I remember some asshole recommending me that game like 14 years ago. It cost £20 and the PAL version didn't even have the dub unlocked. Literally unplayable.
@@GizouGitaiso it's unplayable because you're a weeb purist who believes that translating anything somehow ruins it? Dub is superior in all things. You want to read all the dialog, buy the Manga.
@@darkenkil4416 I was obviously being hyperbolic when I said "Unplayable." But I understand why you like English Dubs. It's very inclusive of people with poor reading comprehension.
“I’m not going to argue it’s a major part of gaming history, but it’s definitely a part of mine.” That one sentence had a *truckload* of weight behind it, god damn
Everything about this game is absolutely incredible. When I learned this game was a collaboration between the Evangelion art designer and the writer of the Ghost in the Shell anime adaptation it all finally made sense how this series could be so perfect
Knowing someone still care for the franchise I grew up with bring me to tears, please keep making content about Dot Hack and keep them alive. Something so lively and wonderful like this don’t deserve to be forgotten especially when every creativity property nowadays are becoming more shallow and emotionless day by day.
I really love the vibe and aesthetic of the games. The music, the monster design, the setting. Everything has a deep layer of cyber horror and mystery. I just wish the characters interacted more, and offered more cut scenes for all the grinding and bosses you fight.
.hack interested me when I was younger because in a way it was making what I found interesting into a plot: hidden or "unexplained" content in video games. The feel we had as kids with the bizzare and new 3d spaces and the idea that something could be hidden there.
Really good take, .hack benefitted greatly from being made in an era before every game was well-documented both in and out across youtube. There was a layer of mystery that felt... real.
I loved the concept of the games, and I loved the series (which was creepy af as a young kid), but I never got more than a few hours into the first game. Which I guess is pretty identical to my experience with most MMOs where I'd get bored within the first few hours and play something else.
If only MMOs were actually fun, I feel this. Spot on with how creepy the game is - will never forget my first time seeing Skeith as a kid, everything about him down to the way he moves is just unsettling.
"something nice about .hack." Okay, with that out of the way. I admit I know nothing about .hack. Most I've seen about it was Kite and Blackrose in Project X Zone, and some passing images of the series here and there. Hell, Kite reminds me of Sagi from Baten Kaitos on occasions. But the series has interested me for a while now, just never knew how to start it. But thank you for making this, it's nicely well done.
Nearly the exact same color palette, I definitely see the resemblance. 100% get being confused about how to get into .hack - being a multimedia franchise was the intended gimmick but ultimately works against it when it comes to new fans. I will keep praying for a series reboot, we need to go back to zero. Thanks for watching!
I played and loved this game series when it released, so this was very nostalgic! Your style of commentary and editing is very fun and I hope you'll make more videos (of any topic)
This was really enjoyable to watch! It's heartening to see a .hack// related video that isn't over a decade old. I hope you continue this series!! Something about this franchise struck a chord with me, but I can never really explain to people why I like it so much, or honestly recommend it. It's flawed in many critical ways, and yet so incomprehensibly charming. It just feels special. I want to keep it alive too!
It's hard to articulate what it is about .hack, but it has some special quality. Looking at this comment section, it shows - so many of us feel this exact same sentiment - this magic that keeps pulling us back, flaws and all. Thank you for watching!
My sister found the music CD for this game series at a store once and I still listen to its songs in my playlists. Hell I have 2 altimit corp wallpapers on my computers. I didn't start the franchise with infection, i started with mutation for a birthday gift from my grandma. I also weirdly skipped outbreak, but sometime between 2004-2007 I got quarantine through ebay (still with its DVD!). While modern kids may mention SAO (which is almost 10 years old anime wise oh gosh) for being like this but "modern", I always think back to this franchise for my love of the "oh my gosh, im stuck in a video game?!" concept. I was aware it was fake online even at age 9, but I just liked hittin shit and collecting loot.
Honestly, the music is one of the best parts - Chikayo Fukuda and Yuki Kajiura are incredible composers, creating such emotional tracks. Hearing them at a young age really imprints them in your mind - I can't help but feel exactly the way I did as a kid each time I listen. You're right about SAO, I've never watched it, but I've certainly heard people claim .hack is just a ripoff. More of an IQ test than anything, willfully missing out on a story with actual depth and direction. Interestingly, tying these two points together, Yuki Kajiura also did the music for SAO. it hurts
@@thecasualcat How could .hack be a ripoff of SAO when it came first though? lol.. whoever said that is delusional. I love.hack though. One of my favorite series.
