Mortismal Gaming reviews Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden.

Mutant Year Zero: Road To Eden - Review After 100%

loading...

GameInsider reviewed DLC/Expansion Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil and found it excellent.

loading...

Ultimately, Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil is an excellent expansion, introducing a new compelling mystery, a powerful new character, and some brand new locations. This is a must-buy for any fans of the series.

Thanks Farflame!

The launch trailer for Mutant Year Zero DLC Seed of Evil.

loading...

Seed of Evil, the expansion to Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is live on PC, Xbox One and Nintendo Switch on July 30th, 2019, with PlayStation 4 soon to follow! Yep, that's right Nintendo-fans, that means the full game is now finally available on Switch!

A new video for the Seed of Evil expansion of Mutant Year Zero has been made available, showing a fire breathing moose.

Funcom Releases a Steaming Hot Video featuring the New Mutant Year Zero Hero

Wild Moose Chase: Since the hoof of the pudding is in the eating, you might want to check out the original Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden today, in order to prepare for the expansion later this month.

The new video contains gameplay and a fire breathing moose. Nuff said.

OSLO, Norway - July 22nd, 2019 - With just a few more days go till the release of the expansion for critically acclaimed Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, publisher Funcom and developer The Bearded Ladies today released a new video featuring the new playable character, Big Khan the Moose.

The smoking hot expansion Seed of Evil picks up where the original game left off and lets players continue their exploration of post-apocalyptic Sweden, this time with a new menace looming on the horizon. Powerful and ominous roots have emerged and seem to be taking control over the minds of friends and foes alike. Fortunately, a new hero has arrived, and he is probably the moost badass character ever to grace world of tactical adventure games.

Striding proudly in his Canada Moose jacket, Big Khan is not only skilled at landing critical hits, he comes with the unique mutations Ground Pound and Flame Puke, allowing him to set his foes ablaze.

The expansion and the retail release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch is due July 30th. The expansion and the full game will also be available digitally on all platforms, including PC.

PC-gamers can pre-order the expansion on Steam for $ 14.99 / € 14.99 (pricing may differ across territories). A Digital Deluxe Edition will also be available, consisting of both the original game and the upcoming expansion. The Deluxe Edition will also be available in retail.

The third expansion to Mutant: Year Zero, named Mutant: Elysium will be available on August 1.

The end of the world is coming - the post apocalyptic Mutant: Elysium RPG is set for release on Aug 1

The end of the world as you know it is coming. Free League Publishing today announced that Mutant: Elysium roleplaying game will be released on August 1. When four mighty Houses struggle for supremacy in the underground enclave, oblivious to a rising power that threatens to end their reign forever, what side will you find yourself on? Mutant: Elysium is set in the universe of the award-winning Mutant: Year Zero roleplaying game.

When humanity falls, four powerful industrial and financial dynasties form a covenant called Elysium, after the meadows of eternal Spring from Greek mythology. Deep in the bedrock, they build the enclave named Elysium I, designed to weather the long atomic winter. Now, generations later, Elysium I is a gilded prison, a lonely outpost in a sea of quiet destruction. Fear and suspicion grow unchecked, and the four Houses fight ever more desperately over the dwindling resources that remain. In response to this rising tide of civil unrest, a force of judicators has been established to preserve law and order in the enclave.

Mutant: Elysium is the third major expansion to the award-winning Mutant: Year Zero roleplaying game. This game tells the origin story of the enclave humans, who see themselves as the last torchbearers of human civilization. The four Houses of Warburg, Fortescue, Morningstar and Kilgore struggle for power within Elysium I, oblivious to a rising power that threatens to end their reign forever. Mutant: Elysium can also be played as a stand-alone game. Contents:

• New rules for creating and playing enclave humans, including their web of contacts with rich and powerful allies. The book includes all the rules you need to play.
• A detailed description of Elysium I, the mother of all Elysium enclaves, including a beautiful full-color map.
• The complete campaign Guardians of the Fall, including unique game mechanics that give the players themselves control over the four Houses of the enclave.
• An overview of how the enclave humans can adapt to life in the Zone, and join the mutants, animals and robots of Mutant: Year Zero, Mutant: Genlab Alpha and Mutant: Mechatron.

