Biomutant is an upcoming game from THQ Nordic and Experiment 101, and it boldly mixes classic RPG elements with gunplay, acrobatic action, kung-fu, and much more. The originality of Biomutant is likely one of its strongest selling points, and its allure lies in the fact that it is reminiscent of older games from the past when player creativity was at the very core of the experience. This is especially true for Biomutant, considering that the game includes a variety of elements from popular genres and franchises, like big beasts similar to those of Monster Hunter, steampunk vehicles, combat inspired by Devil May Cry, and of course, mutations.
Despite the fact that Biomutant is going to release soon, on May 25, the amount of official details shared is slim. Among the aforementioned RPG aspects, the game features there is a character creation system that is not so different from that of Dungeon & Dragons. Characters have stats that all impact the way the game is played in some way, with some having influence over interactions with NPCs, damage dealt to enemies, the amount of health or armor they have, and more.
What Is Known On Biomutant's Character Creation Prior To Release
What was shown thus far from THQ Nordic regarding this customization process is a set of seven steps to complete a character, creating the player's own mutated furry friend to venture into the wacky world of Biomutant. Considering the fact that no further video or trailer from THQ Nordic dropped and changed what is already known about character creation, it's potentially safe to assume that what was shown thus far is pretty much locked in place. There could be changes in the end, but it is likely that the system will stay as it is now, maybe with the addition of an eighth step that is going to be choosing the class for the character.
So far, the first step consists of choosing the character's gender, with the second letting players choose the initial mutation for their Biomutant. This step is very important, especially because it allows players to experiment with all the stat attributes in Biomutant. Then, gamers will get to customize the appearance of the character by choosing which type of fur and what colors the Biomutant will have. Whether any of this process will change when Biomutant releases remains to be seen.
Biomutant Could Change, But Certain Attributes Seem Cemented
Biomutant seems hard to balance in terms of attributes when making a new character, and increasing some will inevitably mean others will be sacrificed. Retaining some classic Dungeons and Dragons ones, players determine their class capability pretty early on. The first is strength, which increases the character's attack damage the higher the attribute, but it is unclear if this applies only to melee weapons, or to ranged weaponry or skills. The second is vitality, which increases health, health regen, power resist. Usually in video games, armor defines damage reduction, and it's likely that this will be the case for Biomutant with power resist reducing damage from skills.
Charisma influences the social interactions in the game in the form of "Persuasion" and "Barter," probably unlocking new options of dialogue with NPCs and special items from sellers. Biomutant is confirmed to feature six tribes and several NPCs throughout its vibrant world. Persuasion is probably going to be the main stat to look for if players want to talk their way out of dangerous encounters, or entice potential companions to follow their journey. Barter, on the other hand, could reduce the price from vendors for specific weapons or crafting components, and then it could also mean that NPCs will have previously unavailable items for players to purchase.
The fourth attribute, intellect, is the go-to attribute for players seeking to enhance their skills with power, energy (likely the equivalent of mana), energy regen, power resist, power pierce, and finally cooldown reduction. Cooldown reduction is usually a key stat to have to cast abilities as often as possible. Classes like the Psyfreak, who focus their gameplay on magical spells, will thrive on Intellect. On the other hand, power pierce seems to be a stat opposite to power resist, allowing the players' magic abilities to potentially deal more damage to their opponents.
The fifth attribute is agility, which increases movement speed, attack speed, range, and then two unfamiliar traits in the form of dodge energy and dodge deduct. It remains to be seen what these do, but the former could be a defensive stat against skills, maybe. Attack speed and range remain something that's open to speculation, because it is not specified whether they affect melee weapons, guns, or both. Agility is often the preferred stat of rogues, and as such it could apply to ranged weapons alone when it comes to attacking faster and the maximum firing range.
Lastly, the final attribute is luck. Apparently, what this does is increasing loot chance and critical chance. Critical Chance seems to be generic, and as such, it may apply to all types of damage, so melee characters, ones focused on ranged weapons, and mages will all presumably benefit from it.
Biomutant releases May 25, 2021, for PC, PS4, and Xbox One.