Face the change and survive – or give in and fall.
Biomutant stands out as a game of unmistakable ambition: an open world bursting with visual personality and gameplay possibilities, built around player freedom through customization, crafting, and a hybrid combat system that seamlessly blends melee, ranged weapons, and mutant abilities. From the very first moment, the game makes its intentions clear: it’s not just a standard entertainment product, but a universe full of surprises – a bestiary of bizarre creatures, mutated landscapes, and a playground where aesthetics and gameplay constantly interact.
The narrative premise is simple yet compelling: a post-human world where the Tree of Life is under threat, and players embody a mutant whose choices and alliances determine whether they become savior or destroyer. This drives exploration: saving villages, influencing factions, raiding ruins, and manipulating both natural and technological systems.
The true depth of Biomutant lies in its interconnected systems: weapon crafting, mutation upgrades, moral consequences, and multiple approaches to combat. These mechanics don’t just provide options – they shape unique experiences based on how players develop their creature. Exploration, experimentation, and combat form a self-reinforcing loop: the more you experiment, the richer and more open the world becomes.
Customization is central – not merely aesthetic, but an expression of gameplay identity. Players can shape body proportions, fur patterns, physical traits, and stats, while assigning unique properties to each crafted weapon. Every blade or experimental rifle becomes an extension of the player’s approach to the world, encouraging imagination, experimentation, and replayability.
The game’s tone balances levity with gravitas. Playful moments, visual humor, and sometimes caricatured characters coexist with environmental decay and melancholy, blending comedy and tragedy into a layered, reflective experience.
Biomutant immediately impresses as an ambitious, creative, and emotionally rich project. If it succeeds in harmonizing these elements, it has the potential to deliver a truly original and lasting experience.
Experiment with Quality
The development of Biomutant was spearheaded by Experiment 101, a Swedish studio founded in 2015 by a handful of former Avalanche Studios developers – the team behind the Just Cause series. Their pedigree is unmistakable: while Avalanche thrived on grand, chaotic open worlds, Experiment 101 set its sights on a more intimate experience – one that still embraced sprawling, richly interactive environments but encouraged players to engage with them on a deeper, more personal level.
Even the name “Experiment 101” reflects this philosophy – a nod to a creative laboratory, a testing ground for unconventional ideas and mechanics that break free from the constraints of the AAA market. Biomutant is the studio’s debut title, serving as both a proof of concept and a manifesto of identity. Despite operating with far fewer resources than industry giants, the team pursued a clear design vision, determined to deliver a game that felt distinct rather than derivative. This ambition resulted in a long development cycle, beginning around 2015-2016 and culminating in its May 2021 release.
During this period, Experiment 101 chose to delay the launch multiple times to polish technical details and expand content – a decision that reflected both the team’s commitment and its refusal to release an unfinished product. While these delays built growing expectations within the community, they also ensured a more complete, cohesive experience at launch.
Publishing support came from THQ Nordic, an Austrian label that in recent years has made a name for itself by acquiring studios and IPs and nurturing mid-budget projects. THQ Nordic’s philosophy is to invest in so-called “AA” games – productions that bridge the gap between big-budget AAA titles and fully independent projects. Biomutant is a perfect example of this approach: a game with the creative freedom of an indie, backed by the global distribution, marketing, and financial support of a major publisher. This balance allowed Experiment 101 to preserve its original vision while still reaching a wide audience through a multi-platform release.
The partnership between Experiment 101 and THQ Nordic resulted in a bold project: on one side, the enthusiasm and creative freedom of a small, passionate team with a crystal-clear idea of what they wanted to build; on the other, a publisher willing to support that vision and provide the means to bring it to life. Biomutant is therefore more than just a game — it is proof that in today’s market, there is still room for projects that live in the space between full independence and AAA dominance, and that innovation often thrives where agility and solid backing meet.
A Fable Born From the Ashes of a Post-Apocalyptic World
Biomutant’s story takes place in a hauntingly beautiful post-apocalyptic world where humanity has long since vanished, leaving behind industrial ruins, fractured technology, and scars upon the land. In their absence, new anthropomorphic species have risen – mutant creatures locked in a precarious balance between untamed wilderness and the echoes of civilization. Into this world steps the player, inhabiting a fully customizable protagonist: an animal-like avatar and narrative vessel, through whom we experience a reality shaped by transformation, conflict, and uncertainty.
