Biomutant has caught a lot of eyes. From what has been showcased of the game so far, it seemingly intends to take the concept of character customization to a whole new level. The aspect of character creation in Biomutant may be very different from what many have seen before, and really, it is reminiscent of the extremely detailed customization options offered by CD Projekt Red's recent title , Cyberpunk 2077.
With nearly eight years of development, this open-world FPS title tried to create an experience that would define "next-gen," though many consider it falling incredibly short of that goal. Aside from this, one promised feature that turned heads about Cyberpunk 2077 is the amount of freedom in gameplay it offers the players, including the character creation system. The title allows players to customize every small detail about their playable character and offers a wide range of choices. It fell short here too, but THQ Nordic's upcoming action RPG Biomutant attempts to walk on similar lines, and from what has revealed about the title so far, it may going the extra mile.
Biomutant's Character Creation
First off, the title features genetic customization and mutation as a core component. Players can begin the game by choosing from one of the six breeds of playable characters in Biomutant, namely Primal, Dumdon, Rex, Hyla, Fip, and Murgel. Each breed has a different genetic combination, determining its traits. This makes each suitable for different approaches to the gameplay. For instance, the agility of the Primal makes it suitable for more stealth-oriented gameplay. Now, this is quite similar to gameplay classes offered in RPG and MMORPG titles, although they do not feature the range and variety of options offered by Biomutant.
However, what sets Biomutant a class apart from the existing games with RPG elements is the concept of mutation. Apart from the changes made by the players to the genetic structure at the beginning, they can further mutate their characters during gameplay at the bio-contamination pools present in the game's New World, or due to the radioactivity in the Old World. This, in turn, gives rise to changes in the character best suited for the gameplay style that the player opts for.
Furthermore, players can tweak very specific aspects of their character, a choice seldom offered in an RPG or any title for that matter. In a way, Biomutant offers more customizable gameplay options than Cyberpunk 2077, and THQ Nordic's ambitious action RPG might just outshine the latter in this aspect. Combine the basic breed and class combinations with further genetic mutation (and toss in some tech too), it feels very Cyberpunk-esque.
Much like Cyberpunk 2077, Biomutant offers players the option of enhancing their character's abilities using technologically enhanced body parts. The former has an NPC known as Ripper Doc, who takes care of these biomechanical enhancements. These bionic enhancements focus on tweaking certain aspects of the character, such as speed, agility, aim stability, and so on. However, in Biomutant, this aspect lets players tap into the huge variety of customization, through which players can create a character most specific to their needs.
The combination of bionic enhancements and mutations in Biomutant lets players specifically decide what they want their character to be like in terms of agility, intellect, fighting style, and so on, with seemingly endless possibilities as compared to CD Projekt RED's Cyberpunk 2077.
Biomutant releases May 25 for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.