This was a really solid video! While I'm not familiar with the franchise at all and it's aesthetic isn't my cup of tea, the way you structured the video (along with the visual gags with the photoshopped cats and audio gags like the MGS4 flashback audio cue) kept my interest throughout the video and helped explain the game's story clearly. Also, your point at the end about appreciating old games in the current era of remakes and "new thing" really struck home for me considering I've been on an "old thing" kick playing PS1 and PS2 games exclusively for the past 2 months since new games aren't really getting my hyped anymore.
Breaks my little heart to see great games fade into obscurity - or be remade into something more palatable for the modern audience, as if rewriting history. It's up to us to keep the past alive. (that being said, forever waiting for .hack remake, lol) Thanks for watching - and nice catch on the MGS4 cue.
I purchased each of these games as they came out; the monotony, plus storyline was somehow very cathartic. The simulated MMO was intriguing and amusing.
.hack has been a big part of my life. I adore the IMOQ series so much and have played through all of them a lot. (I try to play through them around Christmas to celebrate a special girl's birthday ;) ) Always glad to see someone talk about it and shower it with love like I do. I enjoyed watching. Thanks!
Got this game for Christmas and spent the entire Christmas break under a blanket grinding and immersing myself in the emails and art screens. Subbed, thanks for the trip down memory lane
I still remember seeing this game getting advertised on Toonami ages ago, and being so stoked that I recognized the cover art for the 1st game as one my brother had. What a journey this game was.
First of all, I miss this franchise and if this game or this franchise ever comes back, this will always be compared to sword art and other things like it.
The Fianna were ancient heroes who protected Celtic lands. "Descendants of Fianna" meant that they were as talented as legendary warriors. Orca of the Azure Sea & Balmung of the Azure Sky were given the titles by a player known as W. B. Yeats who saw them defeat The One Sin. Read the book _.hack//AI BUSTER_ for details. Note: after the events of _.hack//Quarantine_ another player was included as a Descendant of Fianna: Kite of the Azure Flame.
It was an odd game series as I mostly remember its story more than its gameplay. The real trick of course is emulating it... Because those CDs were a pain to find!
idk what going on but there has been a sudden influx of .hack content showing up on my recommended page "not saying I'm against is I love these games" just where did this all come from, I would love to see a remake of these older games and maybe even a return to or new stories of The World Online 3.0
it is SO unfortunate finding a new youtuber who you can immediately tell you click with because it is unfortunate to not be able to just hear more. But its always such a joy finding someone who you know you will look foward to seeing what they do. Thank you for a great video on a unique ass game! cant wait to see what comes next
Great first video, happy to subscribe early! Keep it up! Shorter little retrospectives seem to be how i fill most of my down time now so this fit my schedule perfectly.
dotHack has some Celtic influences built into The World, and the "Descendants of Fianna" title shared by Orca and Balmung is a nod to that. In Irish mythology, the Fianna Cycle refers to a body of literature about the exploits of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warrior band the Fianna. To be called a descendant of those legendary warriors is a recognition of their skill as players.
Great video! It's awesome to see these games getting more attention, it really brings me back to getting my mom to watch the supplemental dvds with me (and then get scolded for not practicing my school issued violin more, lol) Keep up the awesome work!
Got this game from some kid who's parents were friends with my parents, and only ever met him once. I don't even remember why he gave it to me, but boy am I glad he did. I was maybe 7 or 8 when I got it, and I didn't understand jack about the story. I also didn't have a memory card for my ps2 at the time, so I had to start a new game every time, and usually the furthest I could get in one playthrough was to the first gate hacked area that Mia takes you to. When I finally got my hands on a memory card, it was practically a whole new world being able to actually save my progress. Getting through the final dungeon before Skeith was even harder than Skeith himself in my opinion. It wasn't until years later as a late teen that I finally played Mutation and Outbreak, and I STILL have never played Quarantine. For some reason Quarantine has gotten ridiculously expensive (currently $500 on Amazon, Ebay, and DkOldies) in the past few years. Has it suddenly become collectible or rare? I dont know. I don't have any of the .hack games anymore, but I would LOVE to get my hands on a complete set and play the whole series on one save file without having to sell my house to do so.
I remember my first time with this series. I was curious but the only part I saw available was 3, Outbreak. You want to talk about being a fish out of water, the game was borderline unplayable with no context, understanding of the system, and my being accustomed to a hack and slash. I spent hours trying to just gain levels or accomplish the quests only to die and fail countless times, and after days, brute forced my way through save scumming and teasing xp one battle at a time back and forth between town as I could summon no party members to assist. By the time I got Anywhere, finally able to solo through one of the quests and unlock a party member, I had found a copy of Infection and at long last could play it correctly... And starting from the beginning, I felt like a god among sheep as there was no challenge left after my prior turmoil, but it was still a fun experience that lead me into getting mutation and quarantine to complete the collection. Filling the books with no internet, blindly bashing my head against the wall making lists of places I've visited looking for single items, and grinning like a mad dog to the very end in what became over five thousand hours of heaven and hell.
