According to Ljunqvist, the game world in Biomutant will share the more open nature of Breath of the Wild’s Hyrule, as opposed to more linear open worlds seen in games like Horizon: Zero Dawn. Presumably this means that Biomutant will truly let players progress through the game in whatever manner they wish, and will encourage players to experiment with different ways of interacting with the game world.
Ljunqvist gave one example of how players will determine their own path through the game. The main objective in Biomutant is curing the Tree of Life that is located at the center of the game’s open world, which is done by defeating five bosses that guard its roots. However, players can also heal the roots by collecting 100 potatoes per root; therefore, it’s possible to complete the game’s main objective without fighting any of the bosses.
Besides The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Biomutant has taken inspiration from other games and even films. According to Ljunqvist, the animated film series Kung Fu Panda inspired Biomutant’s development, which is apparent with the game’s cast of talking animal characters and use of slapstick comedy.
As for other games that inspired Biomutant, the Experiment 101 development team reportedly took inspiration from Devil May Cry. Apparently Biomutant will have a “free flow” combat system, meaning players can quickly switch between shooting and melee attacks during battles.
Bringing together the combat of Devil May Cry with the open world structure of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild sounds like a winning combination. However, we’ll have to wait until next year to see if Experiment 101’s vision pans out or if it fails to live up to its inspirations.
Biomutant is in development for PC, PS4, and Xbox One, with a planned 2018 launch date.
Source: The Wolf Hall
