Reviews .hack//Outbreak[PS2]

Tom Badguy

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.hack//Outbreak
Developed by: CyberConnect2
Published by: Bandai Games
US Release Date: September 9th, 2003
Platform: Playstation 2

Intro

.hack//Outbreak is the third(out of 4) in the .hack game series. Review notes: Some information maybe the same from my Mutation and Infection reviews(like the Controls section). New revisions that were left out of the other reviews will be added and indicated with Updated. Also, the Characters section will be slightly changed including details of what the characters are doing in this game versus the others and will, of course, include my take of the characters in this game. I am hoping that by the time I get to the 4th game, my review of the entire series will be at 100%. This game will be referred to as Outbreak in this review. Like the other games, Outbreak came with a Bonus DVD and will be covered in the review as well.

Story

Recap from Infection


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.


Recap from Mutation


Mutation continues where Infection leaves off. Kite continues his search for the cause of Orca's medical condition. Accompanied by his new friend, BlackRose(a girl that joined Kite since the beginning), the two find themselves encountered with an administrator of The World named Lios. Lios warns our heroes to stop investigating and meddling with their current affairs. When they are threatened to be deleted, the hacker Helba arrives to adivise Lios that it is impossible to delete Kite from The World. Instead of deleting Kite, Lios employs him to search the world for more clues and information. During Kite's investigation, he encounters more players, Databugs(monsters in The World that have been corrupted and can only be defeated by using Data Drain) and several run ins with Balmung(a powerful character in The World that was also friends with Orca), who is on his own quest to discover the secrets of The World. Further investigation leads Kite to find Corrupted NPC data. These are NPC characters from older versions of The World that have not been completly deleted; also know as "Trash Data." Continued mystery and unsolved riddles accompany Kite and his gang as he furthers his search to help his friend and the many others that have suffered from playing, The World.


Outbreak dives deeper in depth with what The World is about and its past origins. The creator of The World, Harald Hoerwick, took the design and idea from the "The Book of Twilight." Everything happening in the game is running simultaneously with the story. The events, the mysterious medical comas, everything. Kite continues his quest for answers and forms an alliance with Balmung. They agree to work together and find the answers to all the mayhem happening in The World. Kite also discovers the purpose for BlackRose's desire to help him as there reasons are very similiar. Kite and his gang are approached once again by the hacker, Helba, and an information guru, Wiseman. Together, then try to put the pieces together. Helba and Wiseman explain that the effects happening in The World seem to resemble an event that happens in The Book of Twilight called "The Wave," a supernatural occurance that threatens to destroy everything. During their planning, they are also joined by the system admin, Lios. Everyone finds out that even though The World is suffering and corrupting, the real world is facing technilogical danger of its own. With everyone united, Kite and his crew continue their journey to revive the coma victims and save The World.

My Thoughts: Storyline

One word; better. This game throws me off right from the get go. Why? Because of how the game begins, with MASSIVE story and dialogue. Finally, character development and maybe a reason to care a little. The game starts going to from, "oh no, our game is being ruined!" to, "shit just got real, now the ACTUAL world is suffering consequences." This game just comes out of the gate and answers questions I wanted to know. You get the story of why BlackRose follows you around(at last!), you get a chunk of info on Helba and now you find out that the corruption in The World has broken its shell into the real world. Some annoyances though. The story part of the game is TOO FUCKING SHORT. Big issues are now happening, problems are becomning more intense, but the it is too short and you get through it too quick. I know they had to span it over 4 games but I think more effort could have been put into the story. I really want to get into it but the game barely taps the resource of something that could be put into so much more description and depth. I really like that problems are occuring in the outside world and not just in the game. I think out of all the story plots from this game, this one grabs my attention the most. I just wish they would go in more depth then just stupid News articles you read at the Desktop. Another thing. So the story was more interesting than Mutation but falls short due to it being short.

Storyline Score: 7.7

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. He is gifted with the ability to change character data(Data Drain) and to hack Portected areas in The World. He joins Helba, Lios, Balmung, and Wiseman in a collaboration to solve and cure the effects of 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. Her story is revealed on why she helps Kite and they find that paths are not so different.

