Bandai Namco has announced that the remastered .hack//G.U. Last Recode will be making its way to the Nintendo Switch next year. This port is to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the franchise and will include the first three entries to the series, Rebirth, Reminisce, and Redemption, as well as a newly developed fourth and final story, Reconnection. Last Recode is expected to hit Switch consoles worldwide on March 10, 2022.
The .hack//G.U. franchise originally launched for the PlayStation 2 and was the collaboration between two prominent names within Japanese animation; Ito Kazunori, a founding member of Headgear, and Sadamato Yoshiyuki, an artist known for his work on Neon Genesis Evangelion. The GU series simulates an MMORPG called “The World” and players take control of Haseo, a character who plays within that fictional game. The story centers around Haseo as he hunts down another player within “The World”, Tri-Edge, who has killed his friend Shino in the game, leaving them in a coma in the real world. Haseo’s thirst for revenge will lead him on a path filled with beasts, demons, and other murderous players.
Previously released for PC and PlayStation 4 back in 2017, this remastered version of Last Recode will bring all four titles in the series to the Switch with graphically enhanced gameplay and cutscenes updated to 1080p and 60fps. It also brings an improved system feature to the game with enhanced battle balance and game pacing that will sure to please old and new fans. New features like a “Cheat Mode” and a “retry” function for those tough to master missions make this remastered version a perfect upgrade to the original.
The newly added Reconnection chapter will help to tie up the loose ends left hanging by the original trilogy. While this final chapter is not quite as long as the initial three, which offer around 78 hours of gameplay, it is packed with content that is a must-see for any fan of the series. Plus, it brings with it a new form that adds a different dynamic to the combat system.
This Switch port is the perfect excuse to dive back into the GU series or enter “The World” for the first time.