"Welcome to The World"

.hack//GU volume 1//Rebirth is a new chapter in an already massive series that has spanned video games, anime, manga, and novels. The series revolves around a fictional MMORPG called "The World." In GU, the old version of the game has been replaced with a new and improved one. Not only does this play into the story, but provides room for drastic improvements in the gameplay that was heavily criticized in the previous games.

Story: 10/10

The storyline in .hack has always been interesting and addictive, leaving the viewer/reader/player wondering and guessing as to the source of all the events taking place and what will happen next, compelling them to continue it. The only drawback about the story in this game is that while the surface story stands on its own well enough, newcomers to the series might not understand the deeper meanings and references in it. There are several characters from other parts of the series that return, and former enemies play a large role.

Gameplay: 9/10

The gameplay is simply wonderful this time around. In the previous games, there were a lot of tedious and repetitive battles and dungeon explorations. While the repetitive dungeons have returned, it is not noticeable due to the wonderfully redone battle system. Battles in this game are fun and involved, truly giving the feel of an action RPG.

The game goes a long way to simulate an actual MMORPG. You get involved with guilds, trade with other players, sell items in your guild shop, read e-mails and the news, browse message boards, and take on bizarre side-quests that mean absolutely nothing to the story. One drawback in the game is a very limited selection of party members. There is also lag in the game from time to time (and it is not lag purposefully put in there to simulate MMORPGs).

Graphics: 8/10

There is nothing to complain about in the graphics, and they have been improved from the other games, but at the same time, there's nothing outstanding about them. They look good and get the job done, but you won't sit there thinking about how stunning and beautiful the designs are.

Music and Sound: 10/10

Music in .hack has always been excellent and captivating. .hack//GU carries on the tradition with a wonderful soundtrack. The music does so much to convey emotion behind the events taking place.

Play time and replayability: 8/10

One huge complaint about the previous .hack games was how short they were, and to get the full experience, you had to buy all four. Well, once again the play time is much shorter than an average game, and you have to buy the rest of the series to get the entire story, but GU is definitely a good deal longer than its predecessors. After beating the game, the player can spend time powering up in preparation for the next volume.

Some people might enjoy a second playthrough to try and catch details they did not notice before, as is quite possible in .hack, but the typical player should be satisfied after one play-through.

Final Recommendation: Buy

The game comes in a regular version and for a limited time a special edition that comes with a figurine of the main character and a second disk that recaps the previous games and explains a lot of GU's back-story. The special edition is definitely worth the extra money to get it, but the regular version is fine too if it can not be found.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 11/01/06