.hack was a large part of my teenage years. I never played //IMAQ, and I highly doubt I could stomach playing them today for reasons your video briefly touched on, but your retrospective makes me deeply nostalgic for The World. Thank you.
We can only hope for a full remake from the ground up - I can't blame anyone for being put off by the gameplay of the originals. It's the story and atmosphere that really pulls you in. Thank you for sharing in this nostalgia.
Seems a lot of people are rediscovering this series and it makes me incredibly happy. While I prefer the G.U. series the original is extremely nostalgic for me as a //SIGN fan during the original run!
This series and smt nocturne were my favorite games ever! My goodness what a nostalgia trip! The OST has a permanent spot in my brain. Used to be so excited to dish out 49.99 every year until the final release.I was obsessed with this game. You deff got my sub love this type of content!
Finally a video about .Hack//IMOQ that strongly emphasizes the fact that the combat is not about mashing the X Button but managing Equipment and Items! Thank you for the video. I Love .Hack// I have strong memories of getting lost in the atmosphere created by the original games. I've always felt that atmosphere and vibes are some of the strongest most unique aspects to these games that sadly I don't know if has ever really been repeated since. Does anyone know of any other games that manage to hit the same vibes and atmosphere that .Hack//IMOQ runs with?
This brought back so many memories. Bought all 4 orignal english games and even the whole GU series. Thank you for the nostalgic feeling. I hope you plan to keep going. Liked and subscribed. ❤
The original dot hack has an interesting mix of computerized Eldritch horror and cyberpunk corporate espionage it's pretty clear that CC corporation was into some nasty stuff and probably was scheming to take over the world but the sad part is instead of developing these interesting underlying features they just threw it away for Shonen protagonist tropes in Gu.
Great comment. The original series has this feeling of mystique that was never truly captured in later titles throughout the franchise - instead focusing on, like you said, more straightforward shounen tropes. I love GU for what it is, but it just never hit that same sweet spot. Thank you for watching!
@@thecasualcat There were so many missed opportunities, Haseo never even confronted his past self in Sora and the original Skeith instead you just get an endless screaming match with Ovan and reused out of place Cubia.
I deeply adore the first quadrilogy, it's giving these peculiar vibes Japanese stuff had around the turn of the Millennium. The setting is deeply inspired and weirdly clairvoyant. G.U. might have drastically improved the gameplay, but it the mood is so much more akin to nowadays Shonen with all the melodramatic bs.
That's so true, there's a peculiar vibe to the atmosphere of the first games that they never truly tapped into again. Makes me wonder if they'd even be able to capture that same magic if they were to remake them.
I'm so happy seeing IMOQ stuff here. Maybe one day we'll get another game. Something beyond hey guys here's G.U. which I love but I wanna see IMOQ get a remake some day.
This was such an amazing video, I love the original dot hack games so it’s nice to see someone really going over the game and giving it the attention it deserves. Sure it’s a bit old but I really love the way that the story plays out even if this first entry really focuses a lot on the atmosphere and set up. Keep up the good work!
Great video, great narration, criminally underviewed. Really brings me back. The grind, the breadcrumbs of plot, the goofy unique characters and settings. Genuinely ahead of its time with the level of immersion. The "its just a game in a game" reviewers can go play COD if the vibe of Mac Anu doesn't make them want to chill by the river for an hour. Wish you made more, amigo.
This is such a memory trip as I kid I initially found the series with the card game dot hack enemy and didn't know anything of the games or anime and on my 9th birthday one my mates gifted me all 4 IMOQ games
I do hope you cover the other games like this. Honestly this is really good and I'll throw it to friends to explain this lovely gem of childhood. G.U. was also a good series too. Hence aina, where I took my name from. Thanks~!
neat video Ive always seen people post about .hack but Ive never been interested in it until now Ill definitely give it a shot. thanks for showing off a game you love
Loved the video, thank you for taking the time and effort to make it. As a dot hack fan it's always nice to see some new video discussing the franchise :) Have you given any thought to covering dot hack in further videos?
Glad you enjoyed it! I definitely plan to cover more .hack, but I'd like to diversify my portfolio a bit first. Don't worry, we'll save Orca... eventually. he's not going anywhere zzzzz
Thank you for this video, I love seeing .hack content. I spent hours on these games as a kid, primarily because I found the gameplay so enjoyable I'd treat it like an actual MMO and just grind by visiting random fields and running around with my "friends". Looking back now, I can see a lot more of the flaws, but I still believe the immersion is top notch and contributes heavily to what makes the game so special. Very few things have made me feel like IMOQ did.
