The journey of The World continues in .hack//Outbreak.

After finishing .hack//Mutation, I took about a month before deciding to hop back into The World. During that time, I completed a fair number of games. I was able to finish a few books, watch some anime, and get overall caught up on entertainment. During this interim, I had Kite’s journey and where it left off in the back of my mind. It took a lot of willpower to not hop from the second disc to the third: .hack//Outbreak. When I finally resumed the journey, it felt like my patience paid off because Kite’s story continued to move at a brisk, familiar pace that kept me wanting more. Similarly, the gameplay remained mostly unchanged. It allowed me to put my brain on the shelf; to disconnect. The point of this introduction is to highlight that your opinion on Outbreak will likely be the same as your opinion on both Infection and Mutation. If you enjoyed the journey thus far, then you’ll enjoy this.

I’ll start with the new stuff. First, Kite gets two new friends: Balmung and Terajima Ryoko. Balmung will be a familiar face, but Terajima is brand new. And she’s a doll. A heavy axewoman with a darling demeanor, she adds some grace and classiness to an otherwise clunky class in The World. Next, there is a new Root Town and server to explore. Players will quickly get access to the Sigma Server and its Root Town: Aerial City Fort Ouph. This means new shops, new NPCs, new possibilities for trading, and of course, new dungeons. It also means two new Grunty classes can be discovered. Grunties can be raised and raced around town for rewards. New to Outbreak is Kite’s ability to dash from portal to portal while he’s riding a Grunty in a field. Finally, he get a new Drain Ability called 2128 Drain. Using this on a broken foe gives a higher chance at earning a rare piece of equipment. That’s everything. It doesn’t sound like much. Objectively speaking, it isn’t. Balmung being recruitable is a full-circle moment of sorts, but nothing major. It’s important to keep in mind (once again) that this is one long game separated into four separate discs. Major changes aren’t going to happen. It was an ambitious, cash seeking idea that didn’t play out the way Bandai hoped.

But, for those that are in it for the long haul will be able to hit the ground running after installing their data from Mutation. The game begins with new emails, more news updates, and Kite heading to the new server in The World to hopefully get closer to solving the mystery behind Orca and the other comatose victims. His search takes him to a dungeon where he sees Balmung fighting a corrupted enemy. Together, they defeat it and agree to work together to continue solving the mysteries behind CC Corp, The World, and the issues that seem to be steadily creeping from the popular MMO to the real world. In this entry, we see a few more revelations about the Twilight Epithet, Harald, and Kite’s friends behind their avatars.

We also witness more disaster in the real world. As things get worse in The World, the news will have updates on major power outages, fires, and accidents. Sadly, there isn’t much else. Mistral and Elk can’t join Kite’s outings, leaving you with Wiseman as the only Wavemaster option. Mia is often seen acting nutty, but nothing comes of it. Outbreak feels like the most barren of the games despite having fun story moments. Even the ending leaves with you less of a cliffhanger than usual.

Sigma Server’s new Root Town is fun to explore. I’ve always enjoyed anything that has to do with civilizations that exist in the clouds. There’s a ton of new equipment for Kite and his friends to acquire. And of course, there are new fields and dungeons to explore that consist of three keywords. Combat is the same: you’ll be mashing X to perform a regular attack, accessing the menus A LOT to issue commands/making sure everyone doesn’t die within seconds, and switching equipment around to take advantage of elemental weaknesses. I experienced the same level of relaxation and fun I had with Infection and Mutation. Otherwise, all the things look and sound the same outside of some awesome looking bosses. New track were added that sound pleasant and the same actors/actresses return for their characters.

Not much else to say. I spent more time with Outbreak than I did with Infection and Mutation. The usual bonus dungeon and Goblin Tag pop up after the credits roll, but there’s a lot of other extras to check out before putting the disc away. The bonuses aren’t worth the trouble, but they are fun for those that really want to see as much of The World as possible. In total, I got just shy of 30 hours of game time. With all of this build up, I’m both hopeful and excited for the final entry. Again, I plan to take some time before logging back into The World.

Overall, 6.5/10: Kite’s journey continues with the same momentum as before. Keep your expectations in check and you’ll enjoy .hack//Outbreak.