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''.hack'' is a series of single-player Hack and Slash developed for the PlayStation 2 console by CyberConnect2 and published by Bandai. The series of four games, titled ''.hack//Infection'', ''.hack//Mutation'', ''.hack//Outbreak'', and ''.hack//Quarantine'', features a "game within a game"; a fictional massively multiplayer online role-playing game (MMORPG) called ''The World'' which does not require the player to connect to the Internet. Players may transfer their characters and data between games in the series. Each game comes with an extra DVD containing an episode of ''.hack//Liminality'', the accompanying original video animation series which details fictional events that occur concurrently with the games. The games are part of a multimedia franchise called ''Project .hack'' which explores the mysterious origins of ''The World''. Set after the events of the anime series ''.hack//Sign'', the games focus on a player named Kite and his quest to discover why some users have become comatose as a result of playing ''The World''. The search evolves into a deeper investigation of ''The World'' and its effects on the stability of the Internet. Critics gave the series mixed reviews. It was praised for its unique setting and its commitment to preserve suspension of disbelief, as well as the character designs. However, it was criticized for uneven pacing and a lack of improvement between games. The commercial success of the franchise led to the production of ''.hack//frägment''—a remake of the series with online capabilities—and ''.hack//G.U.'', another video game trilogy. ==Gameplay== ''.hack'' simulates an MMORPG; players assume the role of a participant in a fictional game called ''The World''. The player controls the on-screen player character Kite from a third-person perspective but first-person mode is available. The player manually controls the viewing perspective using the game controller. Within the fictional game, players explore monster-infested fields and dungeons, and "Root Towns" that are free of combat. They can also log off from ''The World'' and return to a computer desktop interface which includes in-game e-mail, news, message boards, and desktop and background music customization options. The player may save the game to a memory card both from the desktop and within ''The World'' at a Save Shop. A Data Flag appears on the save file after the player completes the game, allowing the transfer of all aspects of the player character and party members to the next game in the series. The series is typical of action role-playing games, in which players attack enemies in real time.〔 The game's action pauses whenever the menu is opened to select magic to cast, items to use, or skills to perform. The player directly controls Kite and the other characters are controlled by artificial intelligence. The player may either provide the computer-controlled characters with guidelines ("attack", "first aid", "magic", etc.) or issue direct commands.〔 Most hostile creatures are contained within magic portals and combat will not begin until the player character approaches the portal and releases the monsters inside.〔 Kite possesses a unique ability called "Data Drain" which allows him to transform these enemies into rare items. Many boss monsters are known as "Data Bugs"—enemies with corrupted data which gives them infinite health. Data Drain is used to repair the damaged monsters' data and render them vulnerable〔 but its use increases Kite's level of infection, randomly causing harmful side effects. The infection can be cured by defeating enemies without Data Drain. Root Towns are non-combat areas of ''The World'' where the player may restock items, buy equipment, or chat and trade with other players of ''The World''.〔 In many towns, the player may also raise a sentient, pig-like creature called a Grunty, which can be ridden in fields and in later games raced for prizes. A blue portal called the Chaos Gate is used to travel between towns (called "servers") and to access the fields and dungeons where battles occur. A three-word password system controls the characteristics of each area; attributes such as the prevalence of monsters or items change depending on the properties of each word in the password phrase.〔 Certain plot-related areas have restricted access, but the player character has an ability called "Gate Hacking" which allows him to access these areas using "Virus Cores" obtained through Data Drain.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「.hack (video game series)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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