Me and my sister got this game randomly from our mother back in like 2004, because we love anime. From then it’s been my favorite game and franchise of all times! And like a month ago I finished the whole quadrilogy for the first time! 🙌🏼 This video was really awesome, hope to see more videos from you! (And I hope you play the full quadrilogy and make videos of the other parts too)
is it just me or is dot hack having a bit of a youtube resurgence both IMOQ and G.U. have been appearing in my recommended feed non stop i love the whole franchise and hope this youtube resurgence could lead to an actual resurgence
After watching this, I clicked into your channel to see what other videos you've made only to discover this is your first and (thus far) only one. This revolution absolutely shocked me; your high-quality scripting and editing left me assuming that you'd been at this for a good long while! Went ahead and subscribed because I see a very bright future indeed for you and this channel. =)
Hey, only ~$200, haha! Even back in the day it was rare - I remember having to go to multiple stores just hoping to find a copy. At the very least, emulation doesn't require very high PC specs... but you can't beat having a physical copy. That beautiful boxart. Thank you for watching!
@@thecasualcat true, I got a PS2 and multiple PS3 to play series on. I will wait it out and pull the trigger and pay the rare price to complete my series
Yoooo, this was a great in depth review of the game. I hope you finish out the series. I don't know if you had a previous channel b4 this but the subs and video quality don't add up. Keep at it. Take my sub
i played this game about 12 years ago ^^ I played G.U. too. I consider myself a fan to this day. Such a wild experience to navigate into this new approach of a JRPG.
This was an amazing video, i enjoy it so much, i went to see more videos and then realize you are a new content creator, for how the editing, and narration of this video i thought you have a lot of experience, and all i can say is please make more video of the series since is a hidden gem these days, hope to see it in the future and again this was a really amazing video
I remember some asshole recommending me that game like 14 years ago.
It cost £20 and the PAL version didn't even have the dub unlocked. Literally unplayable.
Do you mean the Japanese voice over? I remember the PAL version having English voices tho
@@Robersora the JP dub was locked until a second playthrough apparently. My bad, poor explanation.
@@GizouGitaiso it's unplayable because you're a weeb purist who believes that translating anything somehow ruins it? Dub is superior in all things. You want to read all the dialog, buy the Manga.
@@darkenkil4416 I was obviously being hyperbolic when I said "Unplayable."
But I understand why you like English Dubs. It's very inclusive of people with poor reading comprehension.
@@GizouGitai said the guy watching in a language he doesn't even understand.....
The original "if you die in the game, you die in real life"
I get so sad when I tell people about .hack being one of my favorite series....and they don't know it
That's SAO's Thing, the Players in "Dot Hack" whenever they get Eliminated by an Infected Player or in a Virus Server gets Comatose.
@@joseurbina3835on life support.... Without solving the puzzle, they are effectively dead.
it warms my heart that someone is still making stuff about the original dot hack stuff. Please don't stop here!
I agree.. dot hack games is one the most interesting game ever created.. not to mention dot hack gu is also awesome
Please do more!
“I’m not going to argue it’s a major part of gaming history, but it’s definitely a part of mine.”
That one sentence had a *truckload* of weight behind it, god damn
Agreed
Everything about this game is absolutely incredible. When I learned this game was a collaboration between the Evangelion art designer and the writer of the Ghost in the Shell anime adaptation it all finally made sense how this series could be so perfect
Knowing someone still care for the franchise I grew up with bring me to tears, please keep making content about Dot Hack and keep them alive. Something so lively and wonderful like this don’t deserve to be forgotten especially when every creativity property nowadays are becoming more shallow and emotionless day by day.
Supposed to be another .hack game in the works
@@Beafeaters I believe that ended up being a mistranslation - though I'm not giving up hope on the future of this franchise!
@@thecasualcat oh noooooo don’t tell me that!
This franchise was what ultimately got me into anime. The anime and games were so good.
I really love the vibe and aesthetic of the games. The music, the monster design, the setting. Everything has a deep layer of cyber horror and mystery. I just wish the characters interacted more, and offered more cut scenes for all the grinding and bosses you fight.
.hack interested me when I was younger because in a way it was making what I found interesting into a plot: hidden or "unexplained" content in video games. The feel we had as kids with the bizzare and new 3d spaces and the idea that something could be hidden there.
Really good take, .hack benefitted greatly from being made in an era before every game was well-documented both in and out across youtube. There was a layer of mystery that felt... real.
god I love discovering super small CZcams channels with sharp and concise editing and writing. this was a great video. thank you.
No, thank you! This small channel appreciates your support.
Something nice about it
Great editing. Thanks for keeping the memory of this series alive lol
Thanks for watching!
I loved the concept of the games, and I loved the series (which was creepy af as a young kid), but I never got more than a few hours into the first game. Which I guess is pretty identical to my experience with most MMOs where I'd get bored within the first few hours and play something else.
