.hack//LINK to be the "final installment" of .hack

[d5t]

As per the front page via Kuukai's reporting and the Famitsu article, it has been stated that this will conclude .hack. What does that mean really? Not sure yet, hopefully it's more generic than it sounds.

I know I don't speak my opinion much on the boards, aside from the front page of the site, but I am initially shocked at how CC2 might end the series. I am praying that this may be the end of the iteration of .hack as we know it (a la "The World" and the likes), and that something completely different with some attachments to .hack might return in a new, but still somewhat familiar form (a la cyber punk-ish).

A great way to conclude the series in my opinion would to create a single "non-volumized" game for the PS3 using the engine CC2 created for their latest Naruto fighting game.

I do not own a PSP and the only thing that may force me to purchase one is to play .hack//LINK. Who else shares my view? I'm trying to reserve judgment before the game is released, but can't withhold myself. Time to vent and hope that the countdown reveals something else in the works or some clarification to what Matsuyama meant by the final installment of .hack.

[|<!73]

I was hoping it was going to be on the PS3 as well, however at the same time I know that the PSP is probably the only thing I am and would be able to get. Maybe they might release it on two platforms which would solve a bit of that trouble. I was also hoping Matsuyama was speaking figuratively and we would receive a newer generation of the series.

[TheSorrow]

Though it will be sad to see .Hack go and on a portable console, though i can't really see anything happening after LINK, with all characters returning and all, unless they completely change the whole set up for a next installment and only keep certain referrences about The World; a .Hack game that's no longer .Hack. Sure, i still have to wait to see how LINK actually develops, but, if it's true that all characters are returning this time, then everything would pretty much come to a circle. I didn't expect CC2 to make such decisions so fast though, with a LINK game being announced while some people still aren't done with the games and already declaring it'll be the last...it almost sounds as if they just wanna finish the series already whatever way they can D:

[|<!73]

I think four years is a good number between them. If you haven't finished the game by now I can ask why. Anyway if they did continue it I wonder where it would go from there. Conclude could just mean its about to explain everything we have seen thus far. There are enough character's that it looks like it could easily do so.

[k-su]

i agree with u both. while i'm glad they'll end it b4 it becomes gutter trash, i would hope they'd do the fans a solid by releasing a console game with their beautul NUNS engine. it just seems like the right thing to do. i also agree that they should maybe start a new project for us to fall in love with, maybe even one that touches on the ideas of dothack or connected somehow. still i wish even more that they could keep up the series, maybe even going the route of gundam with its alternate universes to keep the story and chars fresh, as much as the idea kinda urks me

[AuraTwilight]

What a pitiful way to end such a wonderful series. CC2 should be ashamed.

[|<!73]

Hm, I don't think its like that. Its already been stated but this pretty much wraps things up. Its great because people finally get to see all the characters they wanted back.

[AuraTwilight]

Yea, we get to see the characters again at the cost of what made the characters so unique, interesting, and fan-worthy. You can't just take a bunch of popular faces, throw them in a single work, and call that a series, but that's pretty much all Link is: An excuse to pander to the fanservice of 14-year-olds with no concept of narrative or character development, just as long as they can have their stupid "LOL KITE VS AZURE KITE WHO WUD WIN" fights. I hate all of you.

[|<!73]

Character development is determined by what occurs in a series and how that changes. Though at the same time its also something I don't see working any other way either. Remove character's as slots and the story falls back.

[Hamiko]

Final installment.. never even thought about that. Can't say closing this franchise with a psp game is what I had in mind to be honest. But anyway, looks like I'll be getting a psp. I hope we hear more from CC2 about this.

[|kenji|]

oh come on, this is impossible

no, ****, i don't wanna believe it.

[Akasu]

Oh come one guys. I'm sure //LINK on PSP isn't the end. Besides, we can't nessescarily confirm that as well. We still have to see how good //LINK is. Just a couple of images and a statement isn't enough.

[Kryuzei]

Well, looking at how they do this series (with all the characters coming back) seems like they ran out of idea at how they will continue this series. Let's hope that's not true. . Though, I do hope they'll use plot other than virus attacking the server and people getting comatose.

[My Japanese Animes]

On the one hand there are only a limited number of concepts/stories you can explore in a game series like .Hack.

On the other hand, what the hell. This is a terrible way to end things. I'd like a real game, thanks.

