Thanks to the folks at THQ Nordic and Experiment 101 I’m taking a look at their shape-shifting kung-fu action RPG with the recent upgraded release of Biomutant. As usual here you can find our common-sense parent’s guide as well as a full review video and our extended written look at the title.
What’s Biomutant About?
Following an initial release back in 2021, Biomutant has recently upgraded for Xbox Series X and S, and the PlayStation 5. The current-gen version is out now, and also comes as a free upgrade for any past-gen owners. The new release brings up to 4K visuals on Series X, as well as up to 60fps gameplay, balanced between performance and quality.
In Biomutant you’ll fight your way through an apocalyptic version of an Earth-like planet. You’ll blend sword, mech and gunplay to fight through this open world, forming alliances and saving the Tree of Life. To do so you’ll unite the tribes, craft armour and enhance your skills, while looting your way through forgotten apartments and highways.
You’ll face off against a good variety of enemies, from the small every-day griblies to the larger-than-life world eaters. You’ll learn new “wung-fu” moves along your travels, blending sword and gun attacks with martial-arts-like fluid combat.
Common-Sense Parent’s Guide
Rating:Mostly Harmless.
Biomutant is rated by PEGI at 12 and above and by the ESRB as T for Teen. There is a fair amount of violence in this title, using swords and ranged guns and launchers. However, there’s not been a lot in the way of gore here, and enemies simply fall down at the end of battle. Instead of blood, cartoon effects and words populate the screen, meaning that this is one I’ve been happy to play in front of our Micro-Bandits.
How Accessible is Biomutant?
Rating:Low Barrier
While there’s a lot to do in the game, Biomutant is far far from the hardest action RPG we’ve faced. While the difficulty isn’t too tricky though, I’ve had a hard time remembering combos and special moves easily, and as these vary when you switch weapon type it’s something I’ve grown a little frustrated with.
The Run Down
Visuals – Outstanding: I’ve been playing here on Xbox Series X and biomutant is looking absolutely stellar. On top of some great visuals both in and out of cut scenes, there’s also a nice photo mode with some simple settings which can help you get some great shots.
Audio – Outstanding: The narrator really helps to bring out the humorous side of Biomutant, and in addition to this there are some great sound cues and effects. In addition, the soundtrack itself has also been really well executed and I’ve not found any audio to mark down here.
Narrative – Outstanding: Biomutant has a great little story, which weaves its way through your gameplay in a few ways. It’s nice to have the option to vary up the dialogue slightly using your own choices and it’s clear that a lot of thought has been put into the narrative to keep it engaging and entertaining.
Replay – Good: As an open world adventure there are a good number of side quests and areas to explore. I’d have liked to see a few more collectables linked to the adventure and story, but overall it’s a good showing.
The Verdict: Is Biomutant Good?
Pixel Bandits Let’s Not Kill the Planet Level for Biomutant is a Good 3/4. There’s a lot of charm and some seriously cute vibes to Biomutant, backed by great visuals and a solid narrative. There are some drawbacks here though. I was really looking forward to some puzzles, but these seem a little too straightforward even on the hardest tasks. The missions are also all quite samey and can get a little stale.
I really enjoyed the combat here, though. The mix up of gun, sword and kung fu provides a really fluid combat system overall, and the huge variety of enemies and weapons means there’s a lot to play around with. It’s not the best action RPG I’ve played lately, but there’s a lot to love in Biomutant. As long as you can take some slow and samey missions, there might just be enough here to keep you going, and enjoying a fantastic combat system and great visuals for a while longer.