as Infection, the anime short will be refered to as Liminality and Playstation 2 will be refered to as PS2. Also, I gave each category a score so I could get an average for the Overall score. In some of the sections I will give a basis then my thoughts on the subject. In some sections(ex: Graphics) it will just be my thoughts.

Storyline

Infection follows the story of a 14-year old 8th grade student. The student does not have an actual name but the Default Character Name is "Kite." Kite plays a game entitled "The World," an MMORPG created by the CC Corp for the "Altimit OS"(which is the made up Operating System in which Kite accesses The World, E-mail, etc). The game begins with Kite being invited to play The World from his classmate Yasuhiko, or known in The World as Orca. Orca shows Kite the ropes on how to play The World when they are interrupted by a mysterious flying girl named, Aura, who is being chased by Skeith, a large gray creature that weilds a gigantic red cross. Our heroes engage in combat with Skeith only to learn that the creature in invulnerable. During the clash, Aura attempts to entrust Orca with "The Book of Twilight," an item that prevents a user's data from being altered. But before Orca can receive the book, Skeith uses an ability called "Data Drain"(an ability that changes the data of a user) and Orca is no more. Kite then picks up the book and Aura transport him away before Skeith can get to him. As Kite leaves The World, he finds out that his friend Yasuhiko has been hospitalized and is in a coma. Kite also discovers that there have been other instances in which other people have suffered the same fate. This leads to the idea that there is some sort of conspiracy in the CC Corp. Kite believes that the game is responsible and must venture throughout The World and attempt to discover what has happened to his friend and if there is any way to cure him.

My Thoughts on the Storyline

Honestly, the story is hot and cold. I like the idea that there is some conspiracy with The World and it is somehow affecting people in real life. But the way you have to go about it is by playing the game that is putting people into comas. It's kinda dumb. I mean, I have to play a game in order to crack the mystery of the CC Corp? What the fuck is up with that? I don't think that would be the most likely scenario. If I was playing a game in which people were vicously being thrown into comas, I think I would STOP PLAYING THE GAME. Aside from that, the story itself is ok. The dialogue is standard; nothing really to go crazy about. Basically, you will tolerate it.

Storyline Score: 7.1

Characters

Kite: The main character of the story. A 14-year old 8th grader that is trying to find what has happened to friend that fell into a coma after playing The World.

Orca: His real name is Yasuhiko; is the friend of Kite and shows him how to play The World. Orca is attacked by a foe named Skeith and is Data Drained. Yasuhiko is then hospitalized and is in a coma. Orca is also known as the "Knight of the Azure Sea" and is part of the group "Descandants of Fianna."

Aura: A mysterious girl in The World that bestows the Book of Twilight to Kite. Her origin is unknown but is somehow tied into the events that are happening in The World.

BlackRose: A character that Kite meets in the game. She is the second main character and joins Kite in following the mysterious girl, Aura.

Helba: A hacker that randomly helps Kite throughout the game. Her story is not revealed in Infection.

Balmung: Also known as the "Knight of the Azure Sky," Balmung is a member of a group called "Descendants of Fianna." He is Orca's friend and is also trying to find out what is happening in The World.

Each character is designated a class. Each class has its own pros and cons as well as specific abilities.

Classes

Blademaster: The character class that uses Longswords. They specialize in Defense.

Heavy Axeman: This class uses large Axes. They are the physically strongest class in the game.

Heavy Blade: A class that uses large Swords. They specialize in physical Stength and Accuracy but lack in Defense.

Long Arm: The character class that uses Spears. Specialized in Attack Speed.

Twin Blade: This class uses two Daggers. They are the most balanced class and have a high Hit Rate.

Wavemaster: A class that uses Staves. They are your typical Mages.


