Download sources

There are several download sources created by the community. All known sources are gathered in the Hydra Library.

Only sources with Trusted or Safe to use status will be covered. It is highly recommended that you only use sources with these statuses.

This topic will present and explain their main differences:

Formats

Different sources make their games available in different formats. Here is an explanation of each of them:

Repack:

Repack is a term used for a compressed version of the game. Games from sources that make repacks available will come with an installer (setup.exe), which you need to run to install the game.

DODI, FitGirl, GOG, KaOsKrew, Tiny-Repacks, Empress and ByXatab (when it has repack in the title) are sources that provide repacks.

After installing them, you can delete the installer files to save storage.

Pre-installed:

Pre-installed is a term used for pre-installed games, only requiring their extraction.

Online-Fix, SteamRip, AtopGames, Kazumi, Shisuy's source and Repack-Games are sources that provide pre-installed games.

You must have WinRAR installed on your computer to extract these files. (If Hydra did not already extract them automatically)

Portable:

Portable is a term used for pre-installed games, without the need for extraction.

ByXatab games (when they don't have repack in the title), Kazumi games downloaded via torrent, and some RuTracker games, are portable games, without the need for extraction.

Available languages

Sizewise, for considerably small games, all sources will support all languages.

For bigger games, with multiple voiceovers, the sources may or may not support all languages:

• Games from ByXatab in its portable versions, DODI, FitGirl, GOG and Online-Fix options, for the most part, support all official languages of the game.

• Games from ByXatab in its repacks, SteamRip, AtopGames, Shisuy's source, Repack-Games, KaOsKrew, Tiny-Repacks and Empress only support English and Russian.

• Games from Kazumi and RuTracker will vary according to the download option.

Online

Games from the Online-Fix source have a crack that enables online multiplayer via Steam, in the vast majority of cases, and via Epic Games/Xbox, in certain cases.

Games from other sources that have Coop, Multiplayer or Online in the title will come with the Online-Fix crack pre-applied, or optional.

In the case of multiplayer via Steam, it is only possible to play with people who are also playing via Online-Fix.

If the game has multiplayer via LAN (Local Area Network), it is possible to play with anyone using any source (even the original game), as long as everyone is on the same version.

If the game is not updated, the online may not work properly

Downloaders

Torrent is the most common form of download among all sources. It works in the peer to peer (p2p) method, seeds and peers are required for downloads to work. Because of this dependency, its speed tends to be the most inconsistent among all the options available on Hydra. However, it is still possible to achieve high speeds for games with a high number of seeds and peers.

Gofile/Pixeldrain/Datanodes/Mediafire/Qiwi are free hosters for direct downloads, without relying on seeds and peers. Because they are free, their speeds may still not be as consistent. Among them, Gofile presents better and more consistent results.

Real-Debrid/Torbox are paid debrid services, useful for downloading games faster and more consistently. Of both options, Real-Debrid is the best, although more expensive. You can check their prices on the official websites of Real-Debrid and Torbox

Nimbus is Hydra's own debrid service, which is still in beta, occasionally enabled for Hydra Cloud subscribers.

DLCs/Additional Content

Usually, all sources distribute all additional content that games have. Unfortunately, the only way to know exactly what content comes in each option is by checking the official website of each source.

In games from the GOG source, the DLCs have their own setups. So, in addition to installing the base game, you need to install the DLCs, if you want.

Which sources should I use?

Based on all the points discussed in this topic, here are some recommendations of sources to use when downloading a game on Hydra Launcher:

For offline games:

• ByXatab, in its portable options;
• DODI;
• SteamRip;
• Kazumi.

For online games:

• Online-Fix;
• Any other source that has Coop, Multiplayer or Online in the title.

It is recommended to choose the most updated version among these options.

---

Despite all their differences, and your personal preferences, it is recommended to add all sources with Trusted or Safe to use status. Some games are only available from a specific source.