Mutant: Elysium will be available at on August 1, at Gen Con 2019 in the Free League booth (#2664) and in the Free League webshop, and shortly after in hobby stores everywhere via the Impressions consolidator.

An upcoming expansion for Mutant Year Zero, named Seed of Evil, has been announced.

Funcom Reveals 'Seed of Evil', An Upcoming Expansion for Mutant Year Zero

Game set for Nintendo Switch launch - Expansion to be released on July 30th - New playable mutant announced - The expansion to the award-winning tactical adventure game picks up where the original game ended and introduces a new playable character, Big Khan the Moose.

OSLO, Norway - May 23rd, 2019 - Hours of gameplay, new locations to visit and a new leading character await fans of the award-winning tactical adventure game Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, as Funcom and The Bearded Ladies today announce the upcoming expansion Seed of Evil.

The turn-based tactical adventure game Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden received critical acclaim for its gameplay, artwork and captivating characters. Set in post-apocalyptic Sweden, the player controls a group of mutants searching through the ruins of civilization for salvation or simply something to eat. Using a mixture of stealth and combat strategy, while evolving your characters through a series of interesting mutations, is paramount to overcoming the evil that is threatening to eradicate what is left of decent society.

A new menace is looming in the expansion. Powerful and ominous roots have emerged and seem to be taking control over the minds of friends and foes alike. Fortunately, a new hero has arrived, and players can now add Big Khan the moose to their squad of mutants. He is not only skilled at landing critical hits but comes with the unique mutations Ground Pound and Flame Puke, giving the option to apply a more diverse playstyle in order to succeed.

The expansion and the retail release on Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and Nintendo Switch was originally set to release on June 25th. The new release date is now July 30th. The expansion and the full game will also be available digitally on all platforms.

PC gamers can preorder the expansion on Steam later today for $ 14.99 (pricing may differ across territories). A Digital Deluxe Edition will also be released today on Steam, consisting of both the original game and the upcoming expansion. The Deluxe Edition will also be available in retail.

PCGamesN reports that the DLC for Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden will arrive later this year.

Information on the DLC is pretty sparse at the moment, but we do at least have a release date – you can expect to head back down the Road to Eden this summer, on June 25. Presumably, the DLC will be an extension of the story from the base game, but how exactly that’ll be approached isn’t clear just yet.

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

Worthplaying reports on the availability of the free 'Stalker Trials' content for Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. Additionally a free demo is now available, and the game is coming to GOG soon.

loading...

Funcom have rolled out a free demo of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden on PC, which you can download through your Steam client.

All content from the beginning of the game, up and including reaching the Ark, will be available in the demo, so you’re getting a decent chunk of the game. If you’ve been on the fence about buying Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden you can check out the demo and try before you buy. Or send it to that friend who’s looking for a new game to play.

It’s the perfect opportunity to see if the game is for you.

The most requested feature from players after release has been replayable gameplay, and the free updateaims to introduce exactly that. Stalker Trials brings with a challenge mode that allows players to take on new challenges in the zone, racking up points based on skill and performance, and competing with friends and strangers on leaderboards while also unlocking more powerful weapons and items. 

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

@DSOGaming Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden no longer contains Denuvo. The latest patch also contains a number of fixes.

Now here is a pleasant surprise. Funcom and The Bearded Ladies have released a new patch for Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden that, among other things, removes Denuvo. As such, this tactical XCOM-inspired game is no longer plagued by the controversial anti-tamper tech that a lot of PC gamers hate and boycott.

[...]

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden has new DLC coming February 26th called Stalker Trials.

Stalker Trials Coming to PC February 26

20 Feb @ 2:53am - Jens Erik (Community Manager)

Greetings mutants and stalkers! 

Today we are incredibly excited to announce that Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is expanding with the addition of Stalker Trials, a challenge mode that will truly put your skills to the test. We’re re-populating the game’s maps with different types of enemies to create new challenges for you and your chosen team of stalkers. 



