BIOMUTANT

If your a sensible adult, you wont like this.

BIOMUTANT, developed by Experiment 101 and published by THQ Nordic, is an ambitious open-world action-RPG that blends martial arts combat, mutant customization, post-apocalyptic storytelling, and a vibrant, anthropomorphic animal world. Released on Steam in 2021 after years of anticipation, the game arrives with a creative vision that is undeniably unique, though the execution often struggles to keep pace with its ambitions. What unfolds is an experience that is richly imaginative and visually engaging but occasionally hampered by inconsistent pacing, uneven mechanics, and a narrative style that doesn’t always land as intended. The world of BIOMUTANT is arguably its most compelling feature. Set in a post-human Earth where nature has reclaimed cities and mutated creatures rule the land, the game presents a lush, colorful landscape teeming with variety. From overgrown forests and polluted wastelands to snowy mountains and sun-drenched ruins, the game’s environments are not only visually striking but also invite exploration through their scale and diversity. The art direction leans heavily into a whimsical, almost storybook aesthetic, with vibrant color palettes and exaggerated designs that set it apart from more grounded post-apocalyptic games. It's a world that's as beautiful as it is bizarre, filled with mutated fauna, abandoned tech, and mysterious ruins that hint at a once-thriving civilization. Customization is another core pillar of the game. Players begin by creating their own mutated protagonist, selecting from a range of species and attributes that impact physical appearance and core stats like strength, agility, and intellect. These choices affect not just gameplay but how the world perceives your character. Mutation extends throughout the game as well, with unlockable abilities tied to psi-powers, bio-points, and environmental exposure. You can sprout wings, use telekinesis, or unleash elemental attacks, making combat feel highly personal and ever-evolving. In addition, the game’s crafting system is impressively deep, allowing players to assemble weapons from scavenged parts — think scrap metal swords, toothbrush-handled rifles, and electrified hammers — each with its own stats and effects. Combat in BIOMUTANT is a hybrid of melee, gunplay, and special abilities, inspired by kung fu and infused with a flashy, arcade-style flair. Players can dodge, parry, juggle enemies in mid-air, and seamlessly swap between close-range and ranged attacks. When it works, the system can feel fluid and dynamic, offering moments of impressive chaos and creativity. However, it can also feel floaty and unrefined, especially when facing large groups or more powerful enemies where targeting and collision detection become inconsistent. There’s depth here for players who want to master the system, but it’s often undermined by repetition and a lack of enemy variety that makes long combat sequences feel drawn out. The game’s narrative structure is unconventional and sometimes divisive. BIOMUTANT is narrated by an omnipresent voice that translates the squeaky speech of in-game characters and offers philosophical musings on your decisions and surroundings. This narrative approach aims for charm but ends up feeling intrusive or overly verbose for many players. Conversations are slow-paced, and the narrator often repeats information or interrupts gameplay flow, which can become grating over time. The moral alignment system — represented by light and dark “aura” choices — attempts to influence the story and your relationships with factions, but these choices often lack meaningful consequences or nuance, resulting in a system that feels more cosmetic than impactful. The game’s central conflict revolves around a decaying world tree and the war between various tribes vying for dominance. Players are given the choice to unite the tribes or conquer them, aligning with philosophies that promote unity, strength, or environmental responsibility. This structure creates a sense of agency, though the story beats can feel repetitive as similar tribal quests and boss fights unfold with little variation. Additionally, the overarching threat of the world-ending “Worldeaters” — massive mutated creatures — provides epic boss battles that serve as high points, but the buildup to these moments can be slow and padded with fetch quests or unnecessary travel. One of BIOMUTANT’s standout qualities is its accessibility. It is designed to be easy to pick up, with scalable difficulty, forgiving mechanics, and a light-hearted tone that makes it suitable for a wide range of players, including younger audiences. Its environmental themes — focusing on pollution, corporate ruin, and nature’s resilience — are delivered with sincerity, even if they lack the depth or subtlety found in more mature narratives. There’s a sense of optimism woven throughout, even in the face of apocalyptic decay, which gives the game a distinct emotional flavor compared to grimmer contemporaries. Technically, the game performs well on most systems, with minimal bugs and smooth frame rates, though some areas suffer from pop-in textures or camera jank, especially during tighter combat. The UI is functional but occasionally clunky, particularly when managing large inventories or navigating the map. Voice acting is minimal by design, as most characters speak in gibberish translated by the narrator, but the sound design — from atmospheric music to environmental effects — is strong and enhances immersion. Ultimately, BIOMUTANT is a game brimming with personality, creativity, and good intentions. It’s a love letter to open-world design and modular gameplay systems, but one that sometimes tries to do too much at once. Its flaws — repetitive mission design, underwhelming storytelling, and a combat system that lacks polish — don’t overshadow the charm of its setting, customization, and potential. It’s a game that dares to be different, and while it doesn’t always succeed, it’s easy to admire the ambition and vision behind it. For players looking for a light-hearted, imaginative open-world experience with a focus on exploration, crafting, and customization, BIOMUTANT offers plenty of value. It may not revolutionize the genre, but it stands out enough to leave a lasting impression — not for perfection, but for originality and a world worth wandering through. Rating: 7/10