Mutant, the Swedish tabletop RPG, provided the inspiration for Mutant Year Zero: Road To Edenand, more likely than not, away from
precious cