Mutazione

Fun Game, Great Story, Amazing Characters

Okay this game is amazing. It really managed to find that sweet spot where it’s both a fun story and a great game to play, so you never feel like your just reading a book with occasional tapping, but you also don’t feel like the story is just put on the sidelines. The main character is fun to play and she feels like a real and genuine person, and what’s extra impressive is she actually feels like someone who is a teenager rather than a bunch of Hollywood cliches of what teenagers are like turned into a character. I never found myself feeling like she could never be an actual person. The story is super fun, and I love how they manage to have an overarching main story, and then a more wholesome soap opera story that still feels just as important as the main one. The characters are super fun and easy to become attached to, so you get quite invested in the story. The small side story with the red dots was also cute and it was always a little extra fun to see what they were up to. The songs were also really catchy, even when they where just gibberish. This was a great game, I’d totally recommend it to friends and I would really recommend giving it a play through!

Why I gave up after 30 minutes.

Sigh. After being traumatized by pixel-hunting misses in Lucas Arts adventures of the 90's(which I loved nonetheless), I was thrilled when developers got the memo that players wanted hotspot indicators available in some fashion. The developers of Mutazione apparently didn't get the memo. If they were understandably concerned about interfering with the art, they could have made a press and hold to highlight feature. The way hotspots work is that they automatically popup when you walk past them. The problem is that many have a very fine margin of activation so I often found myself running around tapping near a hotspot I just walked by ten times to reactivate it. This problem is compounded by the fact that while the game is 2D in art design, you navigate in 3D. This means it's super easy to miss a path because you had no idea to tap down or up. Since there are so many things that look actionable that aren't, and many things that don't look actionable but are, I found myself tapping all over the screen 50 times for each area. The area exits aren't remotely clear so it would be easy to miss an entire area if you don't pixel hunt. The requirements to do this are in direct conflict with the supposed relaxing nature of the game. Oh and the map is of no help. There are too many good games out there to bother fighting a UI for a game that might be decent beneath it. It drives me nuts when developers miss such an obvious design problem.

What a delight

I play mainly puzzle and adventure games, and have been looking for something with a deliberate pace and low stress. This was a perfect game for me. It was loads of fun, has some degree of thinking and logic but does not try to “stump” you, and has the most engaging storyline I’ve come across in a couple years. The art is thoughtful and thematically linked to the story, there is humor, intrigue, it was honestly a much better game than I thought it would be. Very much like a little movie. I was actually sad when it ended, I could’ve played it for twice as long. I hope there is a sequel, and more games for sure from this developer. Quite a brilliant little piece of art this is. Edit: Oh and I want to add, I noticed some complaints about the UI. I didn’t find it to be that bad. I see what they’re referring to, but I found the issues a little annoying here and there at most. The game seems to be confused at times what you’re trying to click. No big deal. It doesn’t cause you to “die” or lose hit points lol

Storyline is soothing

This is a story more than a game, as you nearly entirely walk around talking to people and have very little choice in what you do. However, it was beautiful in its simplicity: moments of true grace, moments of humor, and endearing characters behaving in believable ways with charmingly simple animation. I personally prefer this type of simple art with a static background over first-person-view movement (which makes me nauseous). I appreciated that there was the “journal” where you could check what you were supposed to do next if you weren’t sure how to advance the story; all games should have that!! I appreciated all the details that made this a nearly perfect experience. There was only one time I wondered all over the island looking for someone. If they wanted to make a Part Two some time I would definitely play. I played this basically in one day of being sick, as it’s got a calming quality. Congratulations to the makers for a job well done.

Reinvents the Adventure genre

This was an incredibly memorable experience. It reminds me a bit of the old 1990s LucasArts adventure games, if you can imagine those without the inventory puzzles and pixel hunting, and with an immersive world full of dynamic characters that feel so real you’ll actually miss them when the game is over. I really like that while Kai is very important to Mutazione and its people, she’s only one character and one part of the plot. The other characters all have their own things going on, romance, trauma, loss, etc. The soap opera element is done very well, and actually feels like pretty realistic small-town drama. Seeking out all the different characters to see what’s happening with them today never felt like a chore to me, but if you want to skip some interactions then no harm done. Their stuff isn’t about you, and they’ll carry on regardless. That’s part of what makes it all feel so alive. I’ll be thinking about this one for a long time.

