In May, GamerNode participated in a group conference call to hear details about the upcoming game, .hack/GU. Yesterday, we were invited to another conference to see how the game was progressing. .hack/GU is scheduled for release on October 24th; MSRP is to be announced at a later time.
For those uninitiated with the .hack series (pronounced ‘dot hack,), the franchise is a series of RPG games based upon a story about the crossover of reality into the virtual MMO gamer,s world. The franchise spans four titles thus far, with .hack/GU being the fifth.
The .hack games have, in the past, been heavily tied to one another in plot, but .hack/GU is squarely aimed at new fans – but without ignoring its existing fan base. Since the game is more action oriented in nature, everyone should be able to enjoy the game from the get-go without the need to read up on what has transpired in the expansive storyline of previous games.
According to the developers, .hack/GU will have a hefty gameplay time of 40+ hours and will have the ported Japanese game especially localized for U.S. audiences by making sure that the language translation, idioms and content make sense to gamers in North America.
Special combat action is utilized through “skill triggers,” which are essentially special attacks that are learned as the player progresses through the game and gains more experience. While the RPG aspect of the game is still there, the new installment in the series will concentrate more on the action-adventure part rather than the traditional direction of the .hack series.
Stay tuned to GamerNode for further developments about .hack/GU in the future.
