Developed by Die Gute Fabrik and published by Akupara Games, Mutazione is a mutant soap opera that takes place on an island of the same name. It features a well-written narrative, a wealth of interesting characters and a minimalistic but charming art style that combine nicely to deliver a deeply entertaining experience.
You play as Kai, a high school girl who visits the island of Mutazione to connect with her estranged grandfather after receiving a letter stating that he might be dying. After a little bit of progress, it is revealed that this area was hit by a meteor called ‘Moon Dragon’, which then caused mutations in the surviving humans, fauna and flora.
Shortly after meeting her grandfather, Kai discovers that he is a scientist and also happens to be the community’s Shaman. A Shaman who has studied the local plant life and has discovered that the mutation from the meteor has resulted in them being incredibly reactive to certain melodies. With Kai’s grandfather possibly dying, he looks to her to learn more about the science behind it, in addition to possibly taking over his role in the community.
Mutazione is something special. The narrative and the cast of characters in the community felt so authentic. Everyone seems to be going through something, from loss to the pain of unrequited love. As I progressed further into the game, I felt compelled to talk to everyone every time new conversations opened up. The character development is just superb and it’s very likely that you’ll start to care about each and every one of them.
Mutazione is more of an entertaining, yet relaxing experience instead of one that will challenge you. It’s an incredibly chilled time, which sees you talking to and connecting with members of the community. When you aren’t doing that, you’re creating and tending to mutant gardens, which, in turn, uplifts the community’s spirits. It’s truly simple and it was really nice to just slow down and focus on that.
Each type of plant life reacts to a certain melody, which makes them grow in record time. Once mature, they can be harvested and at the same time, play the same melody that helps them grow. Listening to the plants was great, as each plant creates a different sound based off of a particular instrument. They play the respective song associated with that plant and sometimes even harmonise.
While Kai has a list of things to do each day, it’s never a massive one. Often, it’s two to three items that can be checked off in a matter of minutes, which then advances the time of day and subsequently, the day of the week. It’s very easy to just check off those things and just rush through, but I always found myself seeking out the NPC’s in order to make conversation with them and learn more about other characters and the history of the island.
If there’s one thing I would criticise, it’s that it’s a bit of a drag getting around the island, this is especially true when the list of objectives doesn’t give information about where a specific character will be when the objective concerns them.
As mentioned before, Mutazione features a minimalistic art style and it’s incredibly charming. The soundtrack complements it well as it features simple compositions that sometimes border on haunting.
Mutazione is fantastic. It’s a game that encourages you to slow down and experience the magic of the island and its inhabitants. I had a great time getting to know the community of mutants and helping them where I could. Each character felt memorable and it was a pleasure to engage with them. The gardening is simple enough and seeing how a character might react to it was always exciting. Mutazione is just simply captivating!
Mutazione is available in iOS and PC
For more on the game head here.
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