Sci-fi visual novel Hate Plus dated this month

Hate Plus, Christine Love's sequel to her cult hit Analogue: A Hate Story, is now set for a PC, Mac and Linux release on 19th August. It will be priced at $10 (about £7).

The game follows the exploits of the player and their adorable, "spunky/more-than-slightly-traumatized AI sidekick" as they delve into cryptic messages left by the derelict AI Old *Mute to discover what happened during the mysterious "year zero" that caused their society to regress into a hyper patriarchal one. Or, as Love calls it on the game's official site, "A dark visual novel about transhumanism, cosplay, cake-baking, and the slow patriarchal erosion of freedoms taken for granted."

It sounds interesting, if a little confusing if you've not played Analogue. In fact, returning players can continue their save file from Hate Plus' predecessor. Additionally, a demo will be available, so prospective new players can see how well they get on with Love's esoteric world.

EG-contributor Phill Cameron rather liked Analogue. "If you're interested in dystopian sci-fi and intriguing mysteries and like getting angry about patriarchal misogyny, then it's certainly something you could enjoy," he wrote in his Analogue: A Hate Story review.