Today, Bandai Namco announced that they will be releasing .hack//G.U. Last Recode, a collection of the action-RPG .hack//G.U. titles, Rebirth, Reminisce, and Redemption. This will be a remaster of the original Playstation 2 games. These definitive versions will be updated to run at 1080p/60fps in a 16:9 aspect ratio. Additionally, gameplay will receive enhanced battle balance and pacing, with more features to be announced in the coming months. The collection will also include a Cheat Mode, which is a new feature that will allow players to start with maximum stats so they can enjoy the story.
Before there was Sword Art Online, there was .hack. If you’re new to the franchise, it’s a collection of stories about players in an MMO known as The World. These stories are told through video games, anime, manga, and novels. In the .hack//G.U. games, the player takes on the role of Haseo, The Terror of Death, on his quest to track down a player-killer character known as Tri-Edge. When Tri-Edge kills a player in the game, it places that player’s physical body behind the screen into a coma. Haseo is obsessed with finding Tri-Edge and the answer to awakening a friend.
“The .hack series continues to be one of the most requested titles we hear about from our community,” said Dennis Lee, Brand Marketing Director for BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc. “We are very excited for these fans to return to The World and experience .hack//G.U. like never before with .hack//G.U. Last Recode!”
The .hack//G.U. series is one of my favorites. I never thought I’d see a remaster of any of these games, so this was quite the surprise. I’m looking forward to seeing if they hold up. The games have a system of putting 3 words together to generate a random field or dungeon to play through which made the games feel as large as an actual MMO. I remember some of the complaints being that the fields could be repetitive, and at times the game felt a bit too grindy. I enjoyed the combat so neither bothered me. I’ve always loved the idea of using an MMO as a setting in games and anime which is probably explains why it’s one of my favorites.
.hack//G.U. Last Recode is set to be released late this year on the Playstation 4 and through Steam on PC . Can’t wait? Check out the .hack//Roots anime on Funimation or Hulu, which is a prequel anime series that follows the journey of Haseo leading up to the games. Be sure to check back in with The Outerhaven after release. I’m sure I’ll have thoughts.