Truly something

Wow. I have never in my life played a game that touched each and every emotion the way this one did. I don’t usually write reviews but once the end credits started coming up, I knew I had to. I would honestly pay for Apple Arcade just to play this game. The characters were beautifully developed, the scenery was whimsical, the plot was full of twists and turns. Gosh and the relationships between each character obviously had great thought and detail put into them. This game pulled everything I like to see in a game and put it all together into one little perfect bundle. If I had to pick one thing to change, I would make a check list as apart of the index of the encyclopedia so you can check off each plant you gather seeds from instead of having to flip through the entire book every single time. Overall, I am beyond happy with this game and will continue to look for other games by this company.

I didn’t expect it to be so good.

So I was bored one day decided to browse through Apple Arcade apps see what’s new…i come across this app and I’m apprehensive about it because I have high expectations for games like these. I decided ultimately that I would play just 10 minutes if I wasn’t hooked I’ll just delete it no harm. I was HOOKED in 5 minutes. I pretty much didn’t stop playing until I got to the end and it still took me probably 3 days of playing whenever I could to complete. The story line…remarkable the graphics the nature of game play it was just so smooth and captivating. The sound track and satisfying sounds were an added huge bonus. I will probably replay this again. I want to lay it all out there for everyone but you really just need to start playing. If you like dialogue choice based games this is a winner!

Well done, but use a controller

So, first of all, a lot of the scathing complaints about the UI and navigation are...well...completely accurate if not understated. BUT I can honestly say that using a controller makes the game incredibly easier to play. I honestly wouldn’t stick with it at all if I didn’t have one, but my controller rectified 99% of my navigation concerns. The atmosphere, the deliberate and slow pace, the richness of the environment and the ease of missing things actually work together for me to make it an engaging and interesting game. It’s like a well written short story that might be a difficult read but you’d almost feel a little guilt putting it down without finishing it. It drives you to patiently explore, to look at everything, and to adjust your play style to its pace instead of the other way around - if that’s not what you’re looking for then come back to this game another time and you’ll enjoy it better.

More than just a game.

This has to be the best game I’ve ever played in my life. It’s so amazing that I don’t feel comfortable calling it just a game. The storyline was so well thought out and provoking, the visuals are so beautiful and calming, and that soundtrack is out of this world!!!!!!!! I started this game one evening and played through until late because I just didn’t want to go sleep, I wanted to finish it. I woke up the next morning and finished it and I almost cried because I didn’t want it to end. I feel like I’ve created a bond with the characters and like I was actually ending a real-life journey. I’m so amazed at how well done this game was. I want to play again, on my ipad so i can fully enjoy the graphics, but I’m afraid that it won’t have the same impact. This game is truly an experience. I want to thank everyone who put effort into this game as it truly impacted me.

Best game in the AppStore by far!!!!

Out of all the games I’ve ever played, this one is the best!!! By far! The story is beautiful and calming! Perfect to play on a rainy day! I can’t get enough of it! The graphics are outstanding too! The twists and turns in the story keep making me go back in the game whenever I can to see what happens! It’s so intriguing!! All of the characters are super lovable and you get to love them even more as the story goes!! Also the music add so much to the game!!! It’s really pretty!! And makes playing the game feel cozy! Growing the gardens is actually super fun and I always try to make them as neat as possible. Also I could listen to the music that is played in the garden all day! It’s so soothing! It’s mysterious, beautiful, and exciting features make this game superior to all the others! I hope a new one comes out!!! And if it does I can’t wait!!!

Saltsea Chronicles is a story-driven adventure game from indie studio Die Gute Fabrik, known for their other titles Mutazione and Sportsfriends.

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