Biomutant lets you customise your character from six different DNA strands

By Heidi Nicholas,

Biomutant, the intriguing open-world action-RPG first announced two years ago, now has new gameplay footage and new features revealed as devs confirm it's in the "end-phase of development".

Speaking to IGN, creative director Stefan Ljungqvist explains just how massive the game will be, and gives new story, customisation, and character creation details. For instance, there's six different tribes to choose from during character creation, but it is "not like choosing between six characters, it's like choosing between six DNA strands and morphing your own character... within those DNA strands." Each of these tribes has its own unique DNA strand which you'll then tweak and personalise further, before going on to even more minute details such as fur and fur patterns. The creature often shown in the game's marketing, says Ljungqvist, is just the "avatar for our version of the character". Appearance will affect stats — "it's a full-blown RPG" — and you'll see this reflected while you're making your character. Although you can upgrade later in the game however you want, at the beginning the devs are "putting you into this decision: are you fast and nimble, are you a smart mutant, or are you a warrior or whatever". Beyond all this, there's also the option to choose a class, with Ljungqvist giving the example of a "Sai freak.... more of your X-Men mutant style", sort of like a "magic-user".

We've heard before that there will be a tree of life in the game, and that the tree and the world are dying. Your character can choose to help save the world or to aid its death. There will be four massive roots of this tree of life reaching across the world, and at the end of these will be unique bosses, which need to be faced to progress this decision. The gameplay footage shows some of the equipment you can use while fighting them, such as a submarine, mech, and a mount. There'll be other bosses too, and to match all this hostility, the player will be given a huge level of control over crafting and customising weapons. Ljungqvist says it's an expensive crafting system, and that you can combine the parts you've scavenged for "thousands of combinations". You will also be crafting gear such as clothes, helmets, shoulder pads, and so on. Ljungqvist briefly touches upon "zones": it seems the game will have different biomes like cold zones and heat zones, in which you'll need to craft further gear to survive: for instance, an oxygen mask for the dead zone.

Biomutant looks hugely ambitious. Ljungqvist repeatedly says it's the biggest game he's ever worked on, and discusses the many inspirations — including Kung Fu Panda. There was no word on a release date, but Ljungqvist reiterated the game is in the "end-phase" of development. However, Cyberpunk 2077, also a massively complex game, was recently delayed despite CD Projekt Red's comments that the "quests, cutscenes, the skills and items; all the adventures Night City has to offer - it's all there." This was because the devs needed to iron out the bugs and balance everything. Ljungqvist says it's a small team working on Biomutant, so although it's in the end-phase of development, it's hard to guess when we might expect to see it.

We'll keep you updated. What do you think of Biomutant? Let us know in the comments!

Xbox One

Written by Heidi Nicholas

Hey, I'm Heidi! I've been a staff writer for TrueAchievements and TrueTrophies since 2019. I love open-worlders, RPGs, and fantasy games, am obsessed with tea, and forever loyal to The Witcher 3 and Red Dead 2.