We’ll be rolling out the Stalker Trials on PC in a free update next week, on February 26th, so mark your calendars and get ready to gear up! Consoles will get this update at a later date.

Sneak and fight to impress Pripp 

The Stalker Trials give you access to all characters, with all mutations and skills unlocked, but you will have to buy and upgrade your weapons and armor before heading out. Once you’re satisfied with your loadout you can journey into the Zone and link up with Pripp, the bartender. He’s the brains behind the Stalker Trials, and will score you on your progress as you fight your way through an area. Your rewards will be new items and equipment that you can either use on a new map, or sett at Iridia’s shop. 

Your progress will be noted down on the in-game leaderboards and the weekly and all-time top Stalker will have an NPC named after them for other players to take down. Pripp will also reward you with extra points if you clear a map in certain ways, for example by not taking damage or not using explosives. 

Watch this space 

It’s been a fantastic two months since the launch on Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden in December, 2018. We’ve been following your tweets, forum and Reddit posts, YouTube videos and Twitch streams and it’s been an absolute blast to see what you’ve thought about the game. 

During the time since launch we’ve been working on fixing bugs and issues with the game. Several of those fixes will come out alongside the Stalker Trials, on February 26. We will also continue to roll out additional patches as needed. 

Keep watching this space. We’ve got even more stuff coming down the line, but we’re not quite ready to talk about that just yet. 

Thanks Farflame!

GiN has reviewed the tactical RPG Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden:

Mutant Year Zero Brings Charm and Combat

Just when we thought that the year could not offer any more surprises, out comes Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden from developer The Bearded Ladies. This indie title is actually published by Funcom, and while it’s a little rough around the edges, it’s a lot of fun to play with characters who provide a lot of heart and more than a few laughs.

The game is based on a Swedish pen and paper role-playing game. In it, those who survived the apocalypse deep in their underground bunkers spent a lot of time splicing DNA and trying to create human and animal hybrids who could survive in the wrecked world. Apparently, humanity dies out in the paper RPG, leaving only the mutants. Here, there are only a few mutants, a handful of un-altered humans clustered in a settlement called The Ark, and lots of former humans turned murderous cannibals which the game calls ghouls.

[...]

Balancing issues aside, there is something about Mutant Year Zero that is extremely alluring. There is about twenty hours of gameplay in the main campaign, which is about right for the current $35 price tag. It’s a refreshing twist on the turn-based strategy genre, and well worth your time to check it out.

Score: 4/5

Chris Davis checked out Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden:

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden Review

loading...

Game Debate checked out Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden:

Beast of Eden - Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden Review

Mutant Year Zero is an utterly absorbing blend of turn-based tactics, real-time adventuring and stealth. It wears its XCOM inspirations on its sleeves in regards to grid movement, two actions per turn, Overwatch, and unique class skills. It differs greatly from XCOM in terms of the package that binds it all together though.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a compact tactical RPG set in a post-apocalyptic Norway. Nearly all humans are extinct thanks to a combination of natural disasters, global warming, and nuclear devastation. A single remote settlement known as the Ark remains, inhabited by a handful of humans and an array of the titular mutants. This includes the player’s party, such as the crossbow-wielding Dux the anthropomorphic duck, and Bormin the shotgun-toting boar.

[...]

Hardcore fans of turn-based tactics may be slightly put off by Mutant Year Zero’s obvious missteps but that aside, The Bearded Ladies have cooked up a special game here that’s got great potential for the future. Road to Eden isn’t perfect but it’s definitely stood out from the crowd for me in what’s been an excellent year.

Score: 8.5/10

Mutant Year Zero: Return to Eden has received generally positive reviews all round.

GameWatcher - 7.5/10

CogConnected - 85/100

People are so used to specific styles of turn-based strategy that the way Mutant Year Zero approaches things may seem too different, potentially scaring off fans of the genre as well as newcomers. That being said, there is a lot to like between the polish of the game’s world-building, the genuinely unique approach to encounters, and the flexibility of each character’s skills. If you’re not afraid of a little challenge and are looking for a strategy title that oozes charm, then you may want to dip a toe in the Zone with Dux and Bormin.

