As much as I love action-RPGs as a whole, few have ever quite stood out to me in the way thatBiomutanthas. I was already pretty much sold on the idea of playing as a mutated raccoon-like creature with a swordback when the game was first announced, but getting time with the game for myself has solidified even more thatBiomutanthas a lot of potential to stand out from other action-RPGs when it (hopefully) arrives later this year.
During PAX East 2019 in Boston, I got to try outBiomutantto get a better feel for how it plays in a demo that showed me some early sections from the game. Though I came intoBiomutantwith a few ideas of what to expect from the experience – knowing that it would be open-world and feature a plethora of mutated creatures – in a lot of ways the game managed to surprise me and made me even more interested to see what else this world has to offer in the full game.
[pullquote]“What I didn’t expect to see from playingBiomutantwas how seemingly tongue-in-cheek and over-the-top that the game would be."[/pullquote]
Biomutantplays out in the style of an action-RPG, and from the beginning of the demo I was immediately put into the character creation screen to customize a mutant of my own. This included altering my character’s traits to whether I wanted a character focused on a specific attribute, such as vitality, agility, strength, charisma, and more, and then moved on to customizing their looks and appearance down to fur color, length and more. However, adjusting these stats not only alters your mutant’s attributes, but also changes their appearance – a more agile character has a lankier build, while a mutant focused on strength has a bit of a stockier look to them. While I went through the character creation screen fairly quickly to move on to the gameplay portions of the demo, it seems like there are a wide variety of options to tinker around with in creating your character, and I’m interested to see more of how altering the different attributes affects your character’s appearance as much as their stats.
In terms of the gameplay,Biomutantfeels very much like an action game in the style of something like theBatman: Arkhamgames, but with added RPG elements to give the player a sense of progression and customization with their character’s abilities. Armed with a pair of makeshift weapons, the combat inBiomutantfelt fast-paced and varied as I had to juggle fighting off smaller mutated rodents alongside hulking behemoths. I also encountered segments of the combat where I had to take on shielded enemies that blocked my attacks, giving me the sense that the moment-to-moment combat inBiomutantwill offer players a variety of challenges that they will have to adapt to through new enemy types.
[pullquote]"[Biomutantis] a weird game, but I mean that in the best way possible."[/pullquote]
What I didn’t expect to see from playingBiomutantwas how seemingly tongue-in-cheek and over-the-top that the game would be, compared to the key art I have seen that suggested something a bit more serious in tone. Given that my character had the ability to envelop itself within a giant mucus bubble so that it could bounce to new areas and roll over enemies, developer Experiment 101 really seems to be embracing the unique aesthetic ofBiomutantand the possibilities that its mutated creatures offer. It’s a weird game, but I mean that in the best way possible.
That tongue-in-cheek quality especially comes through in the combat, as players can utilize a range of kung-fu powers to take down their opponents, including a set of powerful Super Wushu abilities that can deal devastating blows to enemies. While what I played of the combat seemed pretty familiar to anyone that has played titles like theBatman: ArkhamorMiddle-earthgames,Biomutant’s RPG-like qualities still seem like they have more to offer beyond just a traditional action-based experience.
Outside of the game’s characters and combat, what really struck out to me as well was the world ofBiomutant, which feels refreshingly lively and colorful. While it does take place in a post-apocalyptic setting,Biomutantfelt closer to something likeEnslaved: Odyssey to the WestorHorizon Zero Dawnin how it blends the post-apocalypse with a vibrant setting that feels lived-in and natural. Though I was roaming through dilapidated cities and areas that suggested the collapse of civilization long ago, the lush environments all gaveBiomutantthe feel that life has begun anew, and made me want to continue diving in further to see the rest of this world and what has become of it.
[pullquote]“Biomutantseems like it has the right amount of character, satisfying combat, and deep exploration to make it feel like one of this year’s potential sleeper hits."[/pullquote]
While I only had a brief window of time to playBiomutant(about 15-20 minutes), what I played so far still felt like a wholly unique experience that has a lot of potential, from its action-packed combat to its (seemingly) extensive RPG mechanics. Though it seems like there are a ton of systems that I had only just begun to scratch the surface of in the demo,Biomutantseems like it has the right amount of character, satisfying combat, and deep exploration to make it feel like one of this year’s potential sleeper hits. Like the mutated creatures that make up the game,Biomutantseems to have found an unusual mixture of genres and gameplay styles that somehow has managed to work in its favor.
Biomutantis currently in development for PS4, Xbox One, and PC, and expected to arrive sometime later this year.
