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CyberConnect2 has announced .hack//Z.E.R.O., a new action RPG in the .hack series "for home consoles" 10 years in the making—self-planned, developed, and published with permission from intellectual property holder Bandai Namco Entertainment. Specific platforms and a release date were not announced.

Here are the first details, via the game's official website:

About

The .hack series has always been developed by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai Namco Entertainment, but for .hack//Z.E.R.O., Bandai Namco Entertainment has given CyberConnect2 permission to manage the entirety of the project from planning and development to release. It will be a title that is fully self-published by CyberConnect2.

World-renowned violinist Taro Hakase has penned the music, kick-starting the project to the dexterous tune of his violin. .hack//Z.E.R.O. will be a novel RPG experience that blends the series' trademark duality of fantasy (game world) and reality (real world) with modern expectations, infused with 100 percent pure CyberConnect2 spirit. The game will be enjoyable for both veteran fans and new players alike. Please look forward to this newest iteration of .hack.

"This world is at 'Dusk,' it matches with us so well."

—Imirt Croga Iontach Tus Pianmhar Ciunas Eochair Lionn dubh Uilioch Olc Beithioch

In an interview with Famitsu, CyberConnect2 CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama said the title .hack//Z.E.R.O. reflects the messaging of "restarting .hack from zero," and has no connection to the .hack//ZERO light novel series by Yokote Michiko.

The story, set roughly 10 years in the future, will once again center around the in-game MMORPG "The World," but with a greater focus on real-world drama. While previous entries in the .hack series were limited in their depictions of the real world to emails and web browsers due to budget and publisher constraints, no such constraints will exist for .hack//Z.E.R.O..

Matsuyama said the series has always explored themes of duality between worlds, and the monochrome teaser visual is meant to reflect that contrast—such as "public persona vs. inner feelings" and the "dual nature of reality and games."

While the genre is RPG, gameplay will incorporate both action and adventure elements. The development team is comprised of both series veterans and younger staff. The teaser trailer was produced by Kamikaze Douga and does not feature any in-game footage.

.hack//Z.E.R.O. announced

CyberConnect2 has announced .hack//Z.E.R.O., a new action RPG in the .hack series “for home consoles” 10 years in the making—self-planned, developed, and published with permission…

www.gematsu.com

 

[LyricalShrike]

Day fucking zero. Let's go.

 

[[Sigma]]

Excited about the announcement.

 

[YeulEmeralda]

Cool

 

[rkofan87]

this is awesome but where's the remaster of the first four games?

 

[Danjin44]

OMG, OMG, OMG it's actually happening…we are getting new .hack.

 

[Soodanim]

My only exposure to the franchise is reading the concept for the PS2 games having saves that carry across, being interested, but never playing any of them. So I don't really know what's going on, but I'm happy for you all

 

[Danjin44]

My only exposure to the franchise is reading the concept for the PS2 games having saves that carry across, being interested, but never playing any of them. So I don't really know what's going on, but I'm happy for you all

.hack series was one of the very few PS2 games that was episodic. Original .hack had 4 volumes while G.U. had 3 and you transfer your save in each volume.

 

[digital_ghost]

Can't wait to play this.

 

[MagiusNecros]

The term "Project Start" and outsourcing the trailer to another studio seems to imply the game is nowhere near completion. Which also explains the lack of gameplay.

Novel RPG experience tells me it may very well either have visual novel elements or it's going to do something similar to Atlus Persona games or something like Metaphor where it blends real world and game world activities.

Based on what I've read this is a reboot of the series and is aimed towards both newcomers and veterans of the series.

A lot of this information is very vague. Will need to wait for more to surface.

 

[Danjin44]

The term "Project Start" and outsourcing the trailer to another studio seems to imply the game is nowhere near completion. Which also explains the lack of gameplay.

Novel RPG experience tells me it may very well either have visual novel elements or it's going to do something similar to Atlus Persona games or something like Metaphor where it blends real world and game world activities.

Based on what I've read this is a reboot of the series and is aimed towards both newcomers and veterans of the series.

A lot of this information is very vague. Will need to wait for more to surface.

I usually don't like announcements when game is barely in development but in case of .hack I thought this IP was dead and will never see another .hack ever again.

So yeah we didn't see any gameplay but I'm sooooo happy we are FINALLY getting new .hack game.

 

[nial]

Excited about this, not excited over the idea of BNE not seeing any worth on funding it.

 

[Danny Dudekisser]

Man, I love that this is a thing. I never played GU, but I've always had a soft spot for the original .hack series. They just had such a likeable vibe to them.

 

[Danjin44]

As much I'm hyped there is almost no chance its coming out this year......I wish it did.

 

[CuteFaceJay]

Ok this is cool, Played the first 2 on PS2 but never managed to play the rest.

 

[Moondoggy]

I'm pre-ordering this the moment it's available on steam, loved G.U. back in the day, plus CC2 has been killing it with how amazing they've gotten the anime games to look nowadays, so even if it still plays pretty basic action RPG like the old games it should at least look really good and probably have a pretty interesting story.