My Thoughts on the Characters

The character development for this game is like the storyline. Some characters you get an idea of what they are about and others you have no clue. Of course, it's like this because it is a 4 part game. But sometimes things happen with characters and all you have to say is, "Umm, ok." For example, the hacker Helba tells you where to go sometimes. You don't know why but you follow her instructions blindly. Or when you first meet Balmung. You think this guy is going to be more involved in the story. Nope. Gotta wait till you play the next games to find out. There are also other characters that you summon to join with you. They have throw away personalities but it's good to have some help on the battlefield. There's Mistral, a ditzy Wavemaster, Piros, the nerdy Heavy Axeman, Sanjuro, a Yojimbo loving Heavy Blade, Natsume, a friendly Twin Blade, Mia, the Blademaster that has the appearance of a cat, Elk, the Aromatic Grass(a Trade Item) craving Wavemaster, and Gardenia, the short tempered Long Arm. Each character isn't too special. Outside of BlackRose, no one is really too involved in Infection. They are just there to tag along. Two other characters I will comment on are Mia and Elk. They are always wanting a Trade Item called "Aromatic Grass." Seriously, you open a Treasure Chest and they ask if it contained Aromatic Grass. Are these people the stoners of the game? I would have rather perferred Cheech and Chong. Oh, and Kite's voice is garbage. It's some whiny little kid(and I think the voice actor is the same from Full Metal Alchemist; the brother that got turned into a steel knight or whatever). Imagine some epic scene where you need to put evil in its place and some pre-pubirty child squeeks the battle cry. LAME. And if you were hoping for a great villain, forget about it. Skeith just chases Aura and says nothing.

My Thoughts on the Classes

My rant about the Classes is that YOU CAN'T CHOOSE WHICH CLASS YOU ARE. You are stuck with the Twin Blade as Kite. I hate this class. It's too balanced. Not enough HP but not too little. And the damage you do is too low for me. No matter what weapon I use it seems that everyone else does more damage that I do. I hate it. This game would have been light years better if you could customize your character.

Characters Score: 5.0

Gameplay

Exploration: Infection is setup as an MMORPG. There are towns, or known in The World as "Root Towns"(the area you go to Save the game, Buy/Sell/Store Items, etc) Here you can access the "Chaos Gates." Chaos Gates are the device in which the player uses to enter a Field(the level you will battle through). They are compiled of a 3 word system. One word decides the difficulty and monster population, one decides the Element(Fire, Water, Thunder, Earth, Light, or Dark) and the other decides the Special Attributes(anything extra in a Field) that the Field will contain. Also in the Root Towns, you can interact with various NPCs. By talking to the NPCs, you will get a little dialogue and have the ability to Trade items with them. Fields contain locations known as Dungeons. Each Dungeon holds either Treasure or Bosses.

Combat: Infection uses a basic system. A character locks on to a target enemy by adjusting the camera angle and getting in close enugh proximity. Actions that can be used are Basic Attacks with weapons, Magic, Item selection, or the use of Data Drain(Kite's ability to change the Data of an enemy and transform them into items). Infection also uses a command for party control. For example, you can select a command to have the entire party use Skills or to Heal. Each character also has its own command control so you can have one character Attack and the other cast Magic.

Desktop: Infection features the use of a Desktop. On the Desktop, you can play The World, check e-mails that characters in the game will send you, check News stories detailing random events in the real world, change your background image and music, and save your Game Data. When The World is accessed, you have the choice of either Logging In or checking the "Board." The Board is a Forum in the game that gives hints and details about gameplay, leads you to new areas to explore and discusses random topics.

Goggles: The characters playing in The World, use a headset when they play. It allows them to view everything in a 3D Field.

My Thoughts on the Gameplay

This is the part the really hooks into me and keeps me glued to this game. The ability to select numerous Fields to battle through and explore is awesome. It's like a grinders dream. I will spend most of the time going to random locations just to see what I run into or what kind of treasure I can find. This is the part of the game that is addicting and is the strength behind it. I really enjoy trading Items with the NPCs. It can get repetitive. Once you've been to each type of Field, they all tend to look the same. Probably my biggest criticism for the gameplay. But I can manage to push through it and enjoy it immensely. As far as Combat goes, I have kind of a hard time getting my AI controlled party members to do what I want. The AI is actually kind of dumb and puts a dent in the gameplay. For example, I will be fighting a Fire-type monster and I will tell my party to Use Skills. Sometimes the dumbass will use a Fire-type attack or spell and DO NOTHING to the monster. You can Designate specific Skills for them to use but they only use it once. It is a nuisances. If not for that, then I would say the gameplay was perfect.

