Secret of the ooze

Biomutant is a game where I can see both the ambition and budget shine through. It reminds me of the 360/PS3 era, where AA games were unlike any other generation. I love these types of games. Taking a chance on something completely original usually results in gamers talking about them for years to come. I believe Biomutant will be considered a hidden gem in the future. Something we talk fondly of. Something we will be begging for a 12K remaster of in ten years. It left a great impression on me, and I think it is one of the most interesting games released so far in 2021.

First off, what is Biomutant? The game is developed by Experiment 101, which consists of former Avalanche members after they finished working on Just Cause. They left to create a new studio and Biomutant is their first project. The best description I can give is that it is an open-world experience with a side of kung-fu and a narrative that takes itself so seriously it becomes comical at times. I loved that aspect. It added a sense of charm to an otherwise dreary world inhabited by mutated creatures that refer to items and areas in words that sound like a three-year-old made them up.

MSRP: $59.99
Platforms: XB1 (reviewed), PS4, PC
Price I’d Pay: $59.99

The story takes place in a post, post apocalyptic world. There are no humans, only creatures that have been mutated by the scorched earth. They have been segregated into tribes that all have a different view of how the world should work. There are also four creatures known as World Eaters at each end of the map that are slowly destroying the planet. The main quest tasks characters with uniting the tribes while also taking down these mammoth beasts.

Biomutant carries a lot of dialogue and choice with it. There is a light/dark system that tracks player’s actions towards other characters. There is a narrator who is constantly giving backstory and context to your actions. It is surprisingly in-depth and takes itself very seriously with its story. The voice acting is mostly grunts and noises ala old N64 titles, but the narrator has plenty to say to translate. David Shaw Parker does the honors and he is wonderful. Reminded me of a Planet Earth narration.

Players kick off by creating their Biomutant creation. The character creator is very robust, and I was able to create some truly gnarly concoctions. There is a class system players can choose from which decides what powers will be available. Biomutant is broken down into multiple systems. There is the combat, the loot collection, exploration, and of course story choices. Let’s break those down one at a time.

The combat is by far the weakest of the bunch. It combines a mix of melee attacks with ranged weaponry and some magic depending on your class. The melee works decently, but a lack of hard lock-on mechanic can cause plenty of swinging at air. The ranged is the most fickle, as the lock-on is there, but it feels more like a suggestion than anything else. I missed plenty of shots I swore I had dead to sights. There is also an active reload function, but I rarely used it and bought the perk that increased reload speed instead. Finally, the magic is neat, but a bunch of the powers, at least on my class, felt underwhelming. The fire dash though is well, fire.

Loot is everywhere in the world and consists of stuff you would expect. Safety pins, bottle caps, and even plungers make up items I collected. There is also gear to obtain and equip that increases stats. This is very much an RPG in the sense that there are levels and skill points attached to everything. There is also a crafting system that allows me to upgrade my current pieces or build new ones from scratch if I so desired. It really is an intricate system. I did find things I preferred though, and I was glad I could simply upgrade those instead of having to find higher level versions of them. There are also plot point items that can be collected which have specific moves and abilities attached to them.

The levelling system is overwhelming. There are multiple points that are obtained that can be used for a variety of upgrades. From new moves to special powers to just resistance to specific environmental effects. The game is dense and feels almost too ambitious at times. There are suits for specific things such as cold and water areas. There are a multitude of traversal vehicles, including a mechanical hand that literally creates a finger gun to shoot. The world is chock full of things to see and do. The main quest is only scratching the surface.

Speaking of, the world of Biomutant is large. Each area carries a theme, and with it plenty of things to explore. There are tons of side missions and some stuff is unique and only found if I dug deep enough to find it. The core quest can be completed in about 10-12 hours, but I suspect if I had done everything the game had to offer, I could easily spend upwards of 60-70 hours to see it all. It’s that big. I loved the quirks of the world as well. For example there is a fast travel system. There are markers scattered around the world, not unlike Witcher 3. To unlock them and make them available your character urinates on them. Love it.

Now let’s talk about the visuals. This game is beautiful at times. Running over the grassy field as the world opens up can be breathtaking. There is so much life and color and the developers have done a great job of creating a gorgeous destroyed world. That said there are a ton of repeated designs and textures. Lots of areas feel exactly the same; this is where my budget comment comes in. Certain dungeons and outposts feel identical in structure and design. I get the constraints, but when I noticed it, it did take a little away from the feeling of the world. The game runs great on Series X. The option to lock the frame rate to 30 or open it up to 60 is a nice feature. The HDR support is also gorgeous.

Biomutant is a game I had issues with, but could not stop exploring the world. It has its issues for sure. The combat feels extremely unsatisfying at times and the repeated designs are disappointing. Still, there is nothing quite like this game and I adore that. It reminds me of getting unique experiences that we just don’t see in this new world. It is clear that this team also remembers those types of games and have crafted one of the best ones to date. Don’t sleep on Biomutant. It is truly one of the most original experiences I have played in a long time.

Review copy of game provided by publisher.