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Jan 14th, 2008 at 00:12:23 - .Hack Infection (PS2) |
Final Gameplay Thoughts:
In the final 45 minutes of play I noticed the storyline speed up. I found myself at the final boss much faster than I am used to with games. In one aspect this was a big disappointment because of how enjoyable the game was for me. However, I believe this was actually a very nice decision on the developers part. By having the last part of the game speed up in pace it increased the sense of urgency and actually got me stressed out a bit.
An important part for me in my experience playing a game is how fun the final boss is to fight and the difficulty of the boss. The final boss in Infection was definitely a fun final boss. Skeith ( The boss ) constantly made it a struggle to keep your characters at top strength. Occasionally if you are unlucky enough Skeith will data drain on of your characters which gives them like every status effect known in the game. I found that frustrating but a good frustrating. I believe final bosses should be frustrating otherwise where is the challenge?
DESIGN:
innovation
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I found a few things innovative about this game, including the fact the game is a game within a game. You act a character who is playing a game. Through this they were able to create a simulated MMORPG which I found very interesting to play. The idea of a virus infecting the game inside the game and its effect on the "real life" individuals who played that game also was quite innovative. The virus is a thought provoking ideal. I kept asking myself, What if this actually happened?
level design
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The level design of the game was unfortunately repetitive unless there was a special event going on in the game. Unlike most of the MMORPGs i have played the simulated MMORPG in .hack//infection was extremely extremely simple in the level design department. Most of the areas you fight in are similar to others in the game. The only difference is the occasional color change and the randomization of where monsters appear and the layout of the dungeons. It didn't really greatly decrease the enjoyment of the game but I would've preferred it to have been more of a variety.
cutscene use
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The cutscenes were used perfectly in this game. It was mainly the use of the cutscenes and the shift in pace that made the storyline of the game enticing. The developers were able to accurately emulate the sense of duality that exists in conversations in MMORPGs. People could be talking about their real lives or their life in the game and the cutscenes in infection really captured that feel. The use of a storyline that both covered the in game MMORPG world and the in game real world also made me think about the correlations in our world. It made me think about how much MMOs can actually effect someone's real life if you can't distinguish that clearly between reality and virtuality.
Overall
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Overall I thoroughly enjoyed .Hack//Infection and can't help but begin to start the next in the series.
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Jan 13th, 2008 at 22:51:47 - .Hack Infection (PS2) |
SUMMARY:
.Hack//Infection throws you into a simulate MMORPG known as "The World". You control a character known as Kite whose friend has invited him to play "The World." Throughout the game Kite and his friends try to figure out the mystery of a strange virus that is infecting the game and has caused Kite's friend to enter into a coma. The gameplay is designed specifically to emulate the feel of being in a MMORPG and makes the game a fresh perspective on the RPG game genre.
GAMEPLAY:
In the beginning the gameplay didn't quite grab me because the control scheme is extremely simple. It causes you to button mash the same button over and over again and can get quite boring in this aspect. But as I got further into the game I began to overlook this annoying feature of the game due to the appealing characters. The characters just like the rest of the game really do closely emulate other players in a MMORPG. Having played many MMORPGs I find the emulation of the experience remarkable.
As a computer game design major, the storyline of infection really appealed to me. The idea of a virus that infects the game and causes harm to the real life players makes me stop and ask myself if this could eventually happen with the rapid development of technology and the game industry.
The cinematics in the game were used extremely well and drew me into the plight of the main character. I found myself emotionally involved in the quest to find a way to cure Orca/Yasuhiko ( Kite's friend who is in a coma due to the virus ). I also found it entertaining that the game and the idea of the virus is based on a poetic piece known as "The Epitaph of Twilight" by Emma Wieland. Now whether or not this piece was created for the game or it has existed outside of it I do not know. I look forward to finishing this first installment in the series.
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