Gameplay Score: 8.5

Controls

Non-Combat

The X button: Talk, interact; basic action button.

The Square button: Brings up your Party Memembers screen. Here you can change their equipment.

The Triangle button: Brings up the Menu; use items, view status, etc.

The Circle button: Basic cancel button.

The R1 and L1 buttons: Adjust Camera Left and Right.

The L2 button: Change the camera view; thrid or first person.

The R2 button: Resets the camera to the default setting; right behind the character.

The Start button: Open the Options Menus; adjust volume, visuals, etc.

The Left Analog Stick & D-Pad: Moves the character.

The Right Analog Stick: Zooms the Camera In & Out

Combat

The X button: Attack with Weapon; basic action button.

The Square button: Brings up your Party Memembers screen. Here you can tell them what to do(Use Skills,

Heal, etc).

The Triangle button: Brings up the Menu; use items, view status, etc.

The Circle button: Basic cancel button.

The R1 and L1 buttons: Adjust Camera Left and Right.

The L2 button: Change the camera view; high or low.

The R2 button: Resets the camera to the default setting; right behind the character.

The Start button: Open the Options Menus; adjust volume, visuals, etc.

The Left Analog Stick & D-Pad: Moves the character.

The Right Analog Stick: Zooms the Camera In & Out

My Thoughts on the Controls

The controls are fine in Infection. Everything is very responsive. For example, you can use an Item on yourself and then immediately go back into the Menu Screen and use another Item. It is very user friendly. I guess my only criticism would be when you fight a monster that likes to flee or is really fast. You have to mess with the camera so you can get a fix on them. But that is the monster's advantage though.

Controls Score: 9.5

Grapics

The graphics are pretty good. It uses the PS2 to some good ability. Most of the graphics are in game and there are not many cutscenes. Nothing really looks confusing or glitched out. I like the way a lot of the characters look. There was great creativity in making their appearances. For example, Piros is a Heavy Axeman character. He looks like a giant mech but his head looks like Lloyd from Dumb and Dumber. You don't really get a polygon feel to everything but you can notice some of it. Like in the terrain. objects and some parts of the characters. But overall, it's not the best PS2 graphics but it is decent. Unless it is a story point, the character's mouths do not move when they speak which is kind of lame. But the best visual wonder are the Fields. From colorful and happy to dark and dismal. My favorite Fields are the ones that are covered in sand. Like a huge desert. You will come across gigantic seashells or rocks embedded with starfish. Very cool. The Dungeons are pretty lame though. Most look like copies of other Dungeons but just a different color. The cutscenes are great. Everything is smoothed up and it is what you would expect from the PS2.

Graphics Score: 8.0

Sound

The music is so-so in Infection. I really like the Root Town music. Most of it sounds like your classic MIDI RPG music. Some areas and events have a kind of Techno beat which gets really annoying after awhile. When you engage in Combat, the Music speeds up. It is aggravating hearing the tempo go up and down, up and down. As an overall Score, it's only mediocore. What boggles my mind is when some epic music starts playing during a story point and all you are doing is just talking. I don't need an orchestra busting out the best number it can perform when I'm just asking BlackRose which area she wants to explore. The music is out of place and isn't really one of the shining points to Infection. The Sound Effects are fine. There's never an annoying noise that pierces your ears. Like in Final Fantasy VII, the game would squeek when ever you selected something and it would drive me nuts. In Infection, selections have a slight melody to them instead of one high pitch noise. It is very comforting and doesn't make you dread accessing you Menus. But for the most part the Music and Sound are tolerable. It will not ruin your experience playing the game.

