Biomutant - Switch Review

Leigh Wynne -

Biomutant on the Nintendo Switch is an open-world RPG in a post-apocalyptic world where humans are absent and strange creatures rule our world instead. Using melee combat, a wide array of guns and unique mutant powers will allow you to traverse this ruined world as you fight for survival as the tree of life is dying from being consumed by the monstrosity world eaters. The world needs a hero… It needs YOU!

The Good

Using the character creator, you can create a character in Biomutant. You can select from six distinct breeds, each with unique traits. In addition, you can alter the genetic code of your characters to alter their look, fur, and colour. You can choose between six classes, each with a starting ability. It is not very detailed, but it does let you create specific characteristics and aesthetics. 

Following a brief introduction, you are thrust into the Biomutant universe headfirst, giving you the opportunity to explore several biomes, like poisonous marshes, dense forests, and abandoned towns. There are plenty of places where radiation or biohazard mutations affect particular areas. It can make travelling through these locations very challenging, particularly if you lack the resistance against them, but fret not because you can find biocanisters all over the world. It allows you to add points to your resistance attributes, which will allow you to safely navigate these locations unscathed.

The world can be really eerie at times, which I found really intriguing. Finding abandoned human neighbourhoods and items we previously had, being utilised by these weird critters that dwell here instead of us. It’s a dire warning about the harm that radiation can do, if left unchecked, to an ecosystem.

Since melee combat has an automatic lock-on function that allows you to assault your target with a barrage of basic attacks, special combos, or gun fire for extra damage. It can be a terrific way to get in and out of a fight quickly with an opponent. Or gain the upper hand in a tight situation by, sliding beneath your adversaries' legs for an advantage in combat. You can even enhance your arsenal by unlocking special mutant powers by accomplishing good-bad deeds in the world, as well as more complex fighting skills that become available as you level up. 

Since they work well in both close quarters and long-range combat, the guns in the game are my favourite aspect of the fighting system. Each weapon can be modified with elemental effects and dozens of different pieces that can be added to your weapons to boost a wide range of statistics, allowing you to fully customise your loadout. You may feel like  Neo from The Matrix while shooting because you can hop, roll, sidestep, and slow-mo jump all over the place while in combat, which is exhilarating! 

The main feature of Biomutant is crafting. You can develop melee weapons, guns and alter armour that you can wear on your face, head, shoulders, body, legs, and back using different items you have purchased or acquired in the environment. You can even go a step further and give them extra defence by altering them with parts you found elsewhere or using leftovers as supplies for brand-new projects. I had a great time using the crafting system to create better things because it is quite straightforward to understand, easy to use.

There are numerous primary quests and minor missions to finish in the expansive world of Biomutant. After playing for about 20 hours, I am still far from completing it. Biomutant provides great value for money, and I really enjoyed how simple it was to begin a mission, become distracted by a side quest, or lose track of time while simply exploring the world around me.

TL;DR

  • Post-apocalyptic world to explore
  • Melee, gun-play action 
  • Crafting equipment
  • Plenty of quests

The Bad

Alright, the obnoxious narrator who speaks nonstop throughout the gameplay is the worst thing about the game. He never stops babbling on, although it is possible to limit the amount of time he spends speaking in the options menu. However, I wonder why the developers first thought this was a good idea in the first place. 

The plot of Biomutant is quite weak, with a lot of inconsistencies and nonsensical things. It is just another instance where I find myself wondering why the plot is so convoluted. 

The game has a light and dark mechanic, but it is used so seldom that it makes me wonder why it was included in the first place. While both good and bad deeds are possible in the game, it appears that only good deeds have any lasting impact on the world at large. Other than giving you some dark powers, the evil deeds do not seem to have much of a lasting impact. However, this renders the dark path pretty meaningless in the end.

Last but not least, the tribe war missions are incredibly uninteresting, with the same design for every tribe base and repetitive takedown missions. There seems to be an ongoing conflict between the tribes, yet nothing ever seems to be happening—it is all extremely anticlimactic.

TL;DR

  • Narrator is annoying
  • Weak story
  • Light, dark mechanic underused
  • Tride war missions are uninteresting

Final Score: 7/10

I'm enjoying Biomutant on the Nintendo Switch, but there’s still so much I've not touched upon, like the vehicle sections, mounts, and challenging boss encounters. However, while Biomutant does stumble in some areas, it’s still an enjoyable adventure, even with its shortcomings.

Thank you for checking out our Biomutant Switch review, thank you to THQ Nordic for providing the review code and thank you to our Patreon Backers for their ongoing support: