CyberConnect2’s 30th anniversary announcement did not disappoint after weeks of speculation, with the veteran game developer bringing back its flagship franchise, .hack, in a big way. Announced via a trailer with additional promo visuals and interviews fleshing out their ambitious new game, .hack//Z.E.R.O. will be under CyberConnect2’s full creative control.
Announced via CyberConnect2’s X (formerly Twitter) account, .hack//Z.E.R.O. is the next, brand-new action RPG touted as self-funded, self-developed, and self-published with permission from Bandai Namco Entertainment, with whom CC2 is closely affiliated. For fans of the franchise and its storied anime, manga, and novels, this is the best possible announcement for fans of the isekai sci-fi classic.
.hack//Z.E.R.O. Was in the Works for a Decade
In a Famitsu interview with CC2 CEO Hiroshi Matsuyama, .hack//Z.E.R.O. got several confirmations about its direction. It’s a wholly new game, intended to be approachable enough to newcomers without having to play other .hack games, while still being made with care and devotion to the franchise and its conventions for longtime fans.
“We are finally able to announce a title that people all over the world have been waiting for. In fact, this is a project that has been in the making behind the scenes for a period of time stretching back to 10 years.”
-Hiroshi Matsuyama
Additionally, for hardcore fans of the series, Matsuyama confirmed the game is not the same as the Michiko Yokote novel series .hack//Zero, stating the reason for the Z.E.R.O. titling is to set it apart. The project features a different story of a world far more familiar with its online counterpart now, in the setting of 10 years in the future.
New .hack Game Confirms “Digital Suspense” in a Malicious Online World
In a fitting critique of the increasingly hostile sub-sectors of the online world in the present day, Matsuyama points toward the story both featuring a more tangible real world outside its primarily-featured in-game MMO, “The World”. While the new trailer certainly features its currently unnamed protagonist encountering “The World” once more, there’s greater promise of “real human drama” beyond it.
“It’s not the time to say much yet, but this time we’re also placing emphasis on “real drama,” or the story of the so-called “real world side.” In previous series, there were scenes that gave a sense of reality, such as email systems and message boards, but this time we’re going to go even further and depict a deep, real human drama.”
-Hiroshi Matsuyama
With the game’s promotion material steeped in liminal symbolism and humanity bridging two worlds, there’s potential for the series to feel more unfettered than ever before. Still though, the franchise gained its fans thanks to the novelty of it paving the way for “trapped in a game” sci-fi isekai settings, even if its greatest RPGs aren’t always recognized.
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