A look at .hack//G.U. Vol. 2: Reminisce

By Dan Zuccarelli . April 27, 2007 . 12:23pm

Namco Bandai recently gave us a look into what we can expect with the upcoming .hack//G.U. Vol.2, the follow-up to the extremely interesting .hack//G.U. Vol.1. In short we can look forward to more of the same stuff we liked about the first game with a few new additions laid on top. Let’s take a look at some of the changes and additions in the game.

Storyline wise, Vol. 2 picks up just after Vol. 1 ended. The beginning of the game will include some narrative to get players new and old up to speed with what’s going on, since it throws you right into the action. But as with most multi-volume games, you’re best served by having played through the first game.

Perhaps the biggest of additions this time around is the inclusion of a brand new mini-card game, Crimson VS. Localization Specialist Masahiro Knittel explained how it works, which is probably a little unlike most card-game based mini-games.

"[It's] a card battle game that will be playable from the desktop in the game. The first thing required is to form several decks of cards. You’ll be given a starter pack, and be able to look at the stats of the cards. Various tutorials along the way on what the stats mean and what they do. [The players themselves form a deck of their own]. Once formed, they register the decks that want to do battle against other virtual players. Then they’ll exit Crimson VS."

Perhaps most interestingly, a game of Crimson VS is played when the player isn’t present at all. You’ll make your deck, log-out, and then check back later to see how you did. At first glance it seems silly to have a card game that you don’t actually play but really it makes the strategy in forming your deck all the more important.

Masahiro explains it saying, "The focus on this strategy is how you can effectively keep your card decks from losing and how to reinforce your decks so that they can outperform your opponents’ decks. Since you’re not actually engaging in realtime battle, strategy and planning your deck become the most important elements."

Elsewhere, and not surprisingly, there’s some significant bonuses to those out there that played through .hack//G.U. Vol.1, though they went further than just offering up the basics. One top of having the full backstory going into Vol. 2, a cleared save from the first game will net you extra items, money, and terminal disc episodes that you’ll be able to watch right at the start of the game. And as a nod to the work you put into the first game, all the items you unlocked in Vol.1 will be available in Vol. 2.

On the battle system side it’s largely the same as the previous title, with some minor tweaks here and there. One of the larger changes are to the addition of Haseo’s "3rd form" which will grant new abilities depending on the weapon he’s using. The big change is the inclusion of a new awakening mode called "Divine Awakening" which will be a special attack move that incorporates all the members of your party.