I am a scavenger; it is in my blood.
I first discovered my genetic predisposition to opening crates and rummaging around for stuff with 2008’s Fallout 3. Before then, I had opened obligatory chests and drawers in previous games, but it wasn’t until Fallout 3 that I realized scavenging was what I was meant to do; it’s what I was made for. And as such, it has been my digital modus operandi — my joie de vivre, as it were — to open as many in-game containers and to extract as much trinkets from them as possible.
So when I learned that Biomutant would feature copious amounts of scavenging, I knew I had to play it. Although the game funnels you through a relatively linear opening section, with nary a box or locker to behold, I had a feeling that if I just stuck with it through those opening hours, I would have more than enough scavenging to keep my grubby little mutant hands busy for the foreseeable future.
And let me tell you, busy mine hands are, with no end in sight. It is glorious.
Biomutant takes a page from 2015’s Mad Max. When entering a new area, you’re alerted as to how many top-tier items are waiting to be discovered. It is a tantalizing glimpse at all the majesty yet to be unearthed. There are not one but two legendary weapons in this rundown factory? Well then, two legendary weapons I shall find.
Experiment 101 had no way of knowing this feature would ruin a small portion of my life — especially when I can’t find that last item after 40 minutes of searching, yet I refuse to move along and leave it to the next treasure hunter to find. But I’m honestly fine having that portion of my life ruined if it means finding a fancy weapon part at the end of it all.
You may be thinking: “Oh, sweet Julian, this is how all games with hidden collectibles operate,” but you would be wrong. Take DayZ, for example. DayZ doesn’t store its lootable items in cupboards or armoires — you know, places where you’d expect to find things if you were rooting around in abandoned houses. Instead, stuff is just strewn about like you entered a college dorm room toward the end of a semester. Lootable items are apparent from the moment you enter a room, thus minimizing any sense of mystery and surprise.
Although hiding loot in cabinets seems like Game Design 101, it certainly isn’t something that’s taken as gospel. But when this concept is employed properly, it just makes me love video-game scavenging all over again.
And the sheer number of container types in Biomutant — while not groundbreaking or anything — manages to keep the player on their toes so as not to miss anything. For example, you’ll want to search chair cushions and even ovens for hidden loot.
Ovens? This does lead me to question what sort of world this was before the humans went away. Of course, since Biomutant takes place in a world inhabited by mutated animals that inherited their world from a bygone human society, there is always some creative wiggle room. If you happen to find a gun stock in microwave, who’s to say how it got there?
I also love that legendary items have a warm, orange glow that permeates whatever container they’re hiding in. This adds an extra level of anticipation — you know that not only is something inside that kitchen drawer, but it’s something extra special.
I also think it’s pretty adorable when you have to root around in a pile of trash to find something hidden inside, especially when it’s a healing item in the guise of a piece of food. Remember, your character has no qualms about eating trash; it’s a raccoon-type thing or something.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I have dozens of hours of looting ahead of me, and those toilets aren’t going to unclog themselves!
