First off, if you haven’t played any of the .hack/G.U. action RPG series, you may have to take a quick course on the previous two episodes — Rebirth and Reminisce — because the plot of this franchise has gotten so deep that just diving into the third and final installment, .hack/G.U/ Redemption, may leave many in the dust as to just what the heck is going on.
The title starts out with an intro of what has led up to the present circumstances in the game; the real world is being invaded by the virtual world. But without a good understanding of the past plots, motivation of characters, and even the basics of what you are actually required to do in the game, much of the intro makes no real sense.
Redemption repeats the basic battle system found in the previous games, how you navigate around "The World," which is the fictional MMORPG that has become the game of choice in the future, and all the various characters and gameplay. To change up things a bit, Redemption has added new areas to visit, new arena battles, new Awakening powers, a way to hack into new places and the ability to evolve in order to use new powers for fighting.
Playing Redemption was sort of a good news/bad news experience. It was nice to be in the virtual setting of "The World" again but I was also disappointed that it was basically the same sort of gaming experience as in the previous editions. There are a few tweaks to change things around, but only the real hardcore G.U. fan will appreciate these nuances. For real hardcore fans of .hack anime show, you’ll be treated to the sixth episode of .hack/ROOTS.
I’ve always liked the battle graphics of the .hack/G.U. series and although they seem to be a little dated by the third installment, I still enjoy the pyrotechnics of pulling off special Rengeki, Demon or Awakening skills. It’s still rather tedious fighting the baddies in the never ending dungeons that you must go through, but that’s the game. The voice acting is still the same with the sometimes over-the-top anime-like acting and the background music and sound effects remain true to the series.
.hack/G.U. sets itself apart from most RPGs in that the battles take place in real time. As you stealthily sneak up on your opponents (if that is what you want to do) you enter battle immediately and fight your opponents with your selection of weapons. In the ensuing fight, you have at your disposal a number of skill moves which add extra power to your attacks. The rest of the gameplay mimics the other games in that you find yourself in various quests and side missions to accomplish. Unlike the Final Fantasy series, which tries to vary each of their games in style and game mechanics, the .hack/G.U. series remains basically static.
In many ways, the .hack/G.U. trilogy feels like an extended video game running from volume one all the way to volume 3 instead of three separate titles. For those hooked on the .hack/G.U. series, you’ll want to buy this. You’ll get some slight improvements in gameplay, you can transfer your old saved data from the last volume into Redemption, and you’ll finally understand and have closure on the various main and subplots of the story. For newcomers, the experience of .hack/G.U. vo/.3/ Redemption may be a nice change of pace if you catch up on what has transpired before, but unlike what they claim, you can’t just hop in and play it on its own.