If only MMOs were actually fun, I feel this. Spot on with how creepy the game is - will never forget my first time seeing Skeith as a kid, everything about him down to the way he moves is just unsettling.
"something nice about .hack." Okay, with that out of the way. I admit I know nothing about .hack. Most I've seen about it was Kite and Blackrose in Project X Zone, and some passing images of the series here and there. Hell, Kite reminds me of Sagi from Baten Kaitos on occasions. But the series has interested me for a while now, just never knew how to start it. But thank you for making this, it's nicely well done.
Nearly the exact same color palette, I definitely see the resemblance. 100% get being confused about how to get into .hack - being a multimedia franchise was the intended gimmick but ultimately works against it when it comes to new fans.
I will keep praying for a series reboot, we need to go back to zero.
Thanks for watching!
I think of this game everyday, this game was one of my childhood video games. A classic, yet flawed gem.
I feel exactly the same. Thank you for watching!
@@thecasualcat Thank you for making a based video, hoping to see you do the rest of the 3 games. :^)
Good video anon maybe you have what it takes to make it big
I will channel this power into forcing cc2 to make more .hack
I played and loved this game series when it released, so this was very nostalgic! Your style of commentary and editing is very fun and I hope you'll make more videos (of any topic)
Thank you! It may take some time but I have two projects in the works now, can't wait to share them.
This was really enjoyable to watch! It's heartening to see a .hack// related video that isn't over a decade old. I hope you continue this series!! Something about this franchise struck a chord with me, but I can never really explain to people why I like it so much, or honestly recommend it. It's flawed in many critical ways, and yet so incomprehensibly charming. It just feels special. I want to keep it alive too!
It's hard to articulate what it is about .hack, but it has some special quality. Looking at this comment section, it shows - so many of us feel this exact same sentiment - this magic that keeps pulling us back, flaws and all.
Thank you for watching!
My sister found the music CD for this game series at a store once and I still listen to its songs in my playlists. Hell I have 2 altimit corp wallpapers on my computers. I didn't start the franchise with infection, i started with mutation for a birthday gift from my grandma. I also weirdly skipped outbreak, but sometime between 2004-2007 I got quarantine through ebay (still with its DVD!).
While modern kids may mention SAO (which is almost 10 years old anime wise oh gosh) for being like this but "modern", I always think back to this franchise for my love of the "oh my gosh, im stuck in a video game?!" concept. I was aware it was fake online even at age 9, but I just liked hittin shit and collecting loot.
Honestly, the music is one of the best parts - Chikayo Fukuda and Yuki Kajiura are incredible composers, creating such emotional tracks. Hearing them at a young age really imprints them in your mind - I can't help but feel exactly the way I did as a kid each time I listen.
You're right about SAO, I've never watched it, but I've certainly heard people claim .hack is just a ripoff. More of an IQ test than anything, willfully missing out on a story with actual depth and direction. Interestingly, tying these two points together, Yuki Kajiura also did the music for SAO. it hurts
@@thecasualcat How could .hack be a ripoff of SAO when it came first though? lol.. whoever said that is delusional. I love.hack though. One of my favorite series.
Thank you for making this amazing video on this awesome game. There aren't enough people who remember this game.
Looks great! We need to keep .hack alive.
Really great synopsis! And your jokes are great too. Had me chuckling a few times.
PS: HOLY CRAP, this is your first video?!?! ...Seriously, bravo!
Thank you so much! You can definitely look forward to more.
And the only one video
This was a really solid video! While I'm not familiar with the franchise at all and it's aesthetic isn't my cup of tea, the way you structured the video (along with the visual gags with the photoshopped cats and audio gags like the MGS4 flashback audio cue) kept my interest throughout the video and helped explain the game's story clearly.
Also, your point at the end about appreciating old games in the current era of remakes and "new thing" really struck home for me considering I've been on an "old thing" kick playing PS1 and PS2 games exclusively for the past 2 months since new games aren't really getting my hyped anymore.
Breaks my little heart to see great games fade into obscurity - or be remade into something more palatable for the modern audience, as if rewriting history. It's up to us to keep the past alive.
(that being said, forever waiting for .hack remake, lol)
Thanks for watching - and nice catch on the MGS4 cue.
I purchased each of these games as they came out; the monotony, plus storyline was somehow very cathartic. The simulated MMO was intriguing and amusing.
"Imagine if some company tried that today"
>Chuckles in Xenosaga
You got a good voice mate. I actually got into .hack via the novels because my older brother had them & I was hooked.
That's what I like to hear, .hack being passed down in the family. There's a certain magic to it.
