Biomutant Is Rough And Tough In Many Ways (Review)

“A post-apocalyptic kung-fu fable.” Those were the words chosen to describe a new game from Swedish studio Experiment 101. For the last several years, this studio of former Avalanche Studios developers have been toiling away at their very first game - an open world action RPG where players take control of their own humanoid rodent and explore a land brimming with nature and plagued by the industrial fingers of its predecessors. Personally, this game has been one of my most anticipated titles since it was first revealed in 2017. That trailer told me there might be something special here, and after all these years it’s hard to believe I finally get to play it. Has the wait been worth it? Or am I just infatuated because I’m drawn towards rodent-like characters? Greetings, ladies and gentlemen of the Internet! My name is Ty with MojoPlays, and this is my review of “Biomutant”, reviewed on PlayStation 5 and also available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and Series X/S, and PC! Before we begin, we publish new videos all weeklong. So, be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to get notified about our latest videos! And if you wanna see what else I’ve been playing or wanna talk games, follow me on Twitter - @GhostRyderTyler! I do want to give a quick disclaimer: we have worked with THQ Nordic in the past for sponsored content, specifically for “Kingdoms of Amalur: Re-Reckoning”. They also gave us a review code for the game. On a more personal level, I have an affinity for THQ Nordic and their products, particularly the “Destroy All Humans” franchise and “SpongeBob” games. Just want to throw that out there in case some of you care about that kind of info. Now, what exactly is “Biomutant”? We’ve spent the last four years without much information about it until earlier this year (2021). Simply put, “Biomutant” throws you into a world that is dying. A force of nature known as the Tree of Life is being killed by pollution, and with the Worldeaters unleashed, it may very well be the end of life as we know it. With your customized rodent creature, it’ll be up to you to either end the toxic nightmare unfolding or attempt to salvage what’s left over. “Biomutant” certainly tells its story in a rather odd way. As you journey across the lands, you’ll encounter characters who supposedly knew you as a youngling and inform you of their preconceived impressions of you. I guess everyone just knew you when you were little? We can talk about plot logic all day, but there’s one aspect of the game players will notice early on - everything is narrated by David-Shaw Parker, who some may recognize from several other video games as well as the TV series, “The Crown” or the 1992 film, “The Muppet Christmas Carol”. The reliance on Parker’s narration is both a welcoming and irksome form of storytelling. I love the sound of his voice and how invested he sounds in the game’s story. His performance comes off like the game is passionate about its own narrative and world. However, there are times where his narration felt really unnecessary. Luckily, there is a setting where you can adjust the frequency of the narration. So, advice to players - start at the default setting and lower it if you find yourself getting a bit irritated. As for the story itself, “Biomutant” has its fair share of ups and downs where some moments are interesting and others... not-so-much. This is very much a game that wants you to be invested in it. Perhaps those who love to learn about lore will have a field day with “Biomutant”. It does attempt to incorporate a karma system, but too often does it try pushing you towards playing the “good” character. That kind of pressure on the player isn’t exactly a design choice I agree with when you’re encouraging the player to tell the story their way and think over their decisions carefully. Now, I know that I’m not making “Biomutant” sound all that great so far. I’ll be the first to admit that the story isn’t its strongest suit, but it isn’t its weakest either. (We’ll get to that later.) What Biomutant lacks in a compelling narrative it makes up for with an engaging combat system that fosters and cherishes experimentation while implementing a philosophy that makes every fight a thrill. When creating your character, do not fret about being locked out of particular playstyles. Regardless of the class you choose, you’ll always have access to melee weapons, ranged weapons, and Psi powers. Certainly these are a lot of tools to give the player, and it does make the controls feel a little weird within the first hour or two. However, once you get the rhythm and flow of your build, holy shit - do things get crazy! For your reference, I played the game as a Psi-Freak while investing skill points into Intellect, Vitality, and Luck to respectively increase the power of my Psi abilities, armor rating, and chance of critical hits as well as finding better loot. Though my build might suggest a reliance on the Psi powers, I was still able to devise a play style that required alternating between gunfire and Psi powers. Later on, I had found a melee weapon strong enough to make up for my lack of strength and was able to enhance it further with mods and crafting supplies. Of course, your experience could differ based on where you dump your points, but this kind of flexibility is a