Metascore
66

Mixed or average reviews - based on 63 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 22 out of 63
  2. Negative: 6 out of 63
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  1. May 24, 2021
    95
    For the first time in a long time, a game has lived up (and in my opinion surpassed) the hyped that’s been created around it. Frankly, I’ll be surprised if BIOMUTANT is not game of the year.
  2. May 24, 2021
    95
    Considering Biomutant’s delayed and seemingly troubled road to release, I’m blindsided by just how good it is. Experiment 101 has clearly been afforded the time to see its vision through, something which is unfortunately far too rare in the cutthroat gaming industry. I did not expect this to be one of my favorites of the year so far, let alone one of the most enjoyable open-world games I’ve ever played. A true modern gaming miracle.
  3. May 24, 2021
    90
    Biomutant is a superb open-world, action-focused RPG. You can fight to your heart's content, meander through gorgeous and bleak environments, and enjoy a story that takes you to far corners of a wonderful in-game map. It's not always easy on the eye, but look a little deeper and you'll see it's brimming with beauty.
  4. May 24, 2021
    90
    Biomutant comes out the gate incredibly strong with high customization and a stunning world to explore. Players have agency over the adventure through interactions providing an immersive experience unique to them, making it a must-play for any action-adventure fan. However, the more time you spend in this world, the more you notice where it could be improved. As some missions become less fun with no help from the low difficulty, you'll likely want to speed past these portions. Still, that's one small issue to an otherwise grand adventure full of wonderful features, gameplay, and beauty that can't be overlooked.
  5. 90
    Biomutant could be the sleeper hit of 2021. Not only is it downright adorable, but it's also an absolute blast to play. Developer Experiment 101 has created a world that you want to explore, and it frequently rewards you for slowing down and taking it all in. Throw in some great combat, robust character creation, and a wonderful crafting system and you've got a game that should please even the most jaded of open-world enthusiasts.
  6. 90
    While it may have a few flaws, Biomutant is a great game that reminds of a simpler time for video games.
  7. May 24, 2021
    85
    If you can live with the crashes or if the developers have patched it by the time you read this, then Biomutant is a rather excellent title. The open-world setting feels unique amongst other postapocalyptic titles, especially with humans being replaced by cute yet realistic-looking fuzzy animals. The world looks gorgeous but offers a ton of stuff to do with a wide variety to boot. The fighting is fluid and excellent, no matter if you're using special powers or normal weapons, and the flexibility of many of the game's elements gives it a ton of freedom compared to its contemporaries. Even in a month crowded with some legitimate heavy hitters, Biomutant is well worth playing for those looking for a good RPG.
  8. May 24, 2021
    85
    I enjoyed my time with BIOMUTANT and I can’t wait to replay the game and see how it will play out if I make just a few minor changes to some of the decisions I made throughout the game.
  9. Jun 29, 2021
    80
    Biomutant conquers a prominent place in the ever-expanding universe of open world games. While it doesn't innovate in the mechanics it employs, it implements them intelligently, giving us plenty of reasons to explore a vibrant and gaudy world filled with adorable creatures.
  10. May 24, 2021
    80
    Biomutant’s highs owe a lot to just how stacked against the odds it appears. And how over the span of an average twenty-or-so hour single-run it comes out not just unscathed, but victorious. Experiment 101 finding a way to incorporate the surreal and the strange, yet maintaining a consistent thread wherein the gameplay loop is both satisfying and intriguing to engage with. All of this, despite such continued reveling in its own eccentricity. But it’s that very eccentric attitude that marks Biomutant down as an unmistakably curious, but more importantly, entertaining open-world adventure to lose one’s self in.
  11. May 24, 2021
    80
    Biomutant is a solid debut from Experiment 101. Though a couple of the game’s concepts don’t feel entirely fleshed out, there’s still a lot to appreciate. The amount of variety in both the narrative and in combat ensures that no two players have an identical experience. With a fluid combat system and enough style to spare, Biomutant is still a formidable RPG.
  12. May 24, 2021
    80
    In short, Experiment 101 delivers an ambitious experience in Biomutant. Repetitive mission design and shoddy pacing at disparate points in the story hold it back from being a true masterpiece in its genre, but exhilarating combat and meaningful incentive for exploration make this an entertaining open-world game.
  13. May 24, 2021
    80
    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.
  14. Game World Navigator Magazine
    Jun 17, 2021
    79
    The combat is lacking, the story-telling is awful, the faction system is barebones. Yet there is something to Biomutant, some unexplainable quality that makes you want to keep exploring its wacky world. [Issue#253, p.34]
  15. May 24, 2021
    79
    Biomutant definitely has its charms: its post-apocalyptic open world is filled with lush environments and the combat encounters are entertaining, making for a fun game experience, albeit one that is sometimes a bit repetitive.
  16. May 24, 2021
    77
    Biomutant, the first game from Experiment 101 studio is an ambitious game which does not succeed at everything it attempts to do, but in general it is a decent and fun choice-driven action/RPG.
  17. May 26, 2021
    75
    Riddled with repetition, Biomutant is as grand in ambition as it is bland in execution. Where it shines in character creation and choice, it fumbles in its narrative and empty morality system. Where building your powers, weapons, and toys is great, finding all the parts to do so is simply a chore. Odd to say, but in this case, less might have been more, but what is here is fun. Just not as fun as it could have been.
  18. May 25, 2021
    75
    Biomutant gives you a chance to experience a unique adventure but only if you'll turn a blind eye to some flaws. The pretty, original, and very colorful world with a great artistic style is paired with not-so-pretty gameplay solutions and a handful of technical problems.
  19. May 24, 2021
    75
    Biomutant is a fascinating game, one that definitely belongs in a foregone era of gaming but somehow still works in today's industry. The world is massive and packed with things to do, combat is fast and fluid save for a few minor issues, and the story definitely keeps me interested throughout. There's jank, sure, but it's jank that somehow works in the game's favor, almost as if it's part of the game's identity. If you come in expecting a Game of the Year candidate you may leave disappointed, but if you're looking for a new adventure brimming with personality, Biomutant is absolutely worth your time. Just be prepared for that fast travel mechanic; it still shocks me every time.
  20. May 24, 2021
    75
    Biomutant is what we expected from it, no more and no less, namely a generous project, steeped in good intentions, and which, through his atypical vision of Action-RPG, breathes a breath of fresh air into the genre. The studio title Experiment 101 is an ode to the exploration of a colorful post-apo universe, karmic destiny, avatar customization, and martial arts. It is difficult, it is true, to concretize these different aspects and to merge them. The fact remains that this experience, equal to no other, changes, surprises, and throws off to the point of becoming memorable. However, it is necessary to ignore a technical achievement which is clearly behind schedule and a progression that is sometimes too interventionist.
  21. May 24, 2021
    75
    Biomutant is a game with a big heart. The guys from Experiment 101 have put everything they could into this work and their affection is clearly perceptible. However Biomutant is far from being a perfect work, seasoned with many small defects and a series of characteristics that are too ambitious for a product like this.
  22. May 24, 2021
    75
    Biomutant is by far one of the most rewarding games when it comes to exploration and loot, and despite needing more polish in some aspects, this game is definitely worth your money and time.
  23. Jun 8, 2021
    70
    Biomutant is an open-world RPG with a lot of interesting ideas that have already been done. This ambitious game was an interesting concept a few years ago, but bigger studios got there faster. The phenomenal character designer and the lush and beautiful world, and an interesting character concept do not help this game stand out. However, I have had a lot of fun playing it even though the combat had its issues.
  24. Jun 7, 2021
    70
    What makes it stand out against some of those other games it has borrowed ideas from is the fascinating setting and bizarre character design. It is strange in all the right places but just cannot jump above the games it took inspiration from for its gameplay.
  25. May 26, 2021
    70
    Biomutant is too ambitious for its own good. The combat is fun, especially when combined with a good crafting system and a beautiful world. Other systems are irrelevant, though, and the quests are boring, as is the damp squib of a story.
  26. May 24, 2021
    70
    Biomutant offers real freedom but that does not manage to give you the feeling of embarking on a great journey. The RPG component is very satisfying with many elements to improve our hero, and the mutations are really cool but the gameplay is a bit soft and the overall experience lacks density and finish and it feels a bit hollow under this colorful packaging. A nice game but it lacks scope.
  27. 70
    While I definitely enjoyed my time with Biomutant, I’m left feeling a little deflated coming out the other end of it. The world of Biomutant was a joy to traverse, and there was an almost Breath of the Wild quality, the same drive to see what was over the hill in front of me, or what was around the corner. However, given that combat plays such a huge part of the game, the rather middling nature of it makes fights feel like inconveniences, rather than something to enjoy.
  28. May 24, 2021
    70
    With Biomutant, the end result is a game that I enjoyed playing, despite the criticisms and score. I burn out fast with most open-world games, but I wanted to explore every corner of this unconventional world, even when it didn’t always give me a good reason to. I don’t think you can call a game bold enough to mix so many influences together safe, but there’s a distinct sense Experiment 101 came close to playing it safe. Whether from budget restraints, time restrictions, or COVID impacts, I don’t know, but Biomutant needs a sequel or DLC to make the most out of the strong foundation already present.
  29. May 24, 2021
    70
    Biomutant is a game that overreaches early, and spends the rest of its run time trying, mostly successfully, to regain its balance. It's lovely to look at and its world is a joy to explore, boots on the ground, but the combat lacks impact and precision, and technical issues mar the experience.
  30. May 24, 2021
    70
    Biomutant tries to do so, so much... Probably more than it should. That's why some mechanics are pretty basic or undercooked, and the reason why everything feels like "I've seen this before". It's a shame, because the setting and world are really, really refreshing an interesting, and it's easy to see there were good intentions behind it.
  31. May 24, 2021
    70
    Biomutant appeals until credits roll largely thanks to its world and well-optimized visual performance on PC. There’s definitely too much fluff here, but there are more exciting surprises to unearth as the game goes on, including intriguing mounts and some esoteric devices.
  32. May 24, 2021
    70
    Biomutant is a competent open-world role-playing game featuring a charming atmosphere and some solid RPG mechanics. Sadly, it fails to stand out due to its by-the-books open-world formula and the sluggish combat system. While the game does work for the most part and there are some interesting ideas here and there, there isn't a lot that Biomutant does better than most open-world games out there, resulting in an experience that is somewhat forgettable.
  33. May 24, 2021
    68
    Biomutant is an open-world with (too) many original ideas, none of which really work.
  34. May 24, 2021
    68
    Double A lovers were looking forward to Biomutant. The premise is interesting and It has very good points like the weapon crafting system, but it is a real disaster in things like the script or the karma system.
  35. May 24, 2021
    65
    Biomutant has multiple facets, some accomplished quite well, while others would have deserved more polish and a substantial overhaul to reach their targets. The experience is still enjoyable for large chunks, but Experiment 101 will have to do some more next time to fully convince us.
  36. May 24, 2021
    65
    Biomutant's strong presentation and beautiful world invite exploration, while its combat makes you feel like a badass magic-flinging, gunslinging, Kung-Fu warrior. Sadly, its tedious missions and weak story make it increasingly harder to stick with the game the more of it you play.
  37. May 24, 2021
    65
    Biomutant tries to imitate what we have seen so far in games like The Witcher 3 or the recent entries of the Assassin's Creed franchise... but with a lower budget. Even if its open world is indeed interesting, Biomutant has some clear issues such as a lack of variety in the enemies department, a repetitive gameplay, a progression system with not much to offer and a poor narrative that, in the long run, hurts the general gameplay. However, it manages to still stand throughout all this due to its less than 20 hours duration as well as its magnificent visual aspect, although in the end it simply provides an experience that probably won't stand out much... for better or worse.
  38. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Feb 16, 2022
    60
    Biomutant is like layers and layers of great ideas drawn on an imperfect mindmap. A great cornerstone to build upon, but still lacking in remaining coherent. Still - great fun in short amounts.
