Biomutant

Biomutant is a charming open-world RPG that is blatantly aimed at children, with a low difficulty level and overly cutesy tone that will likely put off older gamers. Combat is fun with a large range of craftable weapons and mutant powers at your disposal, but boring puzzles and a barebones story means there isn’t much else here to keep you captivated.

While combat is fun in moderation and the crafting system is bizarre in all the right ways, the flip side of this is dull and monotonous quest design, a forgettable story, and hollow morality. 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.

I had a lot of trouble tearing myself away from Biomutant, and a lot of my grievances didn’t really surface until I’d finished it and had time to digest. Before that, I was absorbed in exploring its well-designed world, plumbing ruins, collecting dopey looking mounts, and dressing like I just survived a landfill explosion. There are some unwanted mutations in its genes, but they're covered in fur and easy to overlook.

Despite bursting at the seams with cool ideas, Biomutant is a largely hollow experience that only provides fleeting glimpses of greatness.

Biomutant has the makings of a truly special game, as it features deep character customization and an intriguing, beautiful world to explore. Unfortunately, combat and progression issues prevent it from being an all-time great.

I enjoyed it with a big pained grin much like the horrific smile of my spherically domed horse. I grit my teeth through the painful narration and groundless progression, if only to see what kind of fucked up muppet it would throw at me next. Biomutant is an extravagant cartoon diorama unlike anything on PC, it's just not much fun to play or listen to.

All in all, Biomutant is a fun and stylish game that offers a lot of creativity up front but doesn't always deliver a satisfyingly challenging and rewarding experience in the long haul. It's worth a look and worth a playthrough, just don't expect a game-changer.

Repetitive, formulaic, and downright strange, Biomutant suffers from an abundance of problems that get in the way of great ideas.