Twinfinite - 2.5/5

This game was a title with real potential. The unique setting, combat framework, and general artistic direction laid a robust foundation for unique gameplay. However, that potential vanished following the shallow narrative, tactical, and progression design. The numerous bugs, glitches, and technical issues only soured what fun remained.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden feels entirely spread too thin. Without much depth to its name, it remains a unique setting devoid of personality.

CulturedVultures - 8/10

That said, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a fantastic game that anyone who likes tough as nails tactics should really check out. Everything from the combat to the stealth to the world itself is masterfully implemented and works together to create a truly great experience.

WorthPlaying - 8.5/10

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a charming, fun and well-made game with plenty of humor and excellent gameplay. It's an example of how you can expand on a tried-and-true formula in a way that makes it distinctive and exciting. The only thing that drags it down are some bugs and occasional difficulty spikes that feel more frustrating than fun. If you're a fan of XCOM-style games but want a new approach, you should absolutely try MYZ, which is one of the best surprises of the year.

IGN - 7.9/10

The Verdict

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.

PCInvasion - 3.5/5

Mutant Year Zero’s biggest flaw is its length. While the harder difficulties will surely slow down even the most brilliant tactician, I can’t imagine a play-through taking longer than 20 hours. As of the writing of this review, Mutant Year Zero is available for $35 US. Whether or not this is enough content for that price is up to you.

NoisyPixel - 7.3/10

When I think about an important characteristic that video games should have to be “good”, I can always judge it for the fun it provides and Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a very fun video game. Players that enjoy the SRPG genre will most likely have the same sentiment, but I can’t help but warn that this game will not play as expected to those who come in new to the genre. Instead of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden being a combat game with choices, it plays more like a puzzle game that demands to be played in the way the given situation calls for.

Due to the high amounts of AI aggression and rate of damage, experimenting with tactics almost never rewards the risk. In the end, the game does have a Duck named Dux and I simply wanted to get past all the battles just to hear what sassy thing he has to say next.

RockPaperShotgun - No Score

Again, I’m greedy. I want a bigger, beefier, more flexible Mutant Year Zero. But that’s because the small, linear but smart, powerful and atmospheric Mutant Year Zero I got grabbed hold of me so completely.

Thanks Farflame!

Wccftech interviewed the developers of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden.

Is there any optional side content to be found in Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden?

There are smaller and optional side-stories which you also can play in the game. These do not directly follow the main story but delve into other events and characters around the Mutant Year Zero world. Your team of mutants will earn XP and gain loot from doing this side content. These bonuses make your team more powerful, but players will still be able to play through the main story should they elect not to explore all the side content.

How many playable characters are there in total?

You start the game with two mutants on your team and meet three more on your journey. So, in total, you can choose between five mutants when you have met everyone. You can only have three active at any time though. They all level up together, so even if you don’t use one mutant all of the time, it won’t fall behind the rest.

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

PC Gamer has reviewed Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden:

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden review

Let’s get it out of the way. Yes, that’s an anthropomorphic pig and a duck, and yes, you can play as a fox, too. Ha! But you’ll forget their inherent ridiculousness as you start to explore Mutant Year Zero’s skeleton-strewn Sweden and face its stern tactics challenge. Very quickly Bormin was simply my gruff stalwart tank, Dux my sharp-eyed, crit-dealing sniper, and Farrow my sneaking shotgunner. God, I love that gang.

[...]

In fact, Mutant Year Zero too often leans on adding hit points to enemies to raise the stakes. There’s a good number of different types, from molotov-throwing pyros to telekinetic leaders, medi-bots to armoured tanks. Each demands different strategies, but by the mid-game most are introduced and I found the majority of the challenge came in figuring out how to eke more damage out of my weapons. The answer lay mostly in fussy fiddling with add-ons to raise critical limits and give chances of setting raiders on fire and EMP-stunning robots. 