  39. Jun 27, 2021
    60
    Biomutant is a game with a true great potential but it just misses the mark on so many aspects. I hope to see Experiment 101 try to develop another game and see this potential through, in hopes that I won’t be disappointed again.
  40. Edge Magazine
    Jun 17, 2021
    60
    The moments that make Biomutant worth playing, intermittent as they can be, exist not in spite of the game's muddled identity but because of it, sitting right at the junction between its janky mechanics and outright bonkers fiction. [Issue#360, p.108]
  41. Jun 16, 2021
    60
    Biomutant is a game that sets its sights on the horizon, but fails to get there. It’s never bad, but it’s not great either. A muddle of open-world cliches and a confused narrative bog down what could be a fun breezy experience. Combat needs tightening up to be truly satisfying, but currently feels weightless...Despite this the personality of the world, its creatures and the ability to craft your own gear and weapons shoulder a lot of the negative weight, and serve to colour a world that’s fun to explore even as its mechanical constituents and resolution are lacking.
  42. May 28, 2021
    60
    Biomutant certainly is an ambitious game. This ambition though is what ultimately hurt the experience as a whole. A good fighting system, some gorgeous landscapes, the imaginative friend and foes, the well-thought crafting etc. are unfortunately held back by an utterly tiring open-world design, filled with the most basic and repetitive fetch-quests.
  43. May 26, 2021
    60
    Biomutant is an odd and brave addition to the action role-playing game genre, but is plagued by substandard storytelling and repetitive elements. The smart system for weapons and the equipment construction are the games salvation. As a whole though, the game does not live up to the hype.
  44. May 25, 2021
    60
    Biomutant is erratic in design. The mission design is too traditional and the game relies on a messy story with bad dialogue and meaningless characters, while the action and some RPG systems are better than those of peers.
  45. May 25, 2021
    60
    BIOMUTANT has a lot of charm, and a lot of promise when you first boot it up. But after a few hours, you start to see the cracks, the lack of depth, and the magic melts away. If you’re up for an outpost clearing, kung fu adventure it might be fine for you. However many of us were hoping for something more.
  46. May 25, 2021
    60
    Biomutant’s positives ever so slightly outweigh its faults and with more time (and patches), it could grow into a much more entertaining game. Its unique world, extensive customisation and pool of interesting moves and tricks in battle make this game fun to play but for now, a colourful but empty world, a wealth of glitches, and dull objectives make it a tough sell.
  47. May 24, 2021
    60
    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.
  48. May 24, 2021
    60
    Biomutant is a boring, repetitive and simply anachronistic video game with a lot of problems in the quests and world design departments.
  49. May 24, 2021
    60
    Repetitive, formulaic, and downright strange, Biomutant suffers from an abundance of problems that get in the way of great ideas.
  50. May 24, 2021
    60
    Biomutant's stunning world barely survives the painful narration, broken progression, and dearth of stuff to do.
  51. May 24, 2021
    60
    With excellent enemy creature design, a rich and diverse world, and piles and piles of choice when it comes to combat and customisation, Biomutant has a lot of the building blocks of a top-drawer action RPG. It’s really missing only a few, but they’re big ones: its cookie-cutter approach to objectives and puzzles feels two-or-so generations off the pace of other open-world action games, and that leaves the quest to gather all of the things feeling repetitive early on.
  52. May 24, 2021
    60
    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.
  53. Jun 9, 2021
    59
    In a manner, Biomutant’s name is self-explanatory. After all, mutation is often a byproduct of a mistake.
  54. May 24, 2021
    59
    Yes, this is an ambitious action adventure with an appealing world. But it is held back by the weak story, fights that lack any real challenge and bucketloads of unsophisticated quests, all of which push it into mediocrity.
  55. Aug 19, 2022
    50
    The open-world aspect of Biomutant did more harm than good, with the gargantuan, post-apocalyptic realm this heroic, mutated rodent will explore being mostly an empty one, and with the rest of the experience being repetitive and unpolished. More of a disappointment rather than a bad game, try it out only if willing to spend around many fun, but not that fun hours.