great way to allow players to turn themselves into a real threat regardless of what they choose to specialize in. Adding to the exceptional combat system is the diverse roster of foes you’ll encounter throughout your adventure. Despite some enemies sharing similar moves and patterns, I was having a ball with every encounter because of the “David & Goliath” structure. Whether it was because of the enemy’s size, number of allies, or higher level, every fight was a challenge. Sure, this giant would be hurling rocks and slamming the ground, but this next one will have Psi powers of its own and can deal a ton of damage with just one grab. That group you fought may have done a number with their turrets and riflemen, but what are you going to do when a demoman and sniper are attacking with a third using guns on a tiny copter pack? You’re constantly being tested, having to prioritize and toy with your own strategies. One thing I should point out about my experience, I finished the game on Hard difficulty. I did try playing on Normal at first, but found that setting to be too easy once I grasped the controls. If I had to make one criticism of the combat, it's that the impact isn’t quite there. Enemies are stiff when reacting to your hits, and it was strange not hearing the crack of my melee weapon against an enemy’s head. The moves are a visual spectacle, but what’s missing are sound effects and reactions. My target should be grunting and moving from the impact of my hit. Instead, they look as though I might have just flicked their forehead. Of course, this is an open world game. So, what’s it like to explore? Thankfully, there isn’t a learning curve with the controls here as there is with the combat. Your character moves at a reasonable speed, and climbing only requires moving towards the next available ledge. Speaking of ledges, feel free to jump off as many ledges as you want as there is no fall damage here. You’re also given a handful of mounts to use for transportation from wild animals that can be tamed with special fruit to automatons that get about as strange as a wind-up hand. Not every area will be totally accessible to you, at least not without consequence. Remember, this is a post-apocalyptic wasteland! Rather than locking players out of areas straight-up, “Biomutant” utilizes various resistance types - Cold, Heat, Radioactivity, and Biohazard. Each is assigned a specific color, allowing you to identify areas requiring high resistance in specific types. So, if you see one of these vibrantly clouded areas, you best check your stats and invest your Mutations correctly before venturing forth for quality loot. This combined with the imaginative world show that “Biomutant” was lovingly crafted unlike most open world games that start out procedurally generated. The only recycled assets I noticed were a few buildings and enemy bases. While we’re on that subject, enemy bases is one open world game trope “Biomutant” does implement, but it does so in a different way. Whereas most games focus heavily on either charging head on into battle or incorporating stealth, “Biomutant” remembers its RPG elements and tries to mix it up with the bases. Some leaders may desire to talk with you before battle, giving you the chance to convince them to surrender. Other bases may have an informant waiting for you outside and open an alternative path to taking over the base. Though a basic structure of RPG mechanics, it's nice to see an option where players can exercise their non-combative skills and not strictly tie stats into one very specific part of the game. As for the game’s performance, well, tech is perhaps the weakest part of the game. Stutters came and went, and there was one instance where the game crashed. However, I’d like the record to show that I played this game under version 2.01, and to my understanding, Experiment 101 will be patching the game. Overall, it was stable and ran at 60fps most of the time, but stutters were present. Also, the PS5 is a pretty buggy console in general (at least in my experience), so it's probably more stable on other platforms. While my complaints about the narrative and optimization can be deterring given the expectations of a more “cinematic” experience from AAA games, what “Biomutant” excels in does more than enough for me to forgive its shortcomings. Combat, controls, and the world’s design provide a thrilling experience from start to finish, and after having finished the main campaign within fifteen hours, I’m ready for another round. Think of it like Clint Eastwood in “The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly” - not all that pretty to look at in its current state of optimization, but it’s here to throw fists, fire guns, and show us some action. You’re here to loot, shoot, and be one with nature, dammit! As for publisher THQ Nordic, I must give them props for showing their incredible support and effort in marketing this game. Honestly, I feel “Biomutant” is an excellent addition to the company’s portfolio, and few publishers would be giving a new IP like this the amount of attention THQ Nordic has. If possible, I’d very much love to see Experiment 101 develop a sequel...assuming some improvements get made. For now, though, you can expect to see “Biomutant” on our list for Top 10 Games of 2021! For a game made by less than twenty people, this is a sixty-dollar game well worth your time.