.hack//G.U. vol. 2//Reminisce

"Become Stronger"

Overview: A continuation of the many .Hack series, .Hack//G.U. Vol 2// Reminisce is the second in a three volume series. The story is about a 17 year old boy named Haseo who is a regular player in the online MMO 'The World.'
In .Hack//Reminisce Haseo has defeated 'Tri-edge' the legendary PK that puts players into a coma, and is still looking for a way to bring the one he cares about, Shino, out of a Coma, who was placed in comatose after being PKed (player killed) by Tri-Edge. Haseo's journey to save his friends will only bring him down a path where the stakes are high, high enough to lose everything.

Gameplay: The battle system for Reminisce is very similar, in fact, almost exactly the same as the previous volume. Which is to be expected from a .Hack series game. Still, that doesn't stop it from being fun in and of itself. Though the battle system isn't the most addictive type of gameplay, it's still fun and takes a long time to get bored of. It's not the best I've ever experienced, but it's most certainly not the worst either. The bike implication and modification is a brilliant idea that only adds to the gameplay experience. While CC Corp keeps giving us mini-game upon mini-game and quest upon quest, it seems that the third volume will only be a perfection of .Hack. All and all, I give the current gameplay a 8/10

Story: The story of Haseo and his ventures through The World is compiled brilliantly throughout the game. While the story itself is a little repetative of the previous .hack series in the sense that players are placed in Comas doesn't mean that it doesn't have anything new to provide. The theme of .Hack reminisce only seems to deepen the myseries of .Hack in general but we all have high hopes that Volume three will bring light to the many myseries clouding the relm of The World. .Hack Reminisce story is very engaging and is worthy of being a sequel to a previously awesome volume. I give it a 9.5/10

Graphics: The shade sytle graphics implemented in this game have been tightened up and only add to the effect of G.U.'s atmosphere. While it doesn't bring the most detail, it fits the games type and genre better than anything I could personally think of. The way the game is utalized with the graphics make it a work of art, as well as a brilliantly designed video game. A well earned 9/10

Length: Yeah, I'm giving length it's own catagory becuase I think it's equally important in a RPG. It's the flaw of .Hack reminisce, as well as Rebirth. It only lasts a few days and can be beaten in one if you try hard enough. It's a little disappointing becuase the story is so engaging, you dont want to wait 5-6 more months to finish the story. While it does last a decent while longer with all the extras at the end of the game I'm afraid the length of the game only earns a 7/10

Replay Value: Very high, this game just draws you back in with ease. Even the post game events are worth your time, an easy 8/10

Reviewer's Score: 8/10, Originally Posted: 05/21/07