.Hack//sign

.hack//SIGN is part of a larger series of differing names. As for the order...it goes something like this:

.hack//AI BUSTER - which is a novel of how Balmung and Orca became the famous players that they are. Oh, and no, I don't think this has been released stateside yet...just like the entire Crest of the Stars trilogy...-_-

.hack//SIGN - this is Tsukasa's travels (which is the current release I believe) and the introduction to Aura and the Bracelet of Twilight.

.hack//INFECTION/MUTATION/OUTBREAK/QUARANTINE - these are the games that are currently being released. Notice that there are four games. You play a beginner to the World called Kite, and eventually hook up with a gaggle of other players...like Balmung, BlackRose, Mistral, etc.

.hack//LIMINALITY - this OVA actually comes packaged with the games. Meaning, there's a DVD inside the DVD slip of the game. It contains one episode each, and follows the plots in the game, just the real world side of it.

.hack//LEGEND OF THE TWILIGHT BRACELET - this is a manga which pretty much follows pretty closely to the .hack// games. But, there are some twists and is more of a telling of the legendary items than anything else. Oh, and the people are chibi, and Kite and the BlackRose are actually siblings.

.hack//TASOGARE NO UDEWA DENSETSU - this is pretty much an animated version of .hack//LEGEND. This is also known (and easier to be remembered by...) as .hack//DUSK. The characters are also chibi. ^_^

Here is the link in which I found this information. Also, refer to the official .hack website for game info. ^_^

 

As far as I know, if you can get your hands on .hack//LIMINALITY, you can derive some of what happens in the games. But, then again, if you know someone who HAS LIMINALITY, then you'd most likely be able to PLAY .hack//INFECTION/MUTATION/OUTBREAK/QUARANTINE. And, no, as far as I know, there isn't an anime of it. And the story isn't EXACTLY the same in DUSK, because there are certain parts (according to rumors) that I don't think can be emulated in a chibi-world...according to how cute it is, of what I've seen.

However, the .hack//GAMES are really well done, and can emulate the MMORPG feel well enough. The only thing is that most NPCs say the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over again...and are pretty much only in the game for trading for better items.