In an era of remakes and remasters bringing classic games back into modern libraries, there are a lot of players looking to see some of the most popular PS2 and Xbox titles return and reimagined. One series in particular that deserves to have its original collection brought to PS5 is .hack//Infection and its three connected sequels with carryover saving.
Based on the popular .hack//Sign anime series, and the start of the many branching storylines that have continued from the extended series since, CyberConnect2's first game on the PS2 is a massive innovation in gaming that deserves to be preserved. The saves that carry over from game to game in .hack//Infection alone was a startling innovation for the time that would go on to be used in some of the best RPGs on future titles like Mass Effect.
As impressive as .hack//Infection was during its initial release, the ongoing storyline that would close out each game with a cliffhanger leading into the next title didn't have much of a lasting effect. Subsequent games in the series released to varying levels success, eventually leading to a limited release for the fourth title .hack//Quarantine and later installments. One title for the PSP, .hack//Link, never even left Japan, even though the .hack anime and novel series have long been well received by the anime and gaming audiences in the west.
.hack//Quarantine is Incredibly Rare
One reason to rerelease the .hack//Infection series as a collection for PS5 is that the final title, .hack//Quarantine has become one of the rarest, most expensive PS2 titles for collections. However, for players with a working PS2 that are just looking to replay the series either have to have already gotten the game when it released or spend nearly $100 for a twenty year old game, though some sellers reach for upwards of $1000. This is nothing new for collectors, and the value of the original to those sellers likely wouldn't go down, but it does mean that the average player would have access to the finale.
The entire .hack//Infection collection on PS2 altogether is fairly rare on its own as well, though the first three games are much more accessible than the final game. Attempting to find these games online or in novelty stores that sell discontinued classics is now incredibly expensive, given that any of these storefronts even have the game. All of this becomes even more confusing as well, considering that the sequel series has already gotten remastered and is available digitally right now.
.hack//GU is Already on PS4
So, it wasn't too long ago that .hack//GU, the sequel series to .hack//Infection, got a PS4 remaster in 2017 that brought the PS2 trilogy to modern audiences along with a fourth installment. While this title didn't exactly get the Final Fantasy 7 Remake treatment that some players are hoping to get from some classic PS2 titles, fans were still excited at the prospect of a remaster. However, it's strange that Bandai Namco and CyberConnect2 chose to remaster the sequel, but never brought the original series to modern consoles.
Considering how many of the PS2's hidden gems have been remastered over the years at this point, including a sequel series to .hack//Infection, there is clearly a market for these games. As an added bonus, a .hack//Infection remaster could also bring with it new content like .hack//GU received, as well as rerelease the .hack//Liminality OVA that launched with the original series. These extra DVDs are rare even among the repurchased collections, as many resellers have separated the OVA from the game when reselling. Altogether, there is a lot of content that could come with a remastered .hack//Infection, and plenty of fans dying to see the end of the series without shelling out $100 to a reseller.