A tactical adventure game combining the turn-based combat of XCOM with story, exploration, stealth, and strategy. Take control of a team of Mutants navigating a post-human Earth. Created by a team including former HITMAN leads and the designer of PAYDAY.
Platform(s) PC, Playstation 4 and Xbox One
Release Date: December 4th, 2018
November 30th 2018 (9am PT/12pm ET, Preorders (anyday before Dec 4th) and Deluxe Edition—PC only)
Genre: Tactical AdventurePrice: 34.99 USD (Part of the $5 back Winter of Arcade promo on Xbox)
Player(s): 1
Format: Digital only ("at launch")
Developer: The Bearded Ladies
Publisher: Funcom
What is Mutant Year Zero: The 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 ala the X-Com 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.
Game Pass?
Mutant Year Zero will launch on the Game Pass service at the same time as its standard release (December 4th). There is no Play Anywhere option so this is only for Xbox One and not PC.
Xbox One X and PS4 Pro Enhancements?
As of November 29th…
PS4 Pro Enables:
Atmospheric fog
Point light cube map shadows
A higher material quality
UI resolution is 4k, the frame resolution is 80% of 4k
Resolution will be 3200*1800 on Xbox One. Waiting for word back about additional details.
New Game +?
No.
Does progress in the PC demo carry over to the full game?
No.
Mouse and keyboard support on Xbox One?
No. The game is only controlled via an Xbox One gamepad on that console.
How long is the game?
The publisher quotes the game at 15 to 20 hours but with the potential to run much longer depending on difficulty and exploration.
Ultrawide support?
Was stated that the feature was not planned but, allegedly, the demo supports it.
FPS limit on PC?
There's the UE4 default cap of 62fps but you can get around it by doing the following...
Switch?
"Anything can happen, but we can't say for sure just yet :)"
So no physical copy then?
"We're not ruling anything out, but we can't say for sure that we'll release the game on disc."
Metacritic (PC) - 78
Windows Central 4.5/5
The inelegant blend of serious themes and wacky comedy, and the use of what I feel are dated strategy game aiming mechanics prevent Mutant Year Zero from being truly perfect, but it's still an incredible experience that you can't miss.
IGN 7.9
By blending real-time stealth with tried-and-true tactics gameplay, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden breaks exciting new ground for the turn-based strategy game. Even with some mechanics that don't mesh perfectly with the gameplay, it teases your brain in interesting, insightful ways.
Techraptor 7/10
Warts and all, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a solid debut by indie studio The Bearded Ladies, composed by some veteran designers of Hitman and PAYDAY. Mutant stands out for its gripping and original twist on stealth with turn-based combat. Although I did expect more depth in terms of narrative, maybe it was wiser to keep it simple. There are occasional glimpses of a great game where the sum of its parts in level design and atmosphere coalesce into a compelling experience.
Slant Magazine 3/5
The game's dour setting fits its desperate, ambush-centric battles like a glove, but beyond that, the Zone and its inhabitants are little more than an under-realized aesthetic. Mutant Year Zero feels most of all like a promising start for something potentially greater. Indeed, for as much as the game offers an intense, occasionally brilliant spin on turn-based strategy, it's tough not to imagine how a sequel could improve the writing and the exploration to realize what is, at this point anyway, mostly just a lot of potential.
Steam
Xbox One
Playstation 4
Official Site
By blending real-time stealth with tried-and-true tactics gameplay, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden breaks exciting new ground for the turn-based strategy game. Even with some mechanics that don't mesh perfectly with the gameplay, it teases your brain in interesting, insightful ways.
Techraptor 7/10
Warts and all, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a solid debut by indie studio The Bearded Ladies, composed by some veteran designers of Hitman and PAYDAY. Mutant stands out for its gripping and original twist on stealth with turn-based combat. Although I did expect more depth in terms of narrative, maybe it was wiser to keep it simple. There are occasional glimpses of a great game where the sum of its parts in level design and atmosphere coalesce into a compelling experience.
Slant Magazine 3/5
The game's dour setting fits its desperate, ambush-centric battles like a glove, but beyond that, the Zone and its inhabitants are little more than an under-realized aesthetic. Mutant Year Zero feels most of all like a promising start for something potentially greater. Indeed, for as much as the game offers an intense, occasionally brilliant spin on turn-based strategy, it's tough not to imagine how a sequel could improve the writing and the exploration to realize what is, at this point anyway, mostly just a lot of potential.
Steam
Xbox One
Playstation 4
Official Site
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