And then the game ends. I found the story, such as it is, fulfilling enough. But in the 15 hours it took me to complete on Normal, I’d only just bought a couple of late-game skills and had barely used the other two characters; I wanted a chance to explore them. Coupled with plenty of little launch-period bugs which sometimes made upper floors invisible and could get confused about where I could move my characters to, I felt Mutant Year Zero isn’t quite finished.   

I could do an Iron Man permadeath-and-no-saves run and I started a Hard one, but still, it doesn’t fully deliver on its potential. But it’s also very good at addressing things many strategy games falter at, always ensuring you have information to make good decisions and using clear hit rules. While it lasts, Mutant Year Zero is a tense, absorbing and atmospheric new member of the XCOM family. I suppose wanting more of it is a good problem to have.

Score: 81/100

Thanks henriquejr!

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden has launched:

We are live! Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden has Officially Launched

Stalkers and mutants rejoice!

It is time to venture into the irradiated Zone to discover the truth behind the mythical Eden, a potential safe haven in the post-apocalyptic wasteland, alongside your mutated Stalker companions.

After [insert years/months] of development, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden has officially launched on Steam, PS4 and Xbox One! Getting to make an adaptation of such a fantastic roleplaying game has been an amazing journey. We’re all fans of Mutant Year Zero and we hope we’ve done justice to the original pen and paper RPG.

loading...

A new Mutand Year Zero: Road to Eden trailer:

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden - Farrow Reveal Trailer

loading...

@DSOGaming New gameplay footage for Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden.

Funcom and developer The Bearded Ladies have released a new video showcasing new gameplay footage from Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a tactical adventure game combining the turn-based combat of XCOM with story, exploration, stealth, and strategy.

[...]

loading...

In a new video for Mutant year Zero, Funcom explains what the game is about.

Tactical adventure game, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden fuses, XCOM-like turn-based combat with real-time stealth and exploration, arriving on PC, Xbox, PS4 on December 4th. Check out the new gameplay footage and behind the scenes video from the developers, explaining what Mutant Year Zero is all about!

OSLO, Norway - October 18th, 2018 - On December 4th, in just under two months, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden will make its debut on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4. The game combines XCOM-like tactical combat with real-time exploration, stealth, and story as it puts players on a journey across a post-human Sweden where anthropomorphic animals scramble to survive in the remains of human civilization. Throughout the game, players can seamlessly jump between real-time exploration and tactical combat.

Since the game's announcement in February (where the characters Dux and Bormin undoubtedly stole the show), Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden have been collecting both awards and praise from press who have gotten hands-on time with the game. But, if you've been living under a rock for the past few months, the developers at The Bearded Ladies' studio in Sweden are ready to show you what the game is all about.

In the brand-new video released today, the team takes you behind the scenes at their Malmö studio as they give you the overview of what the game is all about and what players can look forward to. You can also find a written overview posted on www.mutantyearzero.com. 

Now available for PC pre-order on buy.mutantyearzero.com, the game will be available in a Standard Edition ($34.99) and a Deluxe Edition ($54.99). The Deluxe Edition includes a desktop wallpaper, digital artbook, digital soundtrack, and a digital copy of the Mutant Year Zero pen-and-paper RPG book. Pre-ordering the Standard Edition will give you a three-day head start at launch while pre-ordering the Deluxe Edition gives you the same head start as well as access to a Beta version of the game before launch. The game will also launch on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One on December 4th, simultaneously with PC.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden gameplay video with developer commentary.

20 MINUTES OF RAW GAMEPLAY WITH DEVELOPER COMMENTARY!

4 OCTOBER - COMMUNITY MANAGER (JENS ERIK)

Check out the all new gameplay video from Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden! Lead Designer Lee Varley and Producer Mark Parker play through the challenging Sea Titans map.

loading...

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a tactical adventure game combining the turn-based combat of XCOM with story, exploration, stealth, and strategy. You take control of a team of Mutants navigating a post-human Earth.