  56. May 24, 2021
    50
    Biomutant is a solid open world game. While the world of the third person adventure looks really beautiful and charming, the RPG has also a lot of weaknesses like the unpretentious story and many technical issues. There are not only graphic and audio bugs in the game, on consoles Biomutant crashed multiple times and we had to repeat our progress more than once. On the other hand, the RPG has a good combat system and it is really fun to fight against varied enemies.
  57. May 24, 2021
    50
    If there's something to love in Biomutant, it's the vibrancy of its environments and its brilliantly dynamic combat. Unfortunately, you have to wade through so much repetitive, tedious open-world slurry that it becomes hard to enjoy.
  58. May 24, 2021
    45
    Offensively mediocre in multiple ways, Biomutant was a waste of resources. It's not terrible, but there's no excuse for it to be this vapid and underwhelming.
  59. May 24, 2021
    45
    Biomutant is some sort of Frankenstein’s monster, a bunch of things from other games mixed up together where all the promising ideas that we liked so much got lost.
  60. May 24, 2021
    42
    Biomutant has been hit with multiple delays, but unfortunately still feels like a half-finished product. The morality system is little more than a means to a few strong magic attacks, and the choices you make throughout the story are laughably irrelevant. A lot of the choices like the single narrator for all of the voiceover, and the overly simple combo mechanics can all be called creative choices, but in the grand scheme of things simply feel like the quickest route to a finished product. I truly wanted to love Biomutant, it has been high on my list of “must plays” since it was first announced, but in its current state, I simply cannot recommend anyone rush to buy it for $60.
  61. May 24, 2021
    40
    Biomutant’s feature list seems to include everything a successful open-world action RPG needs. But journey through its towns, fields and bunkers, and there’s no intrigue in its exploration or weight in its relationship building. Not even a worthy combat challenge to hold everything together. With so many ideas left under-developed, it wastes a setting that had far more potential.
  62. May 24, 2021
    40
    Biomutant is an ambitious project, but it never excels at anything. There are too many incomprehensible design choices and frustrating moments, which in turn hinders the game from being truly great.
  63. May 25, 2021
    20
    Biomutant is what happens when someone makes an Ubisoft game, but without Ubisoft’s resources, experience, talent, or even willingness to take risks. With the exception of the art design, everything about Biomutant feels safe and familiar, but without the confidence or polish needed to make it effective. Safe, familiar, and hopelessly lost in the detritus-littered wasteland between design document and actual game.
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  1. May 24, 2021
    For all the weirdness and fun it promises, Biomutant ends up a deeply conventional open-world action game.
  2. There's too much going on in Biomutant. Maybe if there weren't so many unnecessary things then the devs could have spent more time making the annoying bits less annoying. Making those menus clearer and easier to use, properly signposting critical QTEs in boss fights, and tightening the combat lock so fights feel less chaotic and you can be more intentional with your attacks. Who knows? In the end there isn't loads wrong with Biomutant, it's more that the bits that are wrong are pervasive, and you have to wade through extraneous fluff to enjoy the bits that are right. Really cool hats, though.
User Score
6.3

Mixed or average reviews- based on 471 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. May 26, 2021
    2
    The story is your typical humans destroyed the environment and now it's the future where you have to save the world, it's nothing specialThe story is your typical humans destroyed the environment and now it's the future where you have to save the world, it's nothing special besides the earth was taken over by mutated intelligent animals.

    Pros:
    Scenery - You can tell they spent a lot of time working on the scenery. It looks very pretty; the color schemes are usually vivid and on point which makes running around the map kinda soothing. The interiors are well done, although reused a lot.

    Open world - Map is pretty big and you can just up and go explore pretty much wherever and whenever you want to. This has always been a plus in rpg games to have exploration freedom.

    Crafting/weapons - There's a large amount melee and ranged weapons of all sorts in the game and everything is customizable/craftable. From the hilt on a sword to add-ons for the blade, different handles on a gun to the sight and barrel, all the way to adding armor to your clothing, it's all changeable. So you totally have a lot of freedom there.

    Cons:
    The narrator - and this is a big part for the cons so I'll break it down into a few points.
