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.hack Conglomeratethe flicker of something The bulk of Haseo's story spans the anime series .hack//Roots and the video game trilogy .hack//G.U.. While it's not necessary to watch all of the anime and play all of the games, you'll experience the story as it was meant to be seen if you devote time to both. Here's a short primer on the two..hack//Roots serves as a prequel to the .hack//G.U. games. The series premiered in the Spring of 2006, and ran for twenty-six episodes. It has been dubbed in English for Western audiences. Following Haseo's first few months in The World, the anime details his time in the Twilight Brigade, his friendships and conflicts with its members, and his eventual rise to Terror of Death status. Events only hinted at in the games, such as Haseo's completion of the Forest of Pain quest, are shown in detail in the series.
The games are fast-paced and enjoyable, and often place control directly in the player's hands. More than just a simple RPG, all three let you interact with characters through forums, e-mails, and news reports. One of my favorite aspects is the Online Jack OVA that runs throughout the installments. Separated into episodes, these little snippets follow an intrepid reporter as he tries to uncover the truth about The World and Doll Syndrome. Little touches like these really give the game a more complete feel, and definitely immerse the player in the .hack universe. The games were released in North America within the last few years and should be pretty easy to find new and used at a local gaming shop. |
However, the majority of Haseo's story takes place in the three volumes comprising .hack//G.U. Known as Rebirth, Reminiscence, and Redemption, the games pick up where Roots left off, following Haseo as he races to stop the true Tri-Edge and, eventually, halt the end of life as we all know it.