System: PS2
Dev: CyberConnect 2
Pub: Namco Bandai
Release: May 8, 2007
Players: 1
ESRB Rating: Teen
Preview by Matthew Walker

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Review Rating Legend
1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
2.5 - 2.9 = Average
3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
3.5 - 3.9 = Good
4.0 - 4.4 = Great
4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
5.0 = The Best

A vast immersive world grown right under our noses.
by Matthew Walker

April 4, 2007 - When was the last time you were on the edge of your seat at the end of a video game? I am not talking about the edge of your seat because you have slaved over the game and, finally, here you are at the end. No, I am talking about how you feel when you are so high with anticipation that you can hardly stand it and, as the ending is granting you your reward, you stop and ask yourself, where does it end?

Before those words even finish in your head, the game has ended. You are left wondering exactly what happened and the only thing you can do is re-watch the ending. Well if you played .hack//G.U. Vol. 1: Rebirth, then chances are you are anticipating the latest installment in to the .hack//G.U. trilogy. Well, the wait is almost over. In about a month we will be able to load our save file, and reenter The World once more.

Reminisce, much like the previous .hack games, will take place in the video game reality The World, more specifically - The World: Revision Two. This "new" world is a lawless fantasy world which has become something of a safe haven for the player killers. Everything seems to be fine, at least until Reminisce gets underway. The gamers in the world face a serious problem; they cannot log out. They have become a part of the game, living through The World instead of their real world counterparts. The administration of the game provides no information for the detrimental bug in the game. Therefore, the player killers decide to "slaughter" anything in the way, thinking that if they find the ones responsible for this hack, they will then revert back to the real world.

You will be taking the role of Haseo whose history in the game will be displayed in a lengthy opening sequence, both to refresh the memories of returning players and for the players new to the .hack//G.U. series. There will also be returning favorites to the series as well as new potential party members to aide you in your quests.

Even though the game carries no online capabilities, .hack//G.U. does a convincing job of making you believe you are in a MMO world. The NPCs have such a vast array of personalities, and they also come off as people that might want to kill your character rather than help you out. These NPCs are the ones who have obviously spent more time in the game than in the real world. This is to not say that there will not be NPCs who will go out of their way to help you. There might even be an occasional "girl" you run into that will tell you she is a guy repeatedly in order to ward off any potential suitors.

A lot of the beginning of the game has been designed to re-familiarize yourself with the series. Of course, you will be spending a lot of time watching cutscenes that involve a lot of talking, but it is part of experience. More importantly, you will be able to use this to your advantage, especially if you do not have a save file from the first game to face off against low-level adversaries before completing certain quests to proceed with the story. Of course, having a character at level 40 right from the get go will be nice for those that do have a save file before they start the game. In addition to the level 40 advantage, players will also have access to the steam bike from the beginning.

The gameplay does not appear like it will have any vastly different mechanics with the exception of being able to change weapons on the fly. You will also have a new "Awakening" power as well as new fighting styles in the Avatar Battles. The rest of the games main mechanics are still unison with Rebirth. The real appeal to keeping the system similar to its predecessor is that it reminds fans why they loved that game in the first place, while making it equally inviting to the new hopeful fans.

The trailers and screenshots represent the feel of the game instantly. We can expect the same type of graphics from the first installment in this trilogy with a few tweaks here and there. The music for the trailer also represents how the musical side to the game will be, hopefully. Only time will tell. Good thing we only have a month left to go.

If you played Rebirth and did not like it, then you probably will not like this one either. However, you might want to give it another shot once Reminisce hits in May. In a growing RPG market that continuously blurs the lines between traditional and innovative, .hack//G.U. Vol. 2: Reminisce is set to remind us why we love RPGs that take a risk on the tried and true formula. Check back at CCC to find out our final take on the second part in the trilogy.

By Matthew Walker
CCC Freelance Writer

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