 

[Moondoggy]

this is awesome but where's the remaster of the first four games?

 

[Danjin44]

I'm wondering if .hack//Zero will also be split to multiple volumes like IMOQ and G.U.

 

[struggler_guts]

Really thought this series was dead

 

[March Climber]

Namco finally gave CC2 permission to breathe fresh air and make a new game after 10+ years of being stuck in anime-arenafighter-jail.

 

[TheLikou]

Namco finally gave CC2 permission to breathe fresh air and make a new game after 10+ years of being stuck in anime-arenafighter-jail.

Kakarot was not an arena fighter.

 

[Danjin44]

Kakarot was not an arena fighter.

Who cares I was getting sick of them making licensed anime games instead of .hack. That series got ignored long enough.

 

[TheLikou]

Who cares I was getting sick of them making licensed anime games instead of .hack. That series got ignored long enough.

"Who cares, just let me move the goalpost here."

 

[KàIRóS]

Finally, I hope CC2 uses a lot of ideas from DBZ Kakarot, they cooked so hard with the gameplay, even the collect-a-thon open world was fun to explore.

While the genre is RPG, gameplay will incorporate both action and adventure elements.

Oh yes, I can smell it, game will be GOATed

 

[Shadowstar39]

My only exposure to the franchise is reading the concept for the PS2 games having saves that carry across, being interested, but never playing any of them. So I don't really know what's going on, but I'm happy for you all

I remember something about this on ps2 as well. I think it may have been on Xplay... and I didn't have a ps2 only pc and psp at the time. I got a lot of those ps2 jrpgs later when they were on sale for like $5 used at gamestop bargain bin then got a cheap ps2 slim , but this wasn't one of the games I got.

Damn that was xplay and that gu hack looked good from the video:



This new game trailer isn't even showing gameplay is it. Just anime 2d fmv...boo.

Apparently this is like "living an mmo" , ehhh... not sure that appeals to me. I tried it with Sword Art Online and hated it!

I'm very particular with jrpgs, I prefer old school games like vagrant story, vandal hearts, lunar, grandia, parasite eve, legend of legia, dragoon, suikoden, dragon quest, saga, stuff that is more rpg, less anime. Think I will skip this, but good for people that are interested.

 

[March Climber]

Kakarot was not an arena fighter.

Can you explain to me specifically how fights play out in Kakarot? Like the moves and mechanics.

Maybe I misread how the fights work.

 

[Itito]

Love the .hack series, I'm definitely playing this.

 

[TheLikou]

Can you explain to me specifically how fights play out in Kakarot? Like the moves and mechanics.

Maybe I misread how the fights work.

So arena fighter is just how you name "you fight in third person with an camera on your back", huh? What an idiot. Guess Black Myth wukong can be called an arena fighter too.

 

[March Climber]

So arena fighter is just how you name "you fight in third person with an camera on your back", huh? What an idiot. Guess Black Myth wukong can be called an arena fighter too.

In between the sections where you run and fly around in mostly empty fields, would you say that Kakarot's main gameplay, the combat, plays closer to Sparking Zero, Burst Limit, or Xenoverse?

 

[TheLikou]

In between the sections where you run and fly around in mostly empty fields, would you say that Kakarot's main gameplay, the combat, plays closer to Sparking Zero, Burst Limit, or Xenoverse?

So your point is "arena fighters are just things I don't like". Got it, arena fighter.

 

[Northeastmonk]

I can see this being good. I'd like a ARPG in the same universe. I've owned GU and some other entries over the years (including the most recent), but it's one series I could not keep up with in terms of story/plot. It's got some cool themes to it that action gameplay could definitely show off.

In between the sections where you run and fly around in mostly empty fields, would you say that Kakarot's main gameplay, the combat, plays closer to Sparking Zero, Burst Limit, or Xenoverse?

Battle for Z and a lot of those Naruto games had this style of combat. I liked Budokai and the older Naruto games where there weren't large fields. Dissidia NT perhaps? The PSP were closed off, not so big of an area. Same goes for the Naruto games. To me that arena style feels more like an arcade game with less strategy.

Kakarot has exploration where you can collect orbs and then battles are smaller open areas where you fly around in 3D while being locked in on your target. My only issue with arena style fighting is that it doesn't feel like you're doing as much as would in say a traditional fighting game.

 

[March Climber]

So your point is "arena fighters are just things I don't like". Got it, arena fighter.

I never said I didn't like the game

 

[EDMIX]

OMG, OMG, OMG it's actually happening…we are getting new .hack.

Not a OST about the music, not an anime announcement, an actual real new title....FINALLY!

.hack series was one of the very few PS2 games that was episodic. Original .hack had 4 volumes while G.U. had 3 and you transfer your save in each volume.

That was a solid series. We eating good this gen. I always wanted that whole series remastered along with Xenosaga series from PS2, we got a lot of lost gems that never got remastered.