At the heart of this setting stands the Tree of Life, the living axis of the world and the source of its balance. Its vast roots nourish the land, but are now under siege by the monstrous Worldeaters – colossal beasts gnawing away at existence itself. The fate of the tree is the fate of the world: its death would herald collapse, but its salvation could spark renewal. Here lies the player’s central choice – to become the savior of life’s cycle, or its harbinger of ruin.
But the threats to this world are not purely cosmic. Across the land, rival tribes clash, each driven by its own ideology and vision of what the future should be. Some seek unity and restoration; others hunger for power and domination. The player must choose whom to ally with, undermine, or annihilate – decisions that ripple through the world, reshaping alliances, fueling conflict, and ultimately determining the fate of the story. These are not just branching paths, but profound moral crossroads that force the player to confront their own sense of identity, loyalty, and purpose.
Running parallel to the fate of the world is a personal thread: the mystery of the protagonist’s own past. Through flashbacks and fragmented memories, the player reconstructs a childhood, a family, and the events that led to tragedy. This intimate layer transforms the main quest from an abstract mission into a personal reckoning – a journey where saving or dooming the Tree of Life becomes an extension of the hero’s inner struggle. The external quest mirrors an internal one: a search for belonging, meaning, and reconciliation.
Biomutant’s narrative is deliberately non-linear, shaped dynamically by the player’s actions. Each choice – whether forging alliances, betraying them, uniting tribes, or plunging the world into chaos – affects the flow of the story and determines one of several endings. The game’s karma system gives weight to every decision, embodying the constant tension between light and shadow, rebirth and annihilation. In this way, the player becomes co-creator of the tale, crafting not just the destiny of the world, but a personal moral journey.
All of this is tied together by the presence of a narrator, who frames events with the cadence of an age-old myth. This narrative voice infuses the experience with a fable-like quality – at once playful and tinged with melancholy – as though the player’s journey were a legend passed down through generations. It lends warmth and cohesion to the story, while subtly reminding us that every tale is shaped, and colored, by the voice that chooses how to tell it.
Biomutant’s narrative lives on two intertwined planes: the grand, mythic struggle to save (or doom) a world, and the deeply personal quest for identity and closure. It is more than a story about slaying monsters or conquering territory – it is a meditation on choice, consequence, and the balance between chaos and order. Every decision resonates like an echo from the past, carrying the promise – or the warning – of what the future might hold.
Depth and Reflection
The narrative of Biomutant refuses to settle for a simple, linear plot. Instead, it weaves a layered allegory where every character, landscape, quest, and line of narration carries meaning beyond the surface of play. At its core lies a meditation on a world scarred by past mistakes, teetering between ruin and renewal – and it asks the player not merely to fight, but to choose: morally, philosophically, and personally.
Central to this vision is the theme of humanity’s fractured bond with nature. The world is scarred by toxic lakes, collapsing factories, and the remnants of a civilization that consumed without restraint. The Worldeaters – colossal beasts that gnaw at the roots of the Tree of Life – stand as a stark symbol of this ecological imbalance. Choosing to save or abandon the Tree becomes a moral reckoning: a decision that questions whether harmony with nature can be restored, or if destruction must be allowed to take its course – a reflection that resonates far beyond the game itself.
Equally important is the theme of mutation. The world’s inhabitants are not merely anthropomorphic animals, but hybrid organisms – fusions of biology and technology, adaptation and accident. The protagonist, shaped entirely by the player’s choices, becomes a living metaphor for identity in flux: you are not born fixed, but built, adapted, transformed. This is more than a character creator – it is a statement about survival, about the need to redefine oneself in a world that never stands still.
Memory and trauma form the emotional spine of the story. Through fragmented flashbacks, the player pieces together a childhood marked by loss and violence – the death of parents, the weight of guilt, the need for closure. Saving or destroying the Tree of Life is no longer just a cosmic act, but a personal reckoning: a chance to heal, or to let go and start anew.
The world itself is a crucible of moral tension, a constant oscillation between light and shadow, unity and domination, compassion and cruelty. Every choice – whether to ally with a tribe, overthrow a rival, or show mercy – tilts the balance of power and reshapes the narrative. The player is made not just an observer but a co-author, responsible for the fate of a world that responds to every decision.
What ties this together is the omnipresent narrator, whose voice frames the adventure as a myth already in the process of being remembered. This lends the story a unique tone – part fable, part ecological parable – transforming the player’s journey into a legend in the making. The narrator’s interpretations and translations give events both warmth and weight, reminding us that no story is told in a vacuum: every tale is colored by the voice that preserves it.