Helba: A hacker that randomly helps Kite throughout the game. She is the guardian of a place called, "Net Slum." An area where Trash Data reside. Helba holds knowledge on The Book of Twilight and uses it to predict what is to come in The World.

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. Balmung joins Kite and the others in a group formed to stop the corruption of The World from spreading.

Lios: A System Admin in The World. He employs Kite to investigate all the problems in the game. He is known to be pig-headed and hopes to end all of the commotion and get all the issues in The World resolved. Lios joins Kite's cause in helping him and the others fix the problems in The World.

Wiseman: A player that holds information on The Epitaph of Twilight. Wiseman uses his vast knowledge on the Book of Twilight to help Helba predict what the future of The World will bring.

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: Characters:

Outbreak finally offers character development. BlackRose's mission and desire are revealed, more information is provided about Helba and you really get to see the relationship(not implying that they are together) between Kite and BlackRose take light. Every main character in the game become more serious which makes what is happening more believeable(which isn't saying much). You almost start to care about what is happening to them. Except for the fucking character you're playing, Kite. Seriously. What the fuck does this kid do with his spare time? Does he play this game 24/7? Or is the idea that when I'm not playing, Kite isn't either? I mean, you get NO background info on Kite at all. Except that he is in 8th grade and based on his E-mails in the game, really likes Steak and Beef Stew. What the hell? This really dawned on me when playing Outbreak. The main character, the one I'm playing as, is the least interesting character in the entire game. Balmung is a close second. What the FUCK is the point of having this character? He does nothing. He's just extra fodder for the enemies you fight. No major reason has been revealed to why he even gets to be a part of the adventure. And on one quest, YOU HAVE TO USE HIM. God, I HATE this fucking character! Like in the previous installments, you get another character to use(besides that douche, Balmung). Terajima Ryoko, a Heavy Axman that has ANOTHER HIGH PITCHED, SQUEAKY, EAR RAPING VOICE. And she's the most useless character you recruit. Why? Because you get her in the 3rd game and starts at LEVEL 12. So automatically, I refuse to use her. But wait, she has a quest you can do. FUCK! A part from her and Balmung(that jerkfuck, I really hate this guy), the characters seem to have more purpose and are actually, somewhat, developed. I found it refreshing to at least get SOME insight to these people. But the fact that the main character has no life whatsoever and no back story, makes me scratch me head.

Characters Score: 6.0

Gameplay Updated

Exploration: Outbreak 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). Root Towns change based on what "Server" you are in. There are 5 Servers in all and Outbreak allows access to 4 of them(3 in Mutation, 2 in Infection). 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. Example, if you are in the Theta Server, then the area would look something like this: Theta - Capricious Unending Corridor. 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.

Gate Hacking: Through out the game, some areas you attempt to enter will be "Protected." Items called "Virus Cores" must be used in order to access these areas. In order to get Virus Cores, you must use Data Drain on enemies. Once the correct ammount of Virus Cores are collected, the areas are accessible.

Combat: Outbreak 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). Data Drain can be used whenever an enemy is hit enough times(this will be displayed by the words "Protect Break"). Be cautious; if Data Drain is used enough times it can lead to Death. Outbreak 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. Magic includes Elemental attacks, Heal spells and Buff and Nerf abilities.

Experience and Levels: Outbreak is based on the common RPG leveling system. A player gains levels that increase Stats(Strength, Defense, etc.) by defeating enemies and gaining EXP(Experience Points). Every level is increased by earning 1,000 EXP. Outbreak has a system developed that presets the amount of experience earned based on the character's Level. For example, if your difference in Level compared to the monster is 10 levels higher, then you will earn minimum EXP for defeating that monster. If the difference in your Level compared to the monster is 10 levels lower, then you will earn more EXP.

Desktop: Outbreak 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.

FMD Goggles: (FMD = Face Mounted Display)The characters playing in The World, use a headset when they play. It allows them to view everything in a 3D Field and talk to other players in The World. The goggles are attached to a controller which is used to play.