Bormin, Dux and Selma have just exited the Cave of Fear and are heading north towards a place called the House of Bones. But first they need to cross the river and to do so they must defeat a large group of zone ghouls who are controlling a massive metal boat.

The key to pushing on is picking off smaller groups of ghouls silently, so sneaking around and finding the right moment to strike is crucial. Even if their numbers are reduced the ghouls have a strong leader with powerful and mysterious abilities, so the fight will be hard.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden was previewed by Rock Paper Shotgun in a unique way.

FIND: Stand alone, self contained missions.
REPLACE: Open exploration in a post-human world where the characters think a boom box is a weapon of some kind, because of the name.

FIND: Near-as-dammit current day setting; humanity scrambling to deal with invasion from a more advanced alien society.
REPLACE: Fun post-human society set dressing – hundreds of years after we’ve gone, there are crumbling highways, rusted out ambulances, the remains of a playground.

FIND: Returning to the XCOM base between missions, to allow your troops to heal and resupply.
REPLACE: No rest for the wicked. Looting to find useful things, like medkits, or keys to locked doors from earlier in the level.

FIND: Different loadouts for different soldiers selected on deployment.
REPLACE: Finding new weapons as you go. Switching between silent and loud guns as the situation demands.

[...]

Thanks Farflame!

@IGN Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden gameplay video from Gamescom.

loading...

The game's producers walk us through the mechanics of this tactical strategy game.

Thanks Farflame!

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is scheduled to be released on the 4th of December this year.

Funcom and The Bearded Ladies' announces a December 4th 2018 release date for Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden

The tactical adventure game Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden finally mutates into release on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 on December 4th 2018, fusing together turn-based tactical combat with real-time exploration, story, stealth and strategy.

OSLO, Norway - August 21st, 2018 - Publisher Funcom and developer The Bearded Ladies are excited to finally announce the release date for Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, the tactical adventure game that combines XCOM-like turn-based tactical combat with real-time stealth and exploration. Launching on December 4th 2018, the game will be available on PC, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 simultaneously.

Announced earlier this year, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden rustled quite a few feathers when it introduced a crossbow-wielding, bipedal, and unusually sassy duck to the otherwise bleak apocalypse genre in its unique and surprising reveal CGI. During this year's E3 in Los Angeles, Funcom and The Bearded Ladies provided press with the first-ever hands-on demo and received several "Best of E3" awards and nominations, and this week, Funcom and The Bearded Ladies are present at GamesCom giving another updated gameplay demo to press in the business area of the show.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden was hands-on for the people at Gamecrate and they wrote their impressions.

Instead of sucking your forces up into a chopper, flying back to base, then going out on another mission later, your party is just always adventuring. It’s a bit like the Divinity: Original Sin games in a way, but with more strategy flair and less focus on roleplaying.

The start of my demo had me exploring a run-down arctic camp that was overrun by bad guys. I don’t know much about them other than that they were bad, but that’s all I really needed to know. Before I got to the base itself I snooped around outside and scavenged for some supplies, looked for alternate entrances, and generally performed my pre-fight scouting duties. All of this happened in real-time with standard WASD movement around the environment.

After slyly sneaking into the base, that’s when things started to go south.

[...]

Gameplay for Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden was shown off at E3.

loading...

Get an all new look from the developers of Mutant Year Zero, coming later this year.

Thanks Farflame!

@Shacknews An interview with Mark Parker who is working on Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden.

One of the best things about developing a hit game is that it allows studios to branch out into passion projects. Developer Funcom did a fantastic job with recently-released action title Conan Exiles, and the next game from the studio is set to blend strategy and adventure into a gorgeous game filled with unusual creatures. Shacknews caught up with Mark Parker, producer at The Bearded Ladies Consulting, at E3 2018 to learn more about the team's latest "tactical adventure" title.

loading...

[...]

Yellow Brick Road asked about Funcom's Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden in a podcast.

In episode #16 we dive into the world of the classic game “Mutant” and Funcom’s upcoming game “Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden”. And how did ducks in popular culture go from silly to cool? Guests: Game expert, film geek and author Orvar Säfström and Goodbye Kansas stalwarts Tom Olsson and Jonas Skoog.