[|kenji|]

i agree, this can't be the FINAL .hack

i can just (no >_>) accept that this is the final game and they will not make games anymore, but there's no way they will not make other mangas, or animes or novels

in just 2 years they did a movie, an anime, 2 novels, and 2 mangas that still are coming out; they do not want to quit .hack, it's simple

[Kuukai]

There are really three different reactions to be had here, in my opinion: that .hack is ending, that that ending is LINK, and that LINK is on PSP.

I'm sad that .hack ending. They've never, ever said this before, so we have to assume they mean business. I really did want to see .hack on the PS3, and I wouldn't mind if the series just went on forever, but I'm glad they're ending it by bringing back old characters. We all know we always wanted to see most of them again, and the little I've seen of the game so far gives me hope that this will be a satisfying ending.

I have no qualms with LINK itself based on what I've seen. Groupthink on this site states that the plot is bad and it's too shounen. I, however, am captivated by the fact that this seems to be the first .hack with an actual villain, and I think that the unanswered questions of the plot show great promise and carry on the spirit of .hack. On the other hand, the choice of platform is disturbing. Hopefully there will be some all-important, yet-unseen WiFi component to gameplay, otherwise this simply can't be justified. LINK itself isn't a cop out or fan title like fragment, they've clearly done a lot of original work building the story and setting, creating new characters rebuilding the old, and bringing it all together. But doing this for any platform less powerful than the PS2, on any medium smaller in size than a DVD, and in just one volume is extremely risky unless there's something else they haven't told us yet.

There was a series called Sakura Taisen that had a similar problem. After three multi-disc games on the Sega Saturn and Dreamcast, featuring extensive voicework and cutscenes and two distinct casts of characters, they decided to make a finale that included all of the characters and fit on a single GD-ROM. This was a horrible decision, and although it was a decent game, the drop in robustness of content and length of gameplay was extremely distracting. I'd like to think that CyberConnect2 might be able to do a better job, but by choosing PSP they have picked an extremely narrow foundation to build the game upon.

[Master ZED]

I've ignored LINK so far; like Tenchi in Tokyo, I haven't acknowledged its existence. Unlike that pile of crap however, I simply haven't read LINK yet because I'm waiting for a state-side release. It's not like I'm about to abandon the series (hell, I might end up buying the LINK manga regardless of its quality), but I can only take so much. I already made the mistake of buying a new system for one game once before (that game being Metroid Prime 3), and the only reason I don't regret getting the Wii is because of a gaming miracle in Mega Man 9. The same really isn't likely to happen twice. If the PSP had anything interesting to me, I'd have one already. For LINK to change my mind, it's gonna have to be really damn good (or just have a Wi-Fi Arena, that could be heavenly for me depending on how battle works), or something else is gonna have to come out on the PSP between now and then that also makes me consider the system.

[|kenji|]

and the only reason I don't regret getting the Wii is because of a gaming miracle in Mega Man 9.

but megaman 9 is on PSN and XBLA too

[Keyaki]

It better not be the end, not with the state its in now. Though even so the manga completely sucks balls, i wish i had a PSP right now T.T.


I don,t want to believe, I WONT!!!

On the other hand, the choice of platform is disturbing. Hopefully there will be some all-important, yet-unseen WiFi component to gameplay, otherwise this simply can't be justified. LINK itself isn't a cop out or fan title like fragment, they've clearly done a lot of original work building the story and setting, creating new characters rebuilding the old, and bringing it all together. But doing this for any platform less powerful than the PS2, on any medium smaller in size than a DVD, and in just one volume is extremely risky unless there's something else they haven't told us yet.

Yea, my thoughts exactly, it snot like i excepted the game to be for PS3, the PSP seems alittle weird to me. To me, its one of the games that probably should never be on ANY portable system.

manga-style cutscenes?

WTF!?!?! Tell me your not serious........

engine CC2 created for their latest Naruto fighting game.

What was the engine?

EDIT: nvm i found out

[AuraTwilight]

I have no qualms with LINK itself based on what I've seen. Groupthink on this site states that the plot is bad and it's too shounen. I, however, am captivated by the fact that this seems to be the first .hack with an actual villain, and I think that the unanswered questions of the plot show great promise and carry on the spirit of .hack.

Well, if I may throw in my two cents, I don't mind a villain, or that Tokio is totally shounen. And hell, with a bit of polishing, I think the basic plot concept is very workable. I just don't like that the apparent message of this installment is that Za Warudo is outright magic and that CC2 is apparently so lazy that the entire work is going to be fanservice to show old characters in new characters in order to suck the teat dry. Unless they pull off something extremely epic, then the series ended at Returner, imo.