Game Informer Review
To be blunt, those of you who have watched the show, re-watched the DVDs, and played through the first three chapters in this saga will buy this game no matter what I have to say about it. I don't blame you for doing so. If I had put in the 200-plus hours required to get all there is to get out of "The World's" world, I would do exactly the same – you owe it to yourselves to finish the task and find out what happens.
But, as is surely no surprise to anyone, there isn't anything in this final chapter that will convince those who have held out thus far to start up the journey. Surely, the pace of this game is quicker and more to the point than the earlier ones, but it still has the same problems as volumes one through three. Namely, camera controls that weren't acceptable with the first release, sub-par graphics, and dialogue that's more stilted than an episode of All My Children with "the part of Mercedes will be played by…" people filling in every one of the roles.
I want to give this game bonus points for being an interesting experiment. Personally, I don't think that it was entirely successful, but it was one that was worth trying. Hopefully, down the line, someone else can give us a similarly high-concept RPG with a little more meat on its bones.
Concept:
Finish the four-part saga started in February by tying up all the loose plot threads.
Graphics:
Same as in earlier entries, which in my opinion, means that they aren't that great.
Sound:
Has no one in this game gone through puberty? The voice acting makes everyone sound like they're eight years old.
Playability:
Same icky camera, same somewhat uncomfortable menu structure.
Entertainment:
For those who have kept up, this game is a given.
Replay:
Moderately Low
Rated: 7.5 out of 10
Editor: Lisa Mason
Issue: February 2004
2nd Opinion:
Inventive dialogue. Intuitive gameplay. Acceptable graphics. The fourth and final installment in the Dot Hack series has none of these things. But, if you've played the first three, you aren't going to wise up and call it quits now, so while you're enjoying the thrilling conclusion, I'll be over here, doing fun things.
Rated: 6.5 out of 10
Editor: Joe Juba
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