.hack//G.U. Last Recode - PlayStation 4

Huge dot.hack// fan and never could afford the original PS2 versions. Thanks Bandai.

.hack//G.U. Last Recode is a collection of all the .hack released on the PS2. If you never played it before, you control a character that is playing an online game called "The World" and am trying to resolve the various mysteries that occur within the game. The game is slow initially because of the weird concept but once it starts, the story line is fun to play. Great value with 4 games in one. The fourth game is new to the series too.

I remember playing all six .hack games back in the day, and the cheat mode is awesome for a lot of reasons. Even though much love went into this remake and compilation, you can see how dated and slow the playstyle is. For someone who doesn't really care how good or bad gameplay is unless it's really infuriating, it's not hard to see how slow battles are. I love looking back on all the world-building that went in. You can feel the 90s to early 2000s style in the online content, sites, and presentation, but there really is not many games made with this much content per game anymore. Plus, they were all gathered into one game, which makes it a very nice offer to fans, both new and old. I definitely couldn't see SE or other companies be so generous with their games. However, I feel that the 4th volume was definitely an add-on thought that came down the road once you realize there's a better way to end a story you had a long time ago. It doesn't really match up with the Returner OVA, but I do like the ending they did settle on (even if it meant Haseo wound up with Atoli /shudder) because it focuses on Haseo and Ovan. Even in their joke ending, you can feel Ovan trolling Haseo, so they're both legitimate and good ways to end the franchise. I did feel the sadness of seeing The World's servers close and it does finally seem like a closed finale.

A graphical overhaul is nice, but where this collection shines is in upgrades to usability. Faster leveling, less hitstun so fights execute smoother, and other touches make it great.

The first game in this collection came out in 2004 I believe and I never even heard of it but I had heard of the anime series. I really missed out back then though. This is an action rpg with no random battles, they take place once your character makes physical contact with an enemy or vice versa. I’m not gonna spoil any story details but it’s like a game within a game. Haseo logs in to “The World” and plays the game which is like an MMORPG. It’s a pretty cool way they set this up. Since this is a collection there’s a cheat mode too, if you just wanna experience the story without grinding and that kinda stuff.