It's nothing like I hoped it would be.
- Good looking characters and environments
- Builds upon the first .hack
- Lots of places to explore
Negative
- Uninteresting combat
- You need to play the first game to get something out of it
- No tutorial of how you play the game
If you played the first game than you're in for more of the same. If you liked the first .hack, you will like this one since they are very similar in every aspect. But if you didn't like the first game, don't play the 2nd game since it's more of the same, only less better.
The story continues on Infection, if you're gonna buy this, think again and pay the first. There are just a few months and there aren't differences at all. Bad in Mutation is that there isn't a tutorial or anything to show you how to play. Newcomers are gonna have a cold welcome just like I had.
The characters look decent for a 2003. So does the environment of most stages. But it's complicated to take a stage, and if you're new you won't know what you should do or where to go. Anyway for those who don't know what .hack is about, it's an online game (not online in our case) the game is online but you don't play it online. The World is the game and it starts in Infection Part 1 and Mutation is Part 2. You can group allies and go in battle. You can answer and send e-mails to characters you don't know if you didn't play the first game.
Gameplay is awful. Slow, tiresome, and frustrating. Press X to attack and then wait. Not to mention that you can be blocked or frozen and can't move and let the enemy attack and you just dodge or get hit. Even for a 2003 game, previous RPGs are better such as Final Fantasy X and Dark Cloud. You'll run in some enemies when exploring. And that's about it.
But seriously rent the first game if you're interested in this series. Mutation is part 2 and you won't understand a thing if you buy this game first. No tutorial or a general description of what happened in Infection, nothing. The graphic engine is attractive but overshadowed by repetitive and tedious combat. .Hack//Mutation isn't a bad RPG experience and should be played by fans of the series, those who enjoyed the first .hack but they must get ready for more of the same. If you never played the game, and you're a great RPG fan, check Infection part 1 first, but otherwise there are better action RPGs out there, older than this which are much better, in almost every aspect.
Graphics = 7
Surprisingly good. If you played Infection you won't see any difference. But the environments look good and so do the characters, though not the best looking game around.
Sound = 6
Sound exactly like the first game.
Presentation = 8
Feels like an online game since there are lots of people. Load times not bad. Very similar to Infection though.
Gameplay = 4
Simply awful. Slow, tedious, and frustrating. You can give orders to party members but you only control Kite. Enemy attacks can sometimes make characters sleep or something to stop attacking. If the party dies is game over. But the game isn't hard and it's easy to overcome the gameplay, though there's a lot.
Story = ????
Play the first game, I just watched how Infection played, the game that is. But I can't tell since I don't have Infection. It's up to you. Though Mutation doesn't explain a thing of what's going on and that hurts.
Overall = 5.9 / 10
Very disappointed. The fact that there is no tutorial really leaves newcomers cold. You will end up searching here and there and nothing. If you intend to buy or already bought this not knowing that there nothing, use a walkthrough or something 'cos it's impossible to know what you should do next. Still it's not a bad game, there aren't serious problems, in fact it can be a great RPG experience, it wasn't for me.
*Might rrewrite a more accurate review*