Dot Hack Games

I've just been getting into the Dot Hack games and wondered if anyone else has been playing them?

They are quite unique in that you are playing a virtual online game within a game. You are basically playing the person sat at a computer playing an online MMORPG called "The World". Initially this idea sounds a bit odd, but once you start playing the game it gets fascinating.

The game has two sides to it:

First there is the virtual desktop of your computer where you can look through emails sent to you by other gamers, or the makers of "The World", websites relating to news about the game and other world events linked to it, newsgroups about the game etc... And as you look through the different information you can collect images and audio which you can then customise your virtual desktop with. Plus you collect information you can use in "The World".

The second part of the game is the virtual MMO called "The World". You launch into this from the virtual desktop just as you would a real MMO from your PC. In "The World" you then take control of your avatar and go gaming...

So far it is still probably sounding a bit lame, but the game becomes more interesting because it intertwines the real world (you, sat at your virtual computer) and the in game "The World" MMO part, as events in the MMO world start to affect the real players behind other characters in the game. It all leads to you starting to explore and do some detective world to try and uncover strange activity within "The World" by playing inside of the game, and also by exploring the newsgroups, news websites and email outside of the game.

The first part of the game is split into four parts:

.hack 1: Infection
.hack 2: Mutation
.hack 3: Outbreak
.Hack 4: Quarantine

You need to play these in order as they follow on directly from each other in an episodic way. The save game date from one can be loaded into the next to continue your character and game. You can however play from the start of any of the four parts, but it is worth playing them all in sequence. Also if you start playing them out of sequence the start of each game gives a run through of the events so far, which would ruin it for you if you hadn't played the previous parts.

After these four parts of the game, a sequel then continues on from the end of the events of .hack 4 and is called .Hack GU. This series will be in 3 parts, so in effect you could say the .hack series of games is actually in seven parts in total. The GU games are as follows:

.Hack GU vol 1: Rebirth
.Hack GU vol 2
.Hack GU vol 3

Only the first part is currently released in the west (in English), with the second out in Japan. Hopefully the final two volumes will see a western translation very soon.

The first .Hack GU volume is a proper sequel to the series, unlike the first 4 games which were continuations of the same story. The same gaming ideas are in place, but have all been updated. The virtual desktop has been improved and polished with more features and a nicer look. And the MMO gaming world has moved on to "The World 2" and has improved control and visuals. The story and central gaming character is also different from the original 4 games as you are exploring a new storyline completely that isn't directly related to the original 4 games.

I've only played a few hours of these games so far as I still have other RPGs to complete first, but it is an intriguing series of games that seems well worth playing.