It’s hard to believe that it’s only been a year since Biomutant released (back on May 25 of 2021). Leading up to launch, I had extremely high hopes for that game, as did Half-Glass Gaming’s owner Josh. We were like school boys, waiting for the sweet shop to open after a day spent on studies (you know, if we were 19th Century English lads).
And even though we both had an immense amount of fun playing it, and we spent hours collecting and tinkering with everything we could, I can’t help but feel like Experiment 101 and THC Nordic simply plopped Biomutant out after a long gestation period and then called it a day.
It’s a shame, because I think Biomutant deserved better. If you ask me, it had enough potential to become a slow-burn cult darling if handled correctly. I think the missteps are clear, and considering there hasn’t been much support post-launch (there’s admittedly been some) I doubt these will be corrected any time soon. But things could’ve gone so much better for Biomutant if the studio showed a little faith in their aberration.
The lack of a dedicated new-gen version was perhaps the first nail in the coffin. It launched half a year after the PS5 and Xbox Series X|S; this was a window of time in which cross-gen was the name of the game. If Biomutant had been a native PS5/Xbox Series app with a scaled-down version for PS4 and Xbox One, it could have kept its relevance for longer. it seemed crazy to not to let all the extra power of the new consoles make this game shine.
Also, the lack of post-launch content (aside from the aforementioned game updates) — or even the slightest hint that this could eventually become a possibility — seems like a bit of a missed opportunity.
Even though Biomutant didn’t review particularly high, it had apparently sold one million copies by the time it was just over a month old, which was enough to recoup development costs. I can’t imagine it didn’t then go on to turn a nice little profit. It is especially baffling, then, that THQ didn’t make more fuss about it in the months after launch, especially considering the concept was pretty unique and the world was fairly well-realized and well-executed (even if the combat wasn’t exactly groundbeaking). With a few tweaks and some post-launch story content, Biomutant could certainly have grown into something truly special.
It’s not like it shipped in Cyberpunk 2077 condition; this game ran mostly alright. Admittedly, there were some mild performance issues, but the rest of the pieces seemed to work for the most part.
So, then, what would I like to see from Experiment 101?
Considering the combat, gameplay, style, and atmosphere were nearly there, a few tweaks could help tighten up performance and graphics issues. Moreover, a dedicated next-gen update would really help smooth out the rough edges and get Biomutant humming. And finally, give me some gosh-darn post-launch DLC — preferably in the form of story content, but even adding to the cosmetic customization options or classes could help breathe new life into Biomutant.
I really hope that Experiment 101 gets a chance to resurrect Biomutant, because I feel like it didn’t get a fair shake or the support it deserved. At this point, I’m not going to hope for a sequel, so dedicating more time and resources to the game we already have would certainly be a welcome sight. I’m sure it would be much appreciated by those who, like me, took a real shining to Biomutant, flaws and all.
