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1 Three years after its initial release, Biomutant has finally made its way to the Nintendo Switch! Marketed as an open post-apocalyptic RPG, Experiment 101’s 2021 introduces new players and makes a call out to old fans as an invitation to restore the Tree of Life and rid the land of World Enders.
As a game plagued with mixed reviews, I have never picked up Biomutant. With the new Switch release I thought it was finally time to see whether it lived up to the hype or played down to the critics.
Saving the world from one World Ender at a time…
Gameplay
On the surface, Biomutant is an RPG with a very simplistic plot and a black and white choice system. Unlike games like Life is Strange or any release from Quantic Dream, deciding whether you side with ‘light’ or ‘dark’ doesn’t feel like it has any tangible repercussions. The first real choice you make is deciding between the Myriad tribe who want to unite creatures and save the Tree of Life or the Jagmi tribe who would abandon the tree to the World Enders. It’s a very simple good ending versus bad ending choice which doesn’t seem like it actually makes that much of a difference.
One of the best things about choice games is that you each choice has a different path and you have to figure out next steps on your own – boom. Butterfly effect. Biomutant removes the chance for misjudgements by pretty much telling you what will happen.
Combat
The combat is one of the redeeming qualities of the game. As a typical hack and slash game, there are a number of similarities to other big Switch releases such as Breath of the Wild. It stands out in the crowd by defining the fighting style based on the type of character you’ve created. I made a couple of different characters just to see how different they all felt and there was definitely enough of a difference for it to be noticeable.
It was difficult to get to grips with at first and felt a little bit sloppy when trying to manoeuvre the Joy-Cons but once I was used to the controls everything rolled smoothly. The melee combat felt a lot more comfortable than ranged but that might be because of my play style. I prefer to be in harms way rather than standing at the back pinging bullets off a creature’s back.
Graphics & Audio
Despite the beauty of the original game, the Nintendo Switch does not do Biomutant any favours. The scenery sometimes falls flat whilst unperfected textures roam the open world as much as the player does. It is somewhat to be expected given the power of the Switch and the sheer size of Biomutant. Fur textures seem to suffer more than anything else which is a shame when you have to stare at the back of your characters head. There are instances throughout the game where something just feels… off, as if the background is completely separate from what is happening at the forefront of the screen.
For me, the graphics aren’t an issue as I don’t pay attention beyond the first few hours of a game so after my initial shrug at the graphics, I could move past it and enjoy the game. If you are a graphic snob then you’ll definitely be able to notice where textures don’t look right which might be an issue.
The soundtrack for Biomutant has always been a stand out for me, even without playing the game. It builds an atmosphere easily and helps you fully immerse yourself in ‘The New World’. It picks up what is being let down by the graphics power that the Switch has. The audio should definitely be recognised for the skill and ambiance that it creates.
Longevity
The open world of Biomutant has a lot for the player to do outside of the story. There are plenty of areas to explore and villages to save as you make your way from quest to quest. Each area on the map provides a checklist of notable loot for collection, giving something extra to Completionists. Rewards for exploring beyond that aren’t that great. There isn’t a reward from a side mission that you can’t find through just normal exploration. This, for me, made side missions less compelling. I would have expected there to be better loot as it’s rewards for actual missions.
There is more than enough to justify the £34.99 price but I don’t think there’s enough for a second play through, even with multiple endings.
Final Thoughts
Biomutant brings adorable creatures to the centre of a story about saving a long-forgotten world. Where there are the normal Switch struggles, the atmosphere, cuteness and story doesn’t suffer as a result. It’s solid soundtrack relieves the strain the graphics have put on world building. The game overall runs smoothly aside from some pretty long loading screens.
It’s quirky story and style won’t be enough to appeal to every action RPG fan. There is enough content within the game to be a solid entry in the action genre world.
Disclaimer: A code was received in order to write this review.
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