Before I get this review started, I would like to make something abundantly clear so that you know where you stand in accordance with this review. .hack//Mutation is by no means a sequel in the conventional video game sense - it is merely an extension of the first game and should be treated as such. Expect no changes in the combat system, no upgrades from a graphical perspective, and no big shifts in terms of setting. Expect the same exact core game that was released a few months ago, only with a handful of new additions and the continuation of the .hack storyline.

In the interest of saving time, people who have not yet played .hack//Infection can simply ignore the second game or get started with part 1 as soon as their schedule will allow it (and for starters, you can take a look at my review of it - also on GamerFeed). Sure, the beginning of Mutation offers a short summary of the events of the previous game, but that's meant for an audience that played the game a number of months ago and may need a refresher course in the game's basic plot. Even with the summarized recap, those who try to jump straight into Mutation without proper supervision may find themselves slightly frustrated and very discouraged.

Well, now that I've pared off a good 70% of the readership, I'm all set to whittle the remainder down to an even smaller number. Anybody who has played through Infection, and whose primary complaint was with what I once referred to as the "abysmally simplistic gameplay," can also look elsewhere for their gaming enjoyment. Absolutely no changes have been made to the battle engine, since it's still quite obvious that the game lacks a rudimentary combo system or some sort of ingenious magic system of any kind.

Certainly, the developers had a very difficult decision in front of them during the creation of this second installment: should they have kept the engine completely intact as to not totally alienate the gamers who expect to jump into the game and instantly get started with the action, or should they have made considerable changes to appease those who were looking for a bit more variety in monster combat? Personally, I think it would have been best if they made a few minor changes to show effort on their part, but it seems that the developers took the path of least resistance. Still, if you can honestly tolerate the barebones gameplay and have plodded forward through this game simply to see the advancement of the game's story, then read on.

So, I can now assume that about a good 5% of my original readership is still with me. Congratulations! All of you fall under the extremely exclusive demographic of Bandai's target market - that is, people who have played .hack//Infection and are dying to see how the story develops. Well, the good news is that the story progresses as you would expect it to: new plot twists abound, red herrings and dead ends will leave you scratching your head, new characters appear while old characters bare their souls to you, and existential philosophy and fundamental sci-fi concepts will have you pondering the game's inner truths. The bad news is that the game is just as short, if not shorter, than the first game.

It occurs to me that Project .hack could have easily re-aligned their story so that the game would be released on three or even two powerful installments instead of four, but they obviously did not. This disappoints me somewhat, but I guess this is to be expected with a production like .hack, which must be judged in its gestalt entirety, and not in its individual parts. Treat it, if you will, like the gaming industry's serialized equivalent to the Star Wars saga (only with more advanced philosophical concepts, but without the terribly clunky dialogue).

Since this is almost exactly the same game as the first installment, I suppose that I'm forced to give it the exact same score. However, when all is said and done, and when part 4 is finally released, I may actually change my tune. Be wary if that happens.