Developer: The Bearded Ladies
Console Ports: High Voltage Software
Publisher: Funcom
Platforms: Nintendo Switch [new!], PC, Playstation 4, and Xbox One
Release Date (Switch, Seed of Evil, and DX Edition Retail): July 30, 2019 | PS4 digital: August 6, 2019 | Japan: November 21, 2019
Original Release Date: December 4th, 2018
Genre: Tactical Adventure aka XCOM But You Travel Through a World w/ Proper Characters
Player(s): 1
Base Game Price: US$34.99 | €34.99 | £28.99 (Not available on Nintendo Switch)
Expansion DLC Price: US$14.99 | €14.99 | £12.99 (Not available on Nintendo Switch)
Deluxe Edition Price: US$44.99 | CA$55.99 | €44.99 | £39.99 | AU$69.99 | NZ$73.99 | ¥ xxxx
Format: Digital & Retail (Retail "Deluxe Edition" includes Seed of Evil Expansion)
Platform Stores: Nintendo Switch: EU | US | CA | AU | NZ | JP ## Xbox One ## PS4: NA | EU ## Steam
Download File Size on Switch: 5814.35 MB + Day-1 update (~2GB) = ~7.8GB total.
Video Capture Support on Switch: Yes
Links: Official Site | Seed of Evil & Port Review Thread | Original OT by Dancrane212
What is Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden?
Based on the Mutant Year Zero pen-and-paper RPG, the game is a tactical adventure game set in a post-apocalyptic Sweden. As a group of mutant "Stalkers" you are tasked with finding supplies for the last vestige of humanity by exploring the Zone.
How does combat work?
Gameplay in the zone is a mix of real time stealth and turn based tactical combat. As you explore "The Zone" you will have opportunities to avoid enemies with stealth (with their vision displayed on screen). From here you can take out opponents before they can alert their allies or setup strong positioning for combat. Once you initiate combat the game will transition into a turn based affair à la the XCOM series.
Do I get to create my own characters?
No. The game features 5 playable characters who are preset from the start.
Character progression?
You are able to enhance both your weapons and characters by spending scrap and gaining experience points respectively. By leveling characters you are able to unlock equipable mutations that will open up new combat and support abilities (allow a character to fly, or to trap enemies in place).
Is there permadeath?
There is an optional permadeath mode you can enable.
What is a "tactical adventure?"
They've dubbed this a tactival "adventure" since you are not selecting procedurally generated/somewhat random missions from a menu but instead are picking areas on a world map of the gameworld to go to and then traverse these levels like you would in an RPG or any other kind of traditional "adventure" where you go from A to B while progressing a story. This ties directly into the predetermined, fixed characters with a narrative arc. It's what makes this tactics/stealth game quite unique.
Game Pass?
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is on Game Pass for Xbox One and PC. The expansion is not.
Xbox One X and PS4 Pro Enhancements?
PS4 Pro: Atmospheric fog, Point light cube map shadows, a higher material quality, UI resolution is 4k, the frame resolution is 80% of 4k
Xbox One X: Resolution is 3200*1800 (further details unknown)
New Game +?
No.
In order to play the Seed of Evil expansion, do I need to have a finished save file from the main campaign?
No, you can play with preset characters right from the main menu. The story picks up after the campaign, though. Quote from the devs behind the link.
Who made this?
Developer The Bearded Ladies is in part made up of former HITMAN leads and one of the designers of PAYDAY.
Any tips for fresh faced beginners?
How about this:
How does the Switch version hold up?
All of the reviews were written up based on the pre-patch version. Please be aware of that. The Switch port comes with severe visual downgrades, though the game still remains playable.
30 minutes of post-patch footage on Switch:
Day-1 Patch (v2.0.22675) Graphics Comparison:
Seed of Evil continues the gameplay style from Road to Eden, with tactical turn-based combat combined with real-time exploration and stealth, but expands the options you have when choosing your team and their skills.
- New area, new enemies, new weapons & gear: Seed of Evil takes place in an entirely new area of the Zone. Explore new maps and defeat the new plant based Pod Ghouls, who will attack you with mutations of their own. As you explore you'll also find new weapons and armor, which will be of great help to you.
- A new Stalker: Big Khan the moose is a legendary Stalker who left the Ark years ago for unknown reasons. He teams up with Bormin, Dux, and the rest of the team to fight the new threat and keep the Ark safe. Khan's size and strength make him an excellent fighter, capable of landing highly damaging critical hits against enemies.
- New mutations: We're introducing a brand new mechanic in Seed of Evil that lets you upgrade certain existing mutations. Bormin's Hug Rosh can become a mighty Bear Smash, with increased power, while Selma's Tree Hugger can become a Tree Caster ability, which can temporarily turn enemies into cover for you to hide behind.
- Retake lost territory: Zone Ghouls, bots and other horrors are encroaching on places you've already cleared out in Road to Eden. This time around they're stronger than ever and your Stalkers are tasked by the Ark with clearing them out.
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