.hack has been a big part of my life. I adore the IMOQ series so much and have played through all of them a lot. (I try to play through them around Christmas to celebrate a special girl's birthday ;) )
Always glad to see someone talk about it and shower it with love like I do. I enjoyed watching. Thanks!
Got this game for Christmas and spent the entire Christmas break under a blanket grinding and immersing myself in the emails and art screens. Subbed, thanks for the trip down memory lane
Cannot wait for your next episode on this series. They are the greatest.
I still remember seeing this game getting advertised on Toonami ages ago, and being so stoked that I recognized the cover art for the 1st game as one my brother had.
What a journey this game was.
First of all, I miss this franchise and if this game or this franchise ever comes back, this will always be compared to sword art and other things like it.
The Fianna were ancient heroes who protected Celtic lands. "Descendants of Fianna" meant that they were as talented as legendary warriors. Orca of the Azure Sea & Balmung of the Azure Sky were given the titles by a player known as W. B. Yeats who saw them defeat The One Sin. Read the book _.hack//AI BUSTER_ for details. Note: after the events of _.hack//Quarantine_ another player was included as a Descendant of Fianna: Kite of the Azure Flame.
Love finding new people and creators that also love this amazing series. Just goes to show that the love is still going strong 👍
It was an odd game series as I mostly remember its story more than its gameplay.
The real trick of course is emulating it... Because those CDs were a pain to find!
idk what going on but there has been a sudden influx of .hack content showing up on my recommended page "not saying I'm against is I love these games" just where did this all come from, I would love to see a remake of these older games and maybe even a return to or new stories of The World Online 3.0
Been seeing so much .Jack recently and it’s been great. A top loves series of all time. Stellar. Thanks
Great video. Appreciate you covering the post game an. Most videos skip that part. So cool to see people still love this series.
Thank you! According to the analytics most viewers skip that part too, lol. Parasite Dragon needs some love!
After watching this video, I was excited about watching the next one.. please continue to make content! Great job on this one!
Thank you!
i'm sooo so really happy that people still making content about the original tetrology... you got a new sub for that
it is SO unfortunate finding a new youtuber who you can immediately tell you click with because it is unfortunate to not be able to just hear more. But its always such a joy finding someone who you know you will look foward to seeing what they do. Thank you for a great video on a unique ass game! cant wait to see what comes next
Great first video, happy to subscribe early! Keep it up! Shorter little retrospectives seem to be how i fill most of my down time now so this fit my schedule perfectly.
That was quality stuff! Good voice, good video, good editing. I hope you make more!
"The Casual Corner" is such a good name, abd this video is such a strong start!! im very interested into seeing your next ones
Thank you!!
HE OF FAIR EYES.
Mistral is just straight adorable. She's such a dork.
IIRC I was 13 YO when this game came out.
............Man I'm old.
dotHack has some Celtic influences built into The World, and the "Descendants of Fianna" title shared by Orca and Balmung is a nod to that. In Irish mythology, the Fianna Cycle refers to a body of literature about the exploits of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warrior band the Fianna. To be called a descendant of those legendary warriors is a recognition of their skill as players.
Well damn that's actually really cool, thanks for sharing.
Great video! It's awesome to see these games getting more attention, it really brings me back to getting my mom to watch the supplemental dvds with me (and then get scolded for not practicing my school issued violin more, lol)
Keep up the awesome work!
Liminality is peak comfy... now go practice violin or I'm telling mom!
Thanks for watching!
Got this game from some kid who's parents were friends with my parents, and only ever met him once. I don't even remember why he gave it to me, but boy am I glad he did. I was maybe 7 or 8 when I got it, and I didn't understand jack about the story. I also didn't have a memory card for my ps2 at the time, so I had to start a new game every time, and usually the furthest I could get in one playthrough was to the first gate hacked area that Mia takes you to. When I finally got my hands on a memory card, it was practically a whole new world being able to actually save my progress. Getting through the final dungeon before Skeith was even harder than Skeith himself in my opinion.
It wasn't until years later as a late teen that I finally played Mutation and Outbreak, and I STILL have never played Quarantine. For some reason Quarantine has gotten ridiculously expensive (currently $500 on Amazon, Ebay, and DkOldies) in the past few years. Has it suddenly become collectible or rare? I dont know. I don't have any of the .hack games anymore, but I would LOVE to get my hands on a complete set and play the whole series on one save file without having to sell my house to do so.
I'm glad that your video was recommended to me tonight and I'm glad I watched it. Loved this game series and soon, the franchise since //INFECTION.
.hack is that special games series for me. It gives me those pleasant tingles every time I revisit it.
The .hack series is one of my go to's when explaining games are art!