The game’s tribes add a rich political layer. Each faction embodies a distinct philosophy – unity, dominance, or vengeance – and the player’s choice to ally, negotiate, or confront them becomes a direct engagement with themes of justice, freedom, and authority. There are no clear-cut answers; the world instead acts as a mirror, reflecting the player’s own values and moral compass.
Finally, the Tree of Life stands as the story’s symbolic axis. Its roots bind past, present, and future, while its branches reach toward infinite possibilities. To defend it is to believe in continuity and redemption; to let it die is to embrace the end as liberation. In this tension between hope and catastrophe, Biomutant finds its narrative strength — a reminder that every ending is also a beginning, and every choice carries the weight of shaping what comes next.
A Unique Artistic Identity
One of Biomutant’s most defining features is its technical and visual design, which brings to life a world that blends wonder and decay, vibrant colors and signs of ruin, lush life and persistent pollution. The entire project is built around a delicate balance between aesthetics and functionality, aiming to create a universe that is not merely a backdrop but an integral part of the gameplay experience. Unreal Engine delivers a rich array of graphical effects: dynamic lighting, day-night cycles, and changing weather conditions that continuously transform the landscape. The world of Biomutant is never static – the wind moves the grass, rain soaks the terrain, and reflections on water react to the light – giving the game a sense of constant vitality. While not aiming for photorealism, the title achieves a strong and distinctive visual identity.
The art direction is deliberately hybrid, merging natural environments – lush forests, open meadows, snow-capped peaks – with industrial ruins, abandoned plants, worn roads, and crumbling buildings. This coexistence of nature and artificiality reinforces the game’s ecological and post-apocalyptic themes: a world that is both damaged and capable of renewal. The color palette reflects this tension, with bright, saturated tones for natural areas and muted, somber hues for polluted zones.
Creature design is undoubtedly among the game’s most original aspects. The inhabitants are not mere anthropomorphic animals but mutated beings with strange proportions and distinct traits, each uniquely named. The player-customizable protagonist can take on varied forms – robust or agile, aggressive or caricatured, with natural or unnatural fur – and every mutation impacts both appearance and gameplay stats, making visual design inseparable from mechanics. Enemies follow the same principle, from small predators to toxin-corrupted beasts and colossal Worldeaters, each designed to inspire both wonder and threat.
In terms of animation, Biomutant demonstrates meticulous attention to fluidity. Combat demands a range of movements, seamlessly transitioning between melee, ranged attacks, and mutant powers, allowing the protagonist to move with agility through a hostile environment. Considerable care has also been devoted to animating animals and enemies, many of which exhibit distinctive behaviors that make them instantly recognizable. Particle effects further enhance the visual experience: each mutation and special ability is accompanied by light trails, electrical discharges, energy bursts, or toxic emissions. These effects are not merely decorative; they provide immediate feedback to the player, signaling the impact of an attack, the activation of a power, or the effect of an improvised weapon. Environmental conditions such as radiation, toxic zones, or oxygen-deprived spaces are similarly communicated not just through UI indicators but visually, with color shifts and filters that signal changing atmospheres.
Technical limitations typical of a small development team are occasionally noticeable: textures, though varied, sometimes lack the ultra-high resolution expected in modern open-world games, and some character models, while distinctive, may appear less detailed up close. Yet the true strength of Biomutant lies in its stylistic identity. The game does not chase absolute realism but instead cultivates a distinctive aesthetic that fuses fairytale whimsy with post-apocalyptic grit – and in this, it succeeds admirably.
Finally, the camera and HUD are thoughtfully executed. The minimalist interface leaves the environment uncluttered, while the camera dynamically highlights the protagonist’s most spectacular moves, particularly during combat combos, reinforcing a cinematic and immersive experience.
A Symphony of Life and Decay
The soundscape of Biomutant is far more than mere accompaniment – it is an essential pillar of immersion and storytelling, shaping the player’s perception of the world. It weaves a dynamic auditory tapestry, alternating between silence, environmental cues, and purpose-driven music, allowing the world to “breathe” in sync with the player’s actions. The soundtrack is highly adaptive: at times, it evokes a meditative, fairy-tale atmosphere with ethereal, minimalist tones; at others, particularly in combat, it drives tension with tribal rhythms and percussive intensity. Audio is never static, but intimately tied to the player’s journey.