IndieGraze interviewed studio producer Mark Parker about Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden.

As a child of the ’80s, the notion that a team of anthropomorphic animals must work together to vanquish evil feels like second nature, and in The Bearded Ladies’ Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, players guide an unlikely trio through post-apocalyptic terrain in the search for answers. With FUNCOM on board as the publisher, I chatted with studio producer Mark Parker.

 

Erik Meyer: MYZRTE guides players through XCOM-inspired turn-based tactical combat, with mutations, specialized equipment, and unique character abilities leading the way through a post-apocalyptic setting, so from a mechanics and an experience POV, what aspects of the project set it apart from games with a similar perspective, and as designers, how do you go from solid assets to a well-oiled machine?

Mark Parker: Whilst of course there are comparable elements to XCOM and other tactical games, we wanted to stand out from the crowd somewhat by incorporating a solid feeling of adventure, not just a succession of tactical encounters. Therefore, we have a real-time element that allows the player to employ stealth and a certain degree of pre-planning before entering combat, and the transition between real-time and tactical gameplay is smooth and dynamic. It’s about giving the player a choice of how they tackle each situation (something we know about from working on Hitman) and also allowing them to explore the rich world we have created. Regarding the process of making it a slick-feeling and satisfying experience, it’s mainly down to playing, tweaking and playing some more. In addition, Rui (CEO of FUNCOM) is a hardcore player of tactical games, and he regularly gives us feedback regarding difficulty, timings, visual cues, etc.

EM: Long before the announcement of MYZ as a videogame, the pen-and-paper RPG already had a devoted following, so can you speak to the bridge between what you’re doing and the traditions it comes out of? Additionally, what expectations come with a universe that people already know and love?

MP: Well firstly, it’s impossible to please everyone, and whilst the temptation was there to add a lot more of the RPG elements from the books into our game, we knew that attempting to replicate a pen and paper experience in a videogame is never really going to satisfy everybody; by its very nature, a pen and paper game is a very free-form social experience where (besides the core ruleset) the players’ imaginations are literally the limit. So we decided to make a tactical adventure game set within the rich world from the books, and we felt that this genre fit the universe nicely and that there is a certain degree of ‘dice rolling’ in this type of game. As for the universe, we try to make sure everything we include fits well with the books; there are obviously some things we wanted to explore or add that the books don’t cover entirely, so there is a small amount of ‘artistic license’, and many of the team members have been long-time players of the Mutant games, so they also keep to canon.

EM: In the gameplay footage that has been released, devs spoke to characters misunderstanding history, so a statue of a high school mascot might be mistaken for a demon, for example. As the game’s narrative has developed, how do you see the setting informing the storyline, and what other things have come from this process that either surprised you or provided depth to the culture of the PCs?

MP: The idea of everyday items or locations from our ‘current’ age being misconstrued by peoples living far in the future is very appealing. We tried to avoid ‘obvious’ humor in the dialogue in favor of more ironic moments that would entertain the player but be deadly serious from the characters’ perspective. A good example of this irony is early on in the game where Dux and Bormin discover a functioning ‘Boom Box’ radio and naturally misinterpret it as a bomb. The ghouls are also supposed to talk and act quite a bit differently than the mutants; there is a good reason for this which we won’t go into at this time.

[...]

Henriquejr spotted an article about Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden on PC Gamer:

XCOM meets stealthy RPG in the seriously cool Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden

Former Hitman designers have gotten back together to build an exciting RPG around an XCOM core.
If you thought XCOM + Mario was a weird pitch for a videogame, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is here to blow your mind with an even more bizarre pitch: XCOM + Howard the Duck. Plus sealth. Plus, uh, about 30 years of RPG heritage pulled from a Swedish pen-and-paper game called Mutant that first debuted in 1984. This videogame is weird as hell. After watching an hour demo and drilling the developers for more details, I also think it's going to be really fucking cool.

