The Action-RPG from Experiment 101 studios and publisher THQ Nordic recently broke the silence in which it had been plunged for several months, and intends to shake the tree of promise.
Here are 5 things to know about Biomutant.
A fervor at the origin of multiple postponements
Biomutant was announced at gamescom 2017, and instantly became the highlight of the German show. The enthusiasm around this Action-RPG was such that the studios in charge of the project, namely Experiment 101, reviewed their copy in the months that followed.
The goal ? Enabling teams to bring their “ultimate” vision to life. Biomutant was scheduled for 2018, then 2019 to finally be released in the spring of 2021, and more precisely on May 25.
Why such postponements? Beyond the new ambitions of the game, Experiment 101 and THQ Nordic share a common vision, that of a project free of bugs, well as much as possible. 2020 was therefore placed under the sign of a major cleanup for Biomutant who took the opportunity to expand its script, the script going from 85,000 to 250,000 words, the size of two short stories, but also enriching one of the most attractive aspects of the game, the War of the Tribes, but we will come back to this point a little later.
A studio on a human scale
Faced with the very concept of Biomutant, an open-world Action-RPG made in 3D, most players inevitably expect large teams of more than a hundred employees. It is not so. Experiment 101, Swedish studios based in Stockholm, had 13 members in its ranks in 2017 then joined by a handful of new ones to finally reach twenty employees, neither more nor less.
20 people have been working for almost 4 years to make a truly ambitious game.
20 people facing the armada lined up by the competition for games of the same genre, the difference is noticeable, if not stunning. The relationship between the studios and the publisher, here THQ Nordic, is also distinguished by its collaborative approach, much more than hierarchical.
Biomutant is THQ’s first high-potential original franchise, and THQ is putting all the odds in its favor by giving Experiment 101 and its teams a free hand. For example, no release date has been imposed on studios … a fact rare enough in the industry to be noted.
An open world adventure
Biomutant is openly inspired by a master stallion of open-world adventure games, a game that won unanimous support when it was released in March 2017 and revolutionized the genre: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild.
44Experiment 101 does not hide it in the least, and even claims this affiliation. How to blame them? Nintendo’s title was an ode to exploration in what it has more free which Biomutant wants to be the heir. The game published by THQ Nordic originally let the player experience a whimsical world without ever holding hands.
Finally, that was the original vision of the project. But Experiment 101 changed its mind during the development of the game and after several playtests to integrate a slightly more classic structure. We are talking here about quest markers and other tutorials, to ensure that the riches of this universe which promises to be abounding are not reserved for the sole pleasure of the most obstinate.
Un Action-RPG Kung Fu
Strolling through the verdant lands of a world full of promise might be enough on its own, but Biomutant offers us the opportunity to save the world “Kung-Fu style” in the guise of a creature as lovable as it is lethal. Biomutant’s fights combine firearms, dodging and melee without forgetting the hero’s many powers.
These skills here take the form of mutations – Biomutant requires – both crazy and formidable. Hiding behind a mushroom, bouncing off an air bubble or calling on many elements are just a small part of the possibilities offered by a personalization system that is both fun and complex.
Whether it is the hero’s appearance, his skills and the weapons with which he equips himself, weapons that you can manufacture elsewhere, Experiment 101 promises an extremely thorough customization having a direct impact on the adventure. It remains to be seen in what proportions our hero can or cannot shape his destiny.
The War of the Tribes
“The important thing is not the destination, but the journey.” The writer Robert Louis Stevenson perfectly sums up the vision of the Experiment 101 studios concerning Biomutant, and especially its concept of Tribal War or Tribes War.
The hero is brought during his journey to side with a tribe among the 6 who inhabit this universe in decline, or even to take the lead. These decisions affect the end of the game, but also the path taken to reach the end. Because if some castes encourage the end of time and the renewal that this implies, a scorched earth policy in short, other groups still advocate unification.
An open-world Action-RPG with multiple endings, such is the promise of Biomutant, endings intrinsically linked to this Tribal War as well as the hero’s past, and his actions throughout this Kung-Fu fable which him is dedicated.
Biomutant will be released on May 25, 2021 for PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Regarding the PlayStation 5 and the Xbox Series X / S, Experiment 101 and THQ Nordic will be speaking in the coming weeks.