Environmental sound design is executed with meticulous care, making the world feel truly inhabited. The rustle of wind through grass, the distant calls of unseen creatures, the crash of waterfalls – all combine to create a soundscape that could almost be experienced with eyes closed. Contaminated areas, by contrast, hum with metallic resonance, crackle with electrical tension, and vibrate with eerie, unnatural tones, warning of danger before it appears on screen. Combat audio is equally intentional: every weapon sings with a distinct timbre – blades strike with metallic clarity, firearms vary depending on their materials and craftsmanship, and mutant powers erupt in soundscapes that mirror their elemental force. This level of detail ensures that every action feels immediate and impactful, translating weight and energy directly through sound.
Creatures, too, are granted unique acoustic identities. From skittering predators to towering Worldeaters, their cries and roars define their character before they are even seen. The Worldeaters’ deep, resonant bellows turn every confrontation into an event that is felt as much as heard.
The narrator’s voice adds yet another layer, framing the game as a tale being retold – an artistic choice that has divided players. To some, it is an essential part of the experience, lending warmth and cohesion; to others, it risks intrusiveness. Either way, it is a defining stylistic choice, and one the player can fine-tune through the settings.
Silence is used strategically to enhance immersion. In many exploratory sequences, the soundtrack fades completely, leaving only environmental sounds. This deliberate absence sharpens player awareness, turning even a simple stroll through the forest into a fully sensory experience.
Technically, the sound mix provides excellent spatial depth. Directional audio allows players to locate threats and points of interest by ear, while headphones transform the experience into an almost tactile one, revealing subtleties that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Innovative, Multi-Layered World-Building
World-building is one of Biomutant’s most distinctive pillars, shaping not only the setting but the very way players interact with it. Its post-apocalyptic open world is a striking tapestry of contrasts: lush forests grow alongside rusting industrial ruins, toxic swamps border tribal settlements, and snowy peaks rise over sprawling plains. Each region possesses its own visual, ecological, and cultural identity, influencing exploration, mission design, and faction relationships. The map is divided into interconnected zones – some open from the beginning, others gradually unlocked as the protagonist acquires new abilities – creating a natural rhythm of discovery.
This spatial design lends real weight to progression: exploration is never simply linear, but guided by the opportunities and challenges the environment presents. Obstacles become invitations, requiring specific skills – agility to scale walls, special gear to traverse hazardous zones, mutations to survive toxic regions – transforming the world into both a puzzle and a reward. Here, world-building is not just set-dressing but an active mechanic, turning the environment itself into something to be learned, mastered, and leveraged.
Factions breathe life into this ecosystem and add political and moral depth. Each tribe has its own language, aesthetics, philosophy, and approach to conflict. Engaging with them means understanding their motives, gaining their trust – or making enemies – with decisions that leave visible marks on the world. Some factions offer material rewards, others grant allies or special abilities, and some directly influence the fate of the Tree of Life. This system reinforces the sense of a living, reactive world where choices carry lasting consequences.
The map’s structure and variety keep exploration fresh and purposeful. Regions do more than simply look distinct: they encourage distinct playstyles. Some reward parkour and vertical mobility, others favor stealth and careful planning, while still others invite chaotic battles with powerful ranged weapons.
Combat mirrors this philosophy of freedom. Biomutant blends melee strikes, ranged gunplay, and mutant abilities into a fluid, improvisational system that encourages experimentation. Players can chain combos, exploit environmental hazards, and mix powers to adapt to each situation. Weapons are deeply customizable – scavenged components can be assembled into unique creations that alter not only damage and stats but also appearance and behavior. This crafting system ensures that no two fights feel identical. Enemy design further enhances the sense of variety: from quick, predatory creatures to colossal bosses, every adversary has unique movement patterns, weaknesses, and behaviors. Some even interact with each other, creating predator-prey scenarios that clever players can exploit.
Mutations are a cornerstone of player expression, allowing characters to evolve according to their preferred playstyle. Some enhance agility and speed, others grant brute strength or resilience, while others unlock elemental or psychic powers. The interplay between mutations, weapons, and enemy types creates genuine strategic depth, allowing multiple solutions to combat and environmental challenges.
Verticality and parkour are central to exploration. Biomutant’s world is designed to be climbed, swum through, and navigated with creativity. Ruins, cliffs, tree branches, and waterways become tools for movement, turning exploration into a kinetic, rewarding experience. Hidden paths, secret caches, and alternate routes reward curiosity and clever problem-solving.