My Thoughts: Gameplay

This game is fucking HARD. Once again(as in Mutation), you are given access to a new Server and everyone has new equipment you're drooling to trade for. I thought Mutation was a "constant struggle." It ain't got shit on Outbreak. Dear lord. The difficulty in this game made me want to throw it against the wall. After my first sit down with the game, I dreaded it. The monsters are too strong and can do WAAAAY too much shit and do WAAAAY too much damamge. I mean, I find myself healing and reviving and buffing more then I thought I would. I even went as far as looking online for helpful tips thinking I was missing something. Nope. The consensus I saw was that the game is just hard. Period. Now it's not that I hate a challenge, but at least balance it out. Don't just chuck it in my face and say suck it down. Though as I got about half way through the game and gained more Levels, the game started to show me some mercy. I got my strategy down, which is basically buff your stats with items as much as possible and have a Wavemaster in your party that does all the healing. I had a much easier time when I got this down. Once again, the boss battles were tamed and were actually a relief to fight versus the normal enemies. Everything else was pretty much the same. One complaint I have outside of Combat would be the design of the new Server's Root Town. It's really spread out and I got bored walking from store to store. You move somewhat slowly. It got tedious FAST and made it my least favorite Root Town. If the difficulty wasn't so damn hard through 3/4 the game I would have been as pleased with it as the others. But it did make me not want to play the game, and that is pretty bad. It took the one thing that I felt made these games and turned it into more of a gut-wrentching experience. But, it still had the hook and I still grinded for levels. Though I feel the hook starting to loosen.

Gameplay Score: 7.0

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

Controls Score: 9.5

Graphics

Outbreak finally gives you some more to look at. There are more scenes with dialogue and more cutscenes showcasing certain events and monsters. It utilizes more cutscenes with smoother GFX rather then the basic in game scenes. They look great. Though a big change is the scenary in the Root Towns and the Fields. Everything is corrupted so all the objects have tears or distorted colors filled with 0s and 1s. It gets annoying and kind of ruins the feel of the game. Like in the Fields, for instance. I really enjoyed looking around at the crazy shit and amazing colors, but since everything has, what I like to call, the "Corruption Decor," it ruins it for me. Instead of taking my time in Fields, I would head straight for the objective instead of taking in the visuals. It was just an eye sore and, in my opinion, just a bad idea. I always liked the visuals in these games but Outbreak chucks them away.

Graphics Score: 7.0

Sound:

Outbreak doesn't dissapoint in its Music...meaing that it is the same garbage from its previous installments. The same crap. Nothing stands out, nothing gets you into the game, nothing helps the mood, same boring shit. I suggest muting the BGM in the game and just play the Final Fantasy VII soundtrack off your computer. Makes the game much more enjoyable. And with the addition of the Ryoko, Axeman, bitch, you will be serenaded with the squeaks of a dumb cunt that had her panties wedgied WAAAAY too high. Thank god I can listen to Spike Speigel, I mean, Wiseman, counter the balance between good voice acting and god awful voice acting. Oh but wait, lets not forget Kite's influencial speech. He is the leader after all. He must give some great speech to raise everyone's spirits and get them ready to do battle....or you end up getting a child depleting your morale with a monologue filled with "Ums" and Uhs." I don't want to hear that shit. Kite sounds like the love child of Kermit the Frog and Barry White. It's somewhat deep yet something about it makes you want to rip out his vocal chords.

Sound Score: 5.5

Unique/Extra Features Updated

Grunties: The animal and vehicle in Mutation. They appear to be a mix between a 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 Grunties, they will become NPCs in Root Towns and you can Trade Items with them. You can raise different types of Grunties. A message on the Board indicates that once each type of Grunty is raised in every Server, you can take part in the "Flag Races." Since only 4 Servers are available in Outbreak, you can not participate yet. There is a new addition on what Grunties can do in Outbreak. When you are on the Field, you can summon a Grunty and have it lead you to Magic Portals, grunty food or the Dungeon.

