I have always loved The World. .hack // sign was one of the first anime series I ever watched in full, and I remember when there were rumors of a potential MMORPG based on the series in real development, I was surprised. While an actual MMO based on .cheat series that was never released, created by Bandai Namco .hack // GUI series. A single player experience, .hack // GUI takes all the pitfalls of an MMORPG and gives the player a way to interact with the World.
For example, players can discover new dungeons, or rather combined dungeons, by searching for certain keywords on the in-game forums. This archaic way to discover new locations or get your in-game launcher wallpaper can feel like a waste of time for players unfamiliar with how information is used to explore. in MMORPGs. To some extent, even now, forums largely still exist or have turned into shared community Discord servers. But there’s actually something thrilling about how .hack // GUI managed to encapsulate this experience almost flawlessly.
I imagine when the game was originally released, it was so completely immersed in the player’s experience of the World as an MMO that the game wasn’t really an MMO. It’s now considered a near-perfect crystallization of the MMORPG culture of the mid-2000s. It offers a glimpse of what these communities were like and even how little they’ve changed. .
Posts on in-game forums range from players sharing fan art based on their personal experiences in Worlds to debating the game’s difficulty. It’s weird to see these conversations coming up .hack // GUIand how closely they reflect some of today’s content expansion debates. NPC responses ranged from tentative “then just play another game” to longer form responses about required balance changes. While these chats provide a bit of flavor text, it makes things feel a little more real.
In the end, I scrolled through all of these conversations, really amazed at how closely the forums simulate the experiences I’ve had playing MMOs. Ragnarok online and Lineage II as a teenager in the 2000s. I remember going to the forums to exchange secrets about how to get the necessary catalyst for magic in the MMORPG of my choice.
Or visit the official website to read the lore. Which naturally includes the analysis of different races and important places. Yes, .hack // GUI. provide this. Players can visit the World’s website to read about all of these smaller details, which create a degree of texture in what already feels like a lived and real world. At least for a simulated MMORPG at the time.
It’s impossible not to be swept away by that wave of nostalgia, which has marked my impression of the game. There’s an enjoyment there that I don’t think I would have initially had I played the game at launch. It reminds me a lot of my youth and the time I really spent on the internet and the community focused on the games I was in at the time. I doubt I will be drawn to or enamored with a mechanic that some consider a waste of time. I may have even been annoyed as a teenager.
And there’s something oddly bittersweet about things being the same, but also changed. I will never be able to have those experiences again. But I can always revisit some aspect of them in the World.
.hack // GU Last Code available on PlayStation 4, PC and Nintendo Switch.