Genetically mutated animals and humans are scavenging and fighting to survive in the post-apocalypse. Exploration of Mutant's near-future post-apocalyptic setting adds the biggest twist to XCOM's formula, with characters to level up, loot to find, and a story to unravel. It also gives you the opportunity to stealthily roam around an area before triggering combat. Like a typical RPG, everything plays out in real time as you're roaming around the world. Once you start a fight, though—or get spotted while you're trying to get into position—it's pure, tactical XCOM.
[...]
Mutant Year Zero might be the first strategy game I've seen built in Unreal Engine 4, and even the dark forest map I saw demoed looked gorgeous. The environment is packed with swaying ferns, shadows and soft lights blanket every area, and there's a ton of detail to be seen when you zoom in on a character to take a shot. I expect it to be a game much like Divinity: Original Sin 2, where it's more effective to take in the whole battlefield at once, but I'll keep zooming in to admire the art.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is out this year, which hopefully means we'll get to see more of its story and exploration in the near future.

DSOGaming has the first bit of gameplay footage from Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden.

Funcom has released the first gameplay video for its upcoming tactical turn-based adventure game that is being created by former HITMAN & PAYDAY developers, Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is powered by Unreal Engine and is a tactical adventure game combining the turn-based combat of XCOM with story, exploration, stealth, and strategy.

[...]

loading...

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden has been revealed by Funcom. It is described as a story based, tactical adventure game with XCOM style turn-based combat. You can also expect strategy, stealth and exploration.

loading...

About This Game

From a team including former designers of HITMAN and PAYDAY comes Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, a tactical adventure game that combines the turn-based combat of XCOM with a real-time stealth and exploration of a post-human world reclaimed by nature… and Mutants.

Of course the world ends.

It was just a question of time. Extreme climate change, global economic crisis, a lethal pandemic, and increasing tension between old and new superpowers. For the first time since 1945 nuclear weapons were used in armed conflict. Mushroom clouds rose from east to west before the dust settled.

Now it’s over and the Earth is still. Nature has invaded ruined cities. Wind sweeps through empty streets, turned into graveyards.

The humans are all gone. Scavenging through the remains of civilization are the Mutants, deformed humanoids and animals alike, searching for salvation or just something to eat. To survive, you and your companions must venture out to explore the Zone.

Maybe one day you will find the Eden of legends, the ancients’ haven in the middle of hell. That’s where truth awaits, the stories say. Maybe you will find your answers there.

Then again, maybe it’s all bullshit.

TACTICAL COMBAT

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is the ultimate fix for your tactical strategy addiction. Dive into a deep, turn-based, tactical combat system inspired by the XCOM games.

EXPLORE A POST-HUMAN EARTH

Journey through a post-human world of abandoned cities, crumbling highways, and overgrown countryside. Check back at the Ark, a neon-bathed oasis of ill repute and questionable characters, to restock your supplies and plan out your next adventure.

CONTROL A TEAM OF MUTANTS

A duck with an attitude problem and a boar with anger issues; these aren’t your typical heroes. Get to know Dux, Bormin, Selma, and many other characters each with their own unique personality and deranged perspective on the world and their situation.

MASTER THE STEALTHY APPROACH

Sneak through shadows to avoid conflict or to catch enemies unaware. Real-time stealth allows you full control of approach: sneak into an enemy camp, position the team of Mutants to your advantage, and gain the element of surprise.

UNLOCK MUTATIONS

Unlock new mutations and abilities for your Mutants, such as Selma’s Stoneskin, Bormin’s Charge, and Dux‘ uncanny ability to sneak into a camp full of enemies unnoticed, despite being a 4-foot tall walking, talking duck with a crossbow.

DYNAMIC ENVIRONMENT

Use the environment to your advantage. Stay out of floodlights, hide from line of sight, or just blast down fully destructible walls and buildings and wreak utter havoc.

LOOT, LOOT EVERYWHERE

From makeshift slingshots to high-powered rifles and top hats to police vests, make sure you equip your Mutants for the dangers ahead. Nothing says post-human quite like a mutated boar in spiked metal armor charging at you with a blunderbuss in his hands.