    1. There's only 3 voice actors so far in the entire game. 2 of them are good and evil fairies that show up when you do some quest choices (so rarely) and re rest of the entire game is voiced entirely by the narrator. He does everything from translate the npc's animal giberish, tip pop ups, memory triggers, environmental ques, what your character is doing on screen at the moment, all the way to little quips and musings every 2 minutes. It's incredibly annoying, and makes the whole apocalyptic feeling go away which just makes the game very boring.
    2. The dialog - The way that dialog works with npc's is this. The animal says something in giberish. You press A. The narrator explains what it said. You press A again (do this 4 or 5 times more). Then it gives you a chance to select 1 out of 2 or 3 responses/questions (That you never get to ask the others you didn't pick) followed by more of the giberish, press A, narrator, press A. It seems like at least half if not more of your gameplay is going to be mashing A to get out of dialog.
    3. It treats you like you're a child. The way the narrator talks to you is exactly how you would talk and explain things to a small child. By dumbing down what you're saying while giving it the "This is so exciting" cheeky sound to it. Perhaps this game was made for children and they just marketed it wrong? Mhhh. The narrator holds your hand through everything so puzzles and wondering what to do next in a quest is irrelevant. Having to look for loot and items doesn't matter since the narrator pretty much tells you something is right there. The whole thing is just a bad experience on the game, to why the devs decided to do it that way is a mystery.

    Cut scenes - There are so many dammed cut scenes and dialog in this game that honestly they should have just made this a movie instead of a game. in 10 hours playtime, 3 hours is exploring the actual game and 7 hours is cut scenes and dialog. It's so boring that I have to force myself to keep playing hoping that it's gonna get better but I seriously have my doubts.

    Combat - The combat has a lot to be desired. There's a huge lack of enemy variety, just different colors and 3 or 4 sizes. The game relies on enemies being bullet sponges to give the "feeling" of difficulty, with combat being a somewhat rarity in this game, it really is a big let down. Every weapon has only one attack, however you can unlock more attacks/attack styles in the form of attack combos. Pretty quick it's forcing you to try and remember 20 different button combinations to preform attacks that it just ends up being a button mashing game. (This game really really needs a lock on button)

    Karma system - I guess this is the rpg aspect that they were going for? Karma is on a point system, do a good thing and get a good point, do a bad thing and get a bad point. Your point totals affect the ending and some quest choices and let you unlock and use certain abilities. This normally is pretty good in rpg games, but here the main source of getting karma points is catching these little critters and either petting them for a good point or killing them for a bad point. So pretty much you can catch a bunch of them and both kill / pet them to unlock every ability to use. For the ending (based on quests so far) I'm 99% sure if you want the good, just go pet a few critters and so your good points is bigger than the bad points and boom, good to go.

    Character creation and leveling up - One of the big points the devs made was that there's a vast amount character creation and build making... There's really not. There's 5 or 6 races with about 6 faces with different sizes, color, and a build class. Making a build is a joke since every time you level up, you can increase a stat by 10 points, and you can use every weapon (level depending) on any build with no negatives
    Full Review »
  2. May 26, 2021
    2
    Boring and repetitive gameplay. Wooden combat system. Horrible narration.
    Refund.
  3. May 26, 2021
    0
    I spent the first hour of Biomutant begging the game to stop with the god-awful narration and dialogue. I pleaded to just let me fight theI spent the first hour of Biomutant begging the game to stop with the god-awful narration and dialogue. I pleaded to just let me fight the enemies - no need to ZOOM in on the enemy every time I enter the room and make me wait 5-10 seconds before regaining control. Please, Biomutant, PLEASE let me skip these cutscenes in which nothing happens in the most boring manner imaginable. Biomutant does not care; Biomutant is not in the business of fun. Biomutant is in the business of several overlapping gameplay systems, all of which feel unrewarding, unsatisfying, and like an eternal grind. What's most staggering is that this game did not have to be bad. Cut out 90% of its dialogue, hire an actor capable of delivering two sentences differently, and CUT TO THE CHASE when it comes to gameplay, and this could have been a decent title. But Biomutant seems to think that spinning its wheels is more fun than going anywhere. Full Review »