It was August of 2017 when the world first learned about Biomutant's existence, a new open-world RPG with mutant rodents, other furry creatures, mechanical limbs, martial arts, lots of guns, melee weapons, robots, steampunk vehicles, gadgets, clan wars, and giant monsters spreading corruption. These are not even all the things included in the game, but they go to show just how ambitious this project is.
Despite Biomutant being in development for many years now, this unique IP gives fans of many genres and differing franchises hope that it's going to be good. Biomutant also finally has a release date, which is May 25, 2021. And with its arrival inbound, it's easy to see how this game could really be the next big hit.
Why Biomutant Can Be Successful
Biomutant's gameplay footage felt to a lot of gamers out there like a combination of many beloved series, all in one furry title. People who have played any Devil May Cry game even for the slightest amount of time will know just how reminiscent Biomutant's combat system is of the series, while fans of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild will not fail to recognize inspiration from its open-world elements. Boss battles in Biomutant also seem to be based on those of another successful franchise, which is Monster Hunter. Although not limited to this, it seems these boss battles feature gigantic creatures resembling real-life animals with a twist, including a monstrous sea turtle the size of a skyscraper or a colossal Cerberus-like beast. Taking down these behemoths as a tiny mutant is eye-catching as well.
Biomutant includes tribes, too, as part of its story. When dealing with the tribe lords ,players will also have a choice of allying with them and mending the bridges between all factions for the greater good and saving the Tree of Life, or they can wish to go out of their way to bring them all down in big, messy fights. Another thing players can expect to do in Biomutant is establishing lasting relationships with NPCs that, in the end, become followers and mercenaries, much like the companions in Skyrim. All these aspects are reportedly elements that will alter the story, or at least have some minor impact over its course, opening up or closing paths based on the choices. Biomutant sounds like a great game for players who love to make choices that actually matter, with new playthroughs capable of becoming completely new experiences to live.
Even the game's setting is unique, yet it bears those elements of familiarity that make people feel comfortable. The world is a post-apocalyptic one, though, which probably will attract fans of other popular sci-fi RPGs like Destiny 2, Outriders, MassEffect, Fallout, and more. The game seems to be including, at least to some degree, jumping puzzles and capturing beasts. Again, this combination of elements from multiple genres can be the catalyst for greatness, thanks to the large amount of players Biomutant can indeed attract.
Biomutant's Unique Take On Classic Role-Playing Aspects
As expected, with Biomutant being a role-playing game, it borrows some character customization and character creation components from classic games within this genre. One of the most obvious ones is Dungeons andDragons, whose factors Biomutant uses in terms of stats. Characters in Biomutant have six attributes, similar to classic DnD, which are Strength, Vitality, Charisma, Intellect, Agility, and Luck. Players will also have plenty of options to customize their characters' appearance as they see fit, but this comes at a cost.
The aforementioned properties are there because they add different bonuses to the character based on how high their corresponding numeric value is. Strength provides damage, Vitality helps with general tankiness, Charisma is useful for interactions with NPCs, and so on and so forth. These attributes reflect on the character's looks as well as on how balanced or imbalanced it is with its overall stats. Characters with higher values in Vitality and Strength, for example, will generally be more sturdy and robust in appearance and they will tend to be slower.
Because Biomutant is a game that relies heavily on the mutation aspect, the developer has stated that attributes are going to be further changed by mutations, and character appearance will change, too. So, players shouldn't expect their character to look exactly the same from day one up until they beat the game.
Much like RPGs in general, Biomutant has classes, but not many details have been revealed thus far. The Mercenary class is a pre-order bonus, despite its abilities remaining unannounced; the class will be purchasable separately if players do not pre-order the game, though. Overall, it's likely that each class will come with its own set of unique skills, weapons, and other things that define it and give it its own flavor.
Biomutant's Quest For Originality Steeped in Familiarity
Biomutant does an amazing job at being compelling visually, while also introducing popular elements from other franchises. This makes it the perfect candidate for the complex gaming market, especially on the heels of rough launches and reveals, and this is due to how varied and intriguing its gameplay looks. A game that goes from Kung-Fu Panda to World of Warcraft to Devil May Cry all in one has ambition if nothing else, and delivering on that premise is the end goal of its quest.
It is also a bold game because it's a refreshing experience in an industry that is accustomed to seeing ever more of the same, rather than originality or novelty. Biomutant dares to be something that was not seen before, and its developer has emphasizing taking time to finish the game. Whether it will be rewarded for its boldness remains to be seen, but Biomutant is at the very least promising.
Biomutant releases May 25, 2021, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.