Sidequests: The sidequests that Outbreak provided 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. When a character is recruited, you will be able to accompany them in future quests as the stroy progresses. These sidequests will result in obtaining special items or equipment.

Images/BGM/Movies: Throughout Outbreak, you have the ability to unlock more Images, BGM and Movies that can viewed from your Desktop.

Ryu Books: There are 8 Ryu Books in Outbreak(and Mutation, Infection). They are obtained by using Data Drain a specific ammount of times. These books are Key items that collect data, more specifically, the number of times you perform a certain act(ex: Enemies found, trades made, portals opened, levels completed, etc). You can use these Books in Root Towns. By using them, you can unlock Images, BGM and Movies that can be viewed on your Desktop.

E-Mails: Throughout Outbreak, you can communicate with any character you recruited via E-mail on your Desktop. You can reply with three pre determined messages.

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

Continual Play: After you beat Outbreak, you can continue to play and explore the game. Bonus areas are also unlocked upon completing the game.

My Thoughts: Unique/Extra Features

Not much is added in Outbreak compared to the previous installments. But first, let me discuss the Ryu Books(since I didn't before). I like them. They add a few extra things to do and are fun if you are a completionist. I like some of the Images you can unlock though I tend to ignore the BGM and I never watch the Movies again. The only new addition in Outbreak is that Grunties are more helpful on the field. I usually use the one that finds the dungeon for me, but that's it. A good feature but something that should have been there since Infection. And, of course, there is NO FUCKING GRUNTY RACING. The only thing I can think of is that it will only be available in the next installment or I'm doing something wrong. I don't even think I care enough to play it whenever the fucking get to. Oh, and Kite continues his runs of "I'm a big dumb fuck and I don't know a god damn thing" in his E-mails. Even the extra area you get after beating the game isn't as cool as the others. The extra features take a backseat in Outbreak. Though, the DVD was the most interesting one yet so not too much is sucked out.

Unique/Extra Features Score: 7.0

Replay Value

Once again, not really any Replay Value. The story is too far along and isn't good enough to be like, "I just want to replay this part." I wouldn't suggest replaying this game. I would start from the beginning(as I have stated in both previous reviews). I would even say that the replay value is lower than the other two games just because it is so far along in the story. Maybe it is unfair since it is a 4 part game series, but at least they still have the Continual Play.

Replay Value: 4.0

Overall/Final Thoughts

Outbreak is kind of weird to put my finger on. I enjoyed the story much more than then other two games but I did not enjoy the Gameplay as much. And just like Mutation, is was too damn short. The story has SO MUCH it can expand on and it refuses to. It keeps it simple and straight to the point. So much more could have been done with this game. Though I took what I could get and was happy when some development in characters was FINALLY introduced. Does it really take THREE GAMES just to do that? As for the Combat, fuck it. Too damn hard. I did not have near as much fun as the other installments. The monsters are too powerful and at some points come in too many numbers. I mean, it made me not want to play it. Out of all the games so far, I have not experienced this. I wanted to take the damn game out of my PS2 and chuck it out the window. These games need to ease you into it not chuck you to the wolves. But you have to play it to get the full story. Outbreak got me more interested in the story but less interested in its Gameplay. There's no balance. It's either one or the other. So overall, it is an unbalanced game but a necessity if you want the whole story. I would have to pick Mutation and Infection over Outbreak.

Overall Rating: 6.7

.hack//Liminality Part 3: In the Case of Kyoko Tohno

So basically Tokuoka meets this chick, Kyoko, is a town in the country. They are told that they will be contacted by the hacker, Hebla and must follow clues to find the meeting spot. They exchange their fears and worries and take in the local history and day to day life of the town to help them find their location. They are approached by Helba's aid, Bith the Black, and discuss what is to be done about The World and what Helba can do to help.

My Thoughts: Liminality

The most interesting one so far. It has good animation and the setting is done pretty well. It kind of bothers me that the whole episode seems to be one long history lesson about a town I have never heard of and will never go to. But besides from that, it is well drawn and well written.
 
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