Biomutant review: A post-apocalyptic Kung-Fu Panda

The game is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. So unless you only have a Nintendo Switch, you should be able to jump in and enjoy Biomutant this week.

Biomutant puts you in the role of a furry little critter who must venture across a post-apocalyptic world to hone his fighting skills, uncover the secrets of his past, gather epic loot and take down various powerful foes. It's like Ghost of Tsushima meets Kung-Fu Panda, and the combination is just as zanily enjoyable as it sounds.

And we enjoyed our time with it so much that we are delighted to say that Biomutant is our RadioTimes.com Game of the Week! For why that is and what we thought of the game as a whole, here is our full review.

The most immediately impressive thing about Biomutant is its combat system, which blends melee attacks with gunfire and supernatural abilities. Lesser games might struggle to cram all of that in, but Biomutant gracefully combines those different disciplines in a satisfying way that lets you chop and change your attacks at a moment's notice.

The beauty in the world design is also easy to spot. Biomutant takes place on Earth following a messy apocalypse with plenty of toxic sludge. The animals that remain in the mess mankind made have mutated in unique ways, and so have the landscapes around them. Some areas are deadly, but all of them are vibrant and colourful. The game has a Photo Mode, and you'll probably be tempted to stop and take some snaps on a regular basis.

The depth of the RPG mechanics is admirable, too, with players given plenty of ways to customise their creature as well as its guns, swords, abilities and clothing. There is humour baked into all of these elements as well, and you'll find yourself crafting armour and weapons out of some very random items that were left behind by the extinct human race (who wouldn't want a sword with a shower head for a handle?).

Biomutant is stuffed to the brim with content. Your main mission is to defeat four massive monsters called World Eaters but you can also spend some hours uniting warring tribes, hunting for clues about the planet's history, or picking up odd little side quests (there's one mission chain about clogged up toilets, for example). The game also makes you work to earn those boss battles, with certain areas requiring you to build a special mountable transport before you can take on the big nasty.

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As you work your way around the world, deciding which missions you want to undertake and which corners of the map you want to explore, it really does start to feel like a properly epic journey. As you ride around on a mount and try to help some locals, you might find yourself reminded of iconic RPG titles such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt but there are some reasons why Biomutant doesn't quite reach that legendary tier.

The lack of a full voice cast is the biggest factor that lets this game down. Most of the characters speak in gibberish, with an omniscient narrator translating their sentences for you. It's hard to bond with characters when they're not actually conversing with you directly, which is a shame, really. There are loads of interesting-looking characters but their personalities all blend into one when there's only a single voice you actually hear.

It's also a bit disappointing that the game chucks you in at the start without much of a prologue or a cut-scene. Although you pick up plenty of backstories as you journey around the world, a formal preamble might've been helpful in terms of making you care about your character and the world itself. This, combined with the lack of traditional spoken dialogue, does make the opening hours feel somewhat impersonal.

Luckily, there are so many opportunities to put your stamp on the game and the stories that do emerge include some surprisingly emotional moments and tough choices. To make a laboured martial arts pun, you could say the story packs a punch. And there's a lovely orchestral score, too, which enhances the atmosphere nicely.

Add to that some brilliant combat, a beautiful world and heaps of humour, and you've got a game that's well worth trying out. The team of developers at Experiment 101 took their time bringing Biomutant to life but we're pleased to see that the end result is an awesome RPG that is totally worth the wait.

Biomutant launches 25th May 2021 for PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One and Xbox Series X/S. Check out these deals:

• Buy the PC version from CD Keys (£34.99)
• Buy the PS4 version from Gamebyte (£42.95)
• Buy the Xbox One version from Gamebyte (£42.95)

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