Hate Plus

Pop Matters
A Process of Discovery

Hate Plus demonstrates some of the best virtues of videogames in the way that it’s structured as something to be explored with no clear starting point and as something that is completed only after a process of player exploration. It isn’t meant to be read cover to cover; it’s a process of discovery. As much as players like to champion their own influence in the game world as the distinguishing artistic quality of video games, sometimes there’s no need to interact with a game—just occupying it is enough. I’m not sure if there’s a word for that, but that’s what Hate Plus does.