Optional content is seamlessly integrated into the world-building. Side missions, resource hunts, environmental puzzles, and unique creature encounters are not filler but meaningful additions that reveal lore, expand faction narratives, and reward experimentation.
Ultimately, Biomutant’s world-building succeeds because it is coherent and narratively alive. Every environment tells part of the world’s history – corroded factories whisper of collapse, while thriving meadows suggest rebirth. Player choices – moral, social, and tactical – leave lasting imprints on the landscape, ensuring that the world does not just exist around the player but evolves with them.
What the Critics Say
The critical reception of Biomutant has been nuanced and multifaceted. Its strengths and weaknesses become clear when examining aspects such as world-building, combat, narrative, art design, and technical performance.
One of the most consistently praised elements is its visual and artistic identity. Critics and players alike have praised the team’s ability to craft a world that is both unique and instantly recognizable, where lush nature intertwines with post-industrial decay to create environments that are both striking and narratively coherent. Creature design, terrain, and visual effects received particular acclaim for their stylistic consistency and imaginative character conception. The fairy-tale sensibility, fused with a post-apocalyptic aesthetic, lends the game a distinctive tone, setting Biomutant apart from other titles in both style and atmosphere.
The combat and customization system has also been generally well-received. Players can fluidly combine melee attacks, ranged weapons, and mutant powers, while weapon crafting – allowing the creation of unique tools – was highlighted as a strong example of experimentation. Mutations and vertical mobility further diversify gameplay, making combat and exploration feel dynamic and less repetitive.
Conversely, the narrative and story structure received mixed reviews. While multiple endings and moral choices were seen as strong points, some critics noted a sense of fragmentation, with the main plot occasionally falling short of the world’s full potential. The storybook narrator divided opinion: some found it charming and atmospheric, others considered it repetitive or intrusive, particularly during long exploration sessions.
From a technical standpoint, Biomutant is visually compelling, though some performance and detail limitations are noticeable. Textures are not always high-resolution, and certain animations can occasionally feel less fluid. Nevertheless, the game’s strong artistic direction offsets these shortcomings, ensuring the world feels cohesive, immersive, and visually captivating.
Gameplay has received mixed feedback as well. Some missions and combat encounters were criticized for feeling repetitive, with enemies occasionally exhibiting predictable behaviors. Certain exploration segments may also feel slow or less engaging for players seeking constant challenge. Nevertheless, the freedom offered by multiple approaches and the mutation system helps mitigate these issues, promoting creativity and strategic experimentation.
Regarding longevity and replayability, the multiple endings enhance the game’s value, but some reviewers noted that once the main story and major side quests are completed, previously explored areas may feel less engaging, leaving a sense of emptiness.
Overall, critics acknowledged the project’s ambition and originality. Despite technical and narrative flaws, Biomutant stands out as a bold, inventive title, offering a unique world and gameplay that diverge from the standardization of many contemporary open-world games. Its creativity often outweighs its imperfections, making it an experience defined by imagination and experimentation rather than polish alone.
Biomutant
PRO
- Rich and coherent world-building: Each area is meticulously crafted, offering distinct, detailed environments that tell the story of the world. Forests, swamps, ruins, and tribal villages combine to form a living, dynamic ecosystem.
- Original and recognizable art design: Mutant creatures, characters, and environments showcase a unique aesthetic that blends fairy-tale charm with post-apocalyptic elements, giving the game a strong, memorable visual identity.
- Hybrid and customizable combat: Seamlessly integrates melee, ranged weapons, and mutant powers, providing strategic variety and encouraging experimentation.
- Meaningful mutation and protagonist customization: Mutations impact stats and abilities, allowing multiple playstyles and enabling each player to craft a unique approach to challenges.
- Fairy-tale narrative with weighty moral choices: Player decisions carry tangible consequences, making the story more engaging and personalized.
- Immersive sound design: Environmental effects and directional audio create a “living” world, enhancing immersion during both exploration and combat.
- Freedom and rewarding exploration: The open world encourages curiosity and discovery, with side quests and hidden rewards integrated seamlessly into the narrative.
CON
- Fragmented main narrative: The core story can feel less engaging than the world’s potential suggests, with occasional weak or disjointed moments.
- Technical limitations: Textures and animations are sometimes lacking in detail, and frame rate dips can occur, though these do not significantly impact the overall experience.
- Repetitive missions and combat: Some quests and combat encounters can become repetitive over time.
7.5/10
