Everyone plays games differently. Some people like to just rush through the fights and slaughter everything. Others take their time to explore every nook and cranny that a game world has to offer. Melee focused or ranged attacks, quick movement to avoid attacks or tons of health to tank damage. It can get frustrating when you play a game but can’t go with your usual play style. THQ Nordic has released the long awaited Biomutant in which you can play in whatever style suits you best.
The Earth was poisoned by large corporations and became uninhabitable for humans. They fled in a desperate attempt to save their species. What they did not realize was that the animals would grow and adapt to this harsh new realm that was left to them. But with every population, there grew new tribes and creatures that could not get along. It is up to you to unite the tribes and stop a new threat from destroying the World Tree. Will you pick the path of light and work to save your world, or will you give into the darkness and allow the land to be destroyed so that it may birth a new civilization? Your quest depends on your actions.
This game offers you the chance to customize just about everything, and you start with your character. Using a wheel, you must decide on your attributes, and to some extent, your looks. You can start as a balanced character or try to stack up points in a specific attribute. If you want to have a really strong character, your agility and intelligence will suffer. You may be smarter if you have high agility, but your health will take a hit. It is up to you to find the balance that fits your style. You also get to pick your class. Will you be a Deadeye and increase ranged attacks, or maybe a PSI Freak and concentrate on mental abilities to attack your foe. There is a myriad of choices, so pick well and begin your adventure.
There are also your weapons and armor that can be customized. Throughout the world you will find parts of equipment that you can craft into your means of protection. Use them to create different types of melee weapons, guns, and armor. Choose handles, shafts, blades and add ons. Upgrade that cool biker jacket you found with spikes and chicken wire to increase its defense. You can also build up resistance to the different environmental hazards. There are also workshops that can but used to upgrade the quality of your gear. This means that you can upgrade and alter one weapon to carry with you through the game.
But weapons are not the only thing you have at your disposal during combat. As you progress you will earn points that can be used to learn psi abilities and biomutations. These can be used to reach new heights or change the way you fight. Use the elements against your enemies, or float above them to stay clear of their attacks while raining down havoc. Take down enemies without even lifting your sword. It is through the use of these different abilities that combat keeps from getting repetitive.
Unlike many RPGs, your allegiance to a specific side is not set in stone. You may align yourself with one tribe, but later switch to another. If you do good deeds, your light will increase, just as if you kill innocents your dark level will rise. What is interesting is that doing something good or evil will not influence the opposites level. This means that you can gain both light and dark skills within the same playthrough.
Your quest will take you through a huge land filled with danger, interesting characters and a rich back story. As you progress through the story you will face ever more difficulty enemies. If you decide to venture into harsher lands, the enemies will be stronger than you, but not by insurmountable levels. The game uses a very good system of level scaling to keep your journey interesting. Even if you return to the start of the game, the foes will not be weak foes that can just be walked over.
The world you get to explore is an amazing combination of desolation and beauty. A landscape ravaged by chemicals, yet nature is fighting back, even flourishing in some spots. The graphics are stunning. There is even a photo mode that will allow you to take snapshots of the scenery. The only minor issue that I found with the rendering of the game was when there were extreme close ups of certain animals. There is something about the hair / fur that just seems a little off. I seem to notice this in most games for some reason. Hair physics is the next get leap in gaming, or so I hope.
With a deep narrative this title will keep you engaged for hours on end. Even if you were to just play through the main story you are in for an enjoyable time. But if you take the time to explore and complete the over 80 side quests along the way, you are truly in for an interesting quest. Once the game is complete you will have a chance to do it all again, with your level and equipment intact, to choose a different path.
Biomutant is available now on Xbox, Playstation and Steam. The game comes with a $60 price tag. With the expanse of the world, depth of gameplay, and the ability to play through making different choices, you will get your moneys worth. This game, while not perfect, is worth the time you put into it.
