.hack//G.U. HD Remaster Coming to PS4 and PC

Bandai Namco announced last week that an HD remake of the .hack//G.U. trilogy, entitled .hack//G.U. Last Recode, will be making it's way to PlayStation 4 and PC later this year. A teaser trailer was released for the title today and a host of information has emerged on what's been tweaked and improved from the original releases.

Information taken from weekly Famitsu tells us .hack//G.U Last Recode is getting a visual revamp first and foremost and will be running in 1080p at 60fps. Backgrounds, UI, and cutscenes are also getting the HD treatment. There are also quite a few minor gameplay system changes coming in the new version;

• Retry function added
• Cheat Mode (Play with maxed out level and equipment)
• Movement speed increased
• Item slot number increased to 90
• Item menu shortcut and sort functions added
• Certain items have consecutive usage function
• Easier to see empty equipment slots
• Chim Sphere and Virus Core possession cap at 999
• Reduced probability of allies selling off items you give them
• Improvements that were made in Vol. 2: Reminisce and Vol. 3: Redemption will be reflected on Vol. 1: Rebirth in the HD Remaster.
• Battle tempo increased with a rise in offensive ability and reduction in hitstop.
• Weapon skill up rates increased
• Increase in experience points gained
• Some powerful enemies have been mitigated
• Skeith’s shooting speed has been increased
• Avatar battles have been rebalanced
• In addition to being able to redo the Marriage Events in Vol. 3: Redemption, you’ll get to do it with all characters that become party members

A lot of the specific changes here will only hold meaning for those who have played the original trilogy but essentially these changes seem aimed at upping the convenience factor and bringing it in line with what you might expect in a more modern JRPG. In addition, the movies that were previously only available with the special edition of .hack//G.U vol. 1: Rebirth will be included in the remaster.

For those unfamiliar with the .hack//G.U. series, the original games were released between 2006/2007 on the PlayStation 2 in three volumes, Rebirth, Reminisce, and Redemption. The games center around characters playing a fictional MMO, though each game is actually a single player RPG. The series itself carried on the legacy of the original four .hack games despite not being a direct sequel story-wise. The universe has also inspired more than one anime series. The games were originally produced for Bandai Namco by developer CyberConnect2, who will also be handling the upcoming remaster.

Did you play the .hack//G.U. trilogy the first time around? Are you up for a remaster? Give us your thoughts down in the comments!