Sound Score: 6.0

Unique/Extra Features

Grunties: The animal and vehicle in Infection. There appear to be a mix between and Cow and a Pig. You raise them by collecting "Grunty Food." Grunty Food are found in Fields and Dungeons. Each one you collect will alter the raising cycle of a Grunty. There are various types of Grunty Food and determining on what type of area you are in will decide what type of Grunty Food will appear. When a Grunty is fully raised, you will have the ability to summon them when you are in Fields. They provide for faster travel. If you continue to raise Grutnies, they will become NPCs in Root Towns and you can Trade Items with them.

Sidequests: The sidequests that Infection provide are character based. They are optional and only have the goal of adding a new Perty Member to your roster. To obtain the characters, you have to fetch the item that they desire from a location.

Liminality: A Bonus Anime DVD that tells the story of Mai Minase(more at the end). Bonus Areas can be found by exploring the Liminality DVD and by watching it.

Continual Play: After you beat Infection, you can continue to play and explore the game.

My Thoughts on Unique/Extra Features

I think the Grunties are alright. Some of them can be annoying but it is very humorous when you ride them. Not too many sidequests in this game but to be honest, the game doesn't really need them. Since there are so many areas to explore, the game doesn't really need any additional quests. It kinda feels like you're making the sidequests by exploring different Fields. You get to decide when to grind and explore or move on with the game. Which I like a lot. I also enjoy how Liminality ties in with the game by showing you some bonus areas. Very cool. And the ability to keep playing after you beat the game makes sense. Seeing as how this game was released in 4 parts, you can still screw around and explore waiting for the next installment to come out. And the Anime DVD is really interesting(more details at the end).

Unique/Extra Features Score: 8.0

Replay Value

I'm just going to judge this based on the game itself and not the series, so the score will probably be unfair. Infection's Replay Value can only be accomplished if you are planning on playing all the games back to back. It wouldn't be a good game to Replay if this is the only one you are going to replay. Though I obviously has its appeal towards replay considering that I played it again. But I think the fact that you can keep playing the game after you beat it kind of helps replace the Replay value. I can only see someone replaying this game repeatedly if it was in 2003 and the other installments were not released yet. But once again, unless you are going to replay the whole series, then the game itself has little Replay Value.

Replay Value Score: 4.5


Overall/Final Thoughts

Like I said before, this game is a guilty pleasure of mine. I am somewhat ashamed to like it. When I first saw this game, I thought it looked fucking stupid. I laughed when I read about "playing a person playing a game." But then I played it and got hooked. It's a game you have to play in order to understand its appeal. I get so much shit from my friends for liking this game. And it makes me laugh. I mean, I don't even know if it is a good game or not. The gameplay and exploration is just so addicting and I like that part, but the story to solve some crisis of people going into comas by playing a Video Game is just totally ridiculous. Maybe I just have the ability to look past it and focus on grinding and exploring. But Infection was a pretty unique game. I don't believe any other game is setup like Infection is. A game within a game. Would I recommend this game to anyone? Maybe. It would depend on what type of gamer they are. Like, if they are in to RPGs and Anime, then I would recommend it. That's another weird thing about me and this whole .hack game obsession. I HATE THE ANIME. I think the Anime is so god awful and is a joke. But I enjoy the game. I don't know, don't ask me.

Overall Rating: 7.0

.hack//Liminality Part 1: In the Case of Mai Minase

A quick overview. I won't give you the professional version like I tried with the game. Basically this chick named Mai is playing The World with her boyfriend. They both explore an area and encounter some events that aren't supposed to happen. Both then hear some weird, high pitched noise and colapse. Mai wakes up and sees that her boyfriend is in a coma. She is then confronted Junichiro Tokuoka a former CC Corp employee. Together they investigate the stange issues that is happening with The world.

My Thoughts on Liminality

I think it's kinda cool. A great bonus with a game is a show explaining what's happening outside of the game. A nice little bonus. The animation is really good, and the story is a basic .hack story. Person falls into a coma and you have to play a Video Game to find out why. What a load of shit. But a nice little something extra nonetheless.
 
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