.hack//GU is a game that takes place between and after the anime series .hack//Roots, It is also linked to the first 4 games released on the PS2 back in 2002. This is a treat for fans and for newcomers to the series as it expands past the 3rd disk. You get all three games bundled opposed to buying them all seperately.

The Graphics are pretty dated but slightly enhanced for the HD remake, The game has it's own little charm but suffers from the common overly reused graphics syndrome. You will find many enemy reskins and most maps are just randomlly generated with slight alterations. Despite this, it really holds up very well. It kinda does bother me when characters are talking and the game decides to cut in for only a few seconds only to show characters doing something subtle like a hand gesture or a simple mouth movement. I don't remember if this was the case on the PS2 version as it has been a while since I have played it.

(Spoilers here)
Story is pretty interesting, simply put you are playing a game that goes skynet and puts people all around "The World" into a comatose.(Pun intended) This boi Tri-Edge slaps your girl's butt and you aren't about to take that and end up getting your face smacked to the floor so hard you go back to level 1. Later on you go on to solve the mysteries of Tri-Edge and come across best girl. Eventually you save the world from a deadly MMO that was still allowed to continue running despite the cultural backlash and almost dumping a can of whoopass all over the planet.
(End Spoilers)

The soundtrack is really good, it was composed by the same person who did the previous games and you can tell Chikayo ♥♥♥♥♥♥ has only gotten better with age.

The Combat works like this, you engage into a battle which creates a ring in which you fight enemies. The increased fps has caused some issues from its former PS2 varient in which tap weapons require a weird timing that its almost better to just use charge attacks. You will have access to 5 different weapons each with their own style of gameplay and each weapon can be used mid battle depending how you setup your skill triggers. It's pretty straight forward and the game is by no means difficult if you lose in battle it's probably only because you are underleveled as enemies damage seems to stagnate to oneshot levels otherwise.

Mechanically the game gets extremely repetitive and leveling becomes ridiculously easy, I don't by any means think its a bad game. If you are looking for a mindless game then play .hack//GU because its still quite fun. Menus are easily navigated and there is memoir section if you forget what you need to do. Party Members you want may not always be available due to how the story progresses. Armor and Weapons can be rigged to insanely overpowered levels but this has always been the case since the PS2 version. You get a little mini desktop that you can decorate and play a idle mini game called Crimson VS which plays itself as you play the game. Lots of lore and flavortext to be found on the pretend online fourms and news of the outside world of the game located in the news section.

Is this game worth playing? Yes, if you are a fan of the series otherwise find another game because you will probably be bored out of your mind.

.hack//GU is a game that takes place between and after the anime series .hack//Roots, It is also linked to the first 4 games released on the PS2 back in 2002. This is a treat for fans and for newcomers to the series as it expands past the 3rd disk. You get all three games bundled opposed to buying them all seperately. The Graphics are pretty dated but slightly enhanced for the HD remake, The game has it's own little charm but suffers from the common overly reused graphics syndrome. You will find many enemy reskins and most maps are just randomlly generated with slight alterations. Despite this, it really holds up very well. It kinda does bother me when characters are talking and the game decides to cut in for only a few seconds only to show characters doing something subtle like a hand gesture or a simple mouth movement. I don't remember if this was the case on the PS2 version as it has been a while since I have played it. (Spoilers here) Story is pretty interesting, simply put you are playing a game that goes skynet and puts people all around "The World" into a comatose.(Pun intended) This boi Tri-Edge slaps your girl's butt and you aren't about to take that and end up getting your face smacked to the floor so hard you go back to level 1. Later on you go on to solve the mysteries of Tri-Edge and come across best girl. Eventually you save the world from a deadly MMO that was still allowed to continue running despite the cultural backlash and almost dumping a can of whoopass all over the planet. (End Spoilers) The soundtrack is really good, it was composed by the same person who did the previous games and you can tell Chikayo Fukuda has only gotten better with age. The Combat works like this, you engage into a battle which creates a ring in which you fight enemies. The increased fps has caused some issues from its former PS2 varient in which tap weapons require a weird timing that its almost better to just use charge attacks. You will have access to 5 different weapons each with their own style of gameplay and each weapon can be used mid battle depending how you setup your skill triggers. It's pretty straight forward and the game is by no means difficult if you lose in battle it's probably only because you are underleveled as enemies damage seems to stagnate to oneshot levels otherwise. Mechanically the game gets extremely repetitive and leveling becomes ridiculously easy, I don't by any means think its a bad game. If you are looking for a mindless game then play .hack//GU because its still quite fun. Menus are easily navigated and there is memoir section if you forget what you need to do. Party Members you want may not always be available due to how the story progresses. Armor and Weapons can be rigged to insanely overpowered levels but this has always been the case since the PS2 version. You get a little mini desktop that you can decorate and play a idle mini game called Crimson VS which plays itself as you play the game. Lots of lore and flavortext to be found on the pretend online fourms and news of the outside world of the game located in the news section. Is this game worth playing? Yes, if you are a fan of the series otherwise find another game because you will probably be bored out of your mind.