I remember my first time with this series. I was curious but the only part I saw available was 3, Outbreak. You want to talk about being a fish out of water, the game was borderline unplayable with no context, understanding of the system, and my being accustomed to a hack and slash. I spent hours trying to just gain levels or accomplish the quests only to die and fail countless times, and after days, brute forced my way through save scumming and teasing xp one battle at a time back and forth between town as I could summon no party members to assist. By the time I got Anywhere, finally able to solo through one of the quests and unlock a party member, I had found a copy of Infection and at long last could play it correctly... And starting from the beginning, I felt like a god among sheep as there was no challenge left after my prior turmoil, but it was still a fun experience that lead me into getting mutation and quarantine to complete the collection. Filling the books with no internet, blindly bashing my head against the wall making lists of places I've visited looking for single items, and grinning like a mad dog to the very end in what became over five thousand hours of heaven and hell.
.hack was a large part of my teenage years. I never played //IMAQ, and I highly doubt I could stomach playing them today for reasons your video briefly touched on, but your retrospective makes me deeply nostalgic for The World. Thank you.
We can only hope for a full remake from the ground up - I can't blame anyone for being put off by the gameplay of the originals. It's the story and atmosphere that really pulls you in. Thank you for sharing in this nostalgia.
Seems a lot of people are rediscovering this series and it makes me incredibly happy. While I prefer the G.U. series the original is extremely nostalgic for me as a //SIGN fan during the original run!
This series and smt nocturne were my favorite games ever! My goodness what a nostalgia trip! The OST has a permanent spot in my brain. Used to be so excited to dish out 49.99 every year until the final release.I was obsessed with this game. You deff got my sub love this type of content!
Makes me want to go back and live in the moment whenever I first played the game this was a big part of my childhood thank you for making this video
Finally a video about .Hack//IMOQ that strongly emphasizes the fact that the combat is not about mashing the X Button but managing Equipment and Items! Thank you for the video.
I Love .Hack// I have strong memories of getting lost in the atmosphere created by the original games. I've always felt that atmosphere and vibes are some of the strongest most unique aspects to these games that sadly I don't know if has ever really been repeated since.
Does anyone know of any other games that manage to hit the same vibes and atmosphere that .Hack//IMOQ runs with?
If you plan in making more, I look forward to seeing your future videos
This brought back so many memories. Bought all 4 orignal english games and even the whole GU series. Thank you for the nostalgic feeling.
I hope you plan to keep going.
Liked and subscribed. ❤
Hearing cats voice made me want to boot sonic adventure 2, definitely omochao
The original dot hack has an interesting mix of computerized Eldritch horror and cyberpunk corporate espionage it's pretty clear that CC corporation was into some nasty stuff and probably was scheming to take over the world but the sad part is instead of developing these interesting underlying features they just threw it away for Shonen protagonist tropes in Gu.
Great comment. The original series has this feeling of mystique that was never truly captured in later titles throughout the franchise - instead focusing on, like you said, more straightforward shounen tropes.
I love GU for what it is, but it just never hit that same sweet spot.
Thank you for watching!
@@thecasualcat There were so many missed opportunities, Haseo never even confronted his past self in Sora and the original Skeith instead you just get an endless screaming match with Ovan and reused out of place Cubia.
I deeply adore the first quadrilogy, it's giving these peculiar vibes Japanese stuff had around the turn of the Millennium.
The setting is deeply inspired and weirdly clairvoyant.
G.U. might have drastically improved the gameplay, but it the mood is so much more akin to nowadays Shonen with all the melodramatic bs.
That's so true, there's a peculiar vibe to the atmosphere of the first games that they never truly tapped into again. Makes me wonder if they'd even be able to capture that same magic if they were to remake them.
@@thecasualcat there's no way they could recapture the vibes in a remake... and even if for some reason they could, they'd still opt not to... :(
@@rhael42 I hate that you're right. Life is pain.
I'm so happy seeing IMOQ stuff here. Maybe one day we'll get another game. Something beyond hey guys here's G.U. which I love but I wanna see IMOQ get a remake some day.
Glad to see you're still liking some comments, means you're probably still alive and hopefully working on the sequel video.
This was such an amazing video, I love the original dot hack games so it’s nice to see someone really going over the game and giving it the attention it deserves. Sure it’s a bit old but I really love the way that the story plays out even if this first entry really focuses a lot on the atmosphere and set up. Keep up the good work!
Great video, great narration, criminally underviewed. Really brings me back. The grind, the breadcrumbs of plot, the goofy unique characters and settings. Genuinely ahead of its time with the level of immersion. The "its just a game in a game" reviewers can go play COD if the vibe of Mac Anu doesn't make them want to chill by the river for an hour. Wish you made more, amigo.
my gateway was the G.U. sequels but I completely get your point and sentiments with this video... BTW, excellent work, please do more!
This is such a memory trip
as I kid I initially found the series with the card game dot hack enemy and didn't know anything of the games or anime and on my 9th birthday one my mates gifted me all 4 IMOQ games
I do hope you cover the other games like this. Honestly this is really good and I'll throw it to friends to explain this lovely gem of childhood. G.U. was also a good series too. Hence aina, where I took my name from. Thanks~!
love this review , i always wanted to play the game back in the day and this fit the bill!
Love the video. Your tone had me laughing a good bit, sounding like the Nintendo direct guy
Great video! Hope to see more soon!~♡
neat video Ive always seen people post about .hack but Ive never been interested in it until now Ill definitely give it a shot. thanks for showing off a game you love
Success, I got somebody to play .hack. Life is good.
Thanks for watching - and enjoy!
Starting off with a banger? Aite, subbed
“Man, this is a fantastic and well put together video, what else-holy shit” Fantastic work!
My nostalgia, ahhhhh :D I love these games!!!
Please keep making more videos and continue this series.
One of my all time favorite series!!
Loved the video, thank you for taking the time and effort to make it. As a dot hack fan it's always nice to see some new video discussing the franchise :)
Have you given any thought to covering dot hack in further videos?
Glad you enjoyed it! I definitely plan to cover more .hack, but I'd like to diversify my portfolio a bit first.
Don't worry, we'll save Orca... eventually. he's not going anywhere zzzzz
i came back to see this game becuse im playing the new zelda TOTK and remember data break stuff, man what a time of games i have been!.
This is so good, I love your narration and humor. Very good first video! I hope you make more!
Thank you for this video, I love seeing .hack content. I spent hours on these games as a kid, primarily because I found the gameplay so enjoyable I'd treat it like an actual MMO and just grind by visiting random fields and running around with my "friends". Looking back now, I can see a lot more of the flaws, but I still believe the immersion is top notch and contributes heavily to what makes the game so special. Very few things have made me feel like IMOQ did.
Me and my sister got this game randomly from our mother back in like 2004, because we love anime. From then it’s been my favorite game and franchise of all times! And like a month ago I finished the whole quadrilogy for the first time! 🙌🏼
This video was really awesome, hope to see more videos from you! (And I hope you play the full quadrilogy and make videos of the other parts too)
is it just me or is dot hack having a bit of a youtube resurgence both IMOQ and G.U. have been appearing in my recommended feed non stop i love the whole franchise and hope this youtube resurgence could lead to an actual resurgence
The collective unconscious demands more .hack, let's just hope that we're heard.
Fairies orb. Speed charm.
Indeed the most used item for me lol
us
Great job man these old dot hack games are fun nice
The opening song for .hack// sign still haunts me. It was beautiful yet leaves you wanting more... heheh
.hack? Haven't heard that name in years. Really brings me back. Had the manga and the books and all that good stuff. Good times.
Awesome video, .hack has a very special place in my life and heart, as weird as it reads, I wouldn't be where I am without this game.
us
After watching this, I clicked into your channel to see what other videos you've made only to discover this is your first and (thus far) only one. This revolution absolutely shocked me; your high-quality scripting and editing left me assuming that you'd been at this for a good long while! Went ahead and subscribed because I see a very bright future indeed for you and this channel. =)
Thank you for the kind words! You can certainly look forward to more content and cat edits.
A video on the OG .hack games, in 2023? Instant like
I love how in depth you go
Awesome work my man. .hack fans are proud this was made. I'm still dreading buying part 4 at my local game store...big bux
Hey, only ~$200, haha! Even back in the day it was rare - I remember having to go to multiple stores just hoping to find a copy. At the very least, emulation doesn't require very high PC specs... but you can't beat having a physical copy. That beautiful boxart.
Thank you for watching!
@@thecasualcat true, I got a PS2 and multiple PS3 to play series on. I will wait it out and pull the trigger and pay the rare price to complete my series
The cats in the intro hooked me lol
Its shocking that this the first video you made its great
.hack is a great underrated series!
time for the next game i would love to watch it.
this was an excellent video!
and wonderfully written.
The cat edit was everything and I logged in just to mention it 😂
Yoooo, this was a great in depth review of the game. I hope you finish out the series. I don't know if you had a previous channel b4 this but the subs and video quality don't add up. Keep at it. Take my sub
Thank you! Lowkey playing through Mutation now...
i played this game about 12 years ago ^^ I played G.U. too. I consider myself a fan to this day. Such a wild experience to navigate into this new approach of a JRPG.
This was an amazing video, i enjoy it so much, i went to see more videos and then realize you are a new content creator, for how the editing, and narration of this video i thought you have a lot of experience, and all i can say is please make more video of the series since is a hidden gem these days, hope to see it in the future and again this was a really amazing video