Ambitious game with almost ‘nothing good’ about it: main points from Biomutant reviews
Biomutant, a debut ARPG from the Swedish studio Experiment 101, was released on May 25. Critics met the game with mixed reviews, criticizing almost every aspect of it, from combat to the dull open-world.
Biomutant was developed by Experiment 101, a studio founded by former Avalanche Studios employees. The studio started working on the game back in 2015, and it was officially announced two years later. However, developers faced a lot of challenges on their way, including multiple delays.
At its core, Biomutant is an open-world ARPG described as a “post-apocalyptic kung-fu fable.” It combines shooting and melee attacks and tells a story about anthropomorphic animals. Experiment 101 promised not only exciting combat mechanics but also a world that would be impacted by players’ choices.
However, Biomutant received 68/100 on Metacritic for PC and Xbox versions, and 62/100 for PlayStation.
Opinions about the game
VGC gave Biomutant 2/5, calling the world exploration boring and saying that a morality system was “stupid.” The only positive things that the outlet found about the game were a lush world and a crafting system.
Biomutant’s feature list seems to include everything a successful open-world action RPG needs. But journey through its towns, fields and bunkers, and there’s no intrigue in its exploration or weight in its relationship building. […] With so many ideas left under-developed, it wastes a setting that had far more potential.
— VGC
PC Invasion rated the game 4.5/10, saying that there is nothing good about Biomutant outside of the visuals. The author also criticized the optimization of the PC version and the title’s narrative and “weak” content.
Biomutant isn’t the worst game you’ll ever play, but it’s egregiously mediocre in almost every way, while occasionally unbearable in some others.
GameSpot rated the game a little higher, giving it 6/10. The site complimented a colorful world and crafting but criticized Biomutant’s story and mission design.
There’s still an enjoyable game here, but a lot of unfortunate caveats come attached to that statement. Yet while it might not always hit the mark, Biomutant is an ambitiously flawed game from a small studio, and the games industry could always use more risky endeavors like this one.
— GameSpot
PC Gamer criticized the game’s broken progression and painful narration, giving it 60/100. According to the reviewer, Biomutant is not that interesting and funny.
The hard difficulty option can’t account for the glut of gear and simple combat design in Biomutant. If you take any prolonged detour, you’ll quickly outpace whatever it throws at you.
— PC Gamer
IGN gave Biomutant the same score, saying that the game’s design and approach to gameplay are a few generations behind the industry’s standard.
It’s certainly the only open-world post-post-apocalyptic kung fu action RPG starring anthropomorphic animals I’ve ever played. The key disappointment is that the structure of the actual game that all these ingredients have been injected into is anything but unique, with objectives and tasks overtly recycled or riffed upon mission after mission.
— IGN
Despite all the negative and mixed reviews, some critics enjoyed Biomutant a lot. Some reviewers rated it between 8 and 9.5 out of 10. For example, Shacknews praised the game’s impressive world and decisions that directly impact it.
With a wide variety of ways to approach Biomutant from a narrative standpoint, there’s also a lot of ways to approach combat. Melee weapons, guns, and psychic abilities are among the many ways players can take down the array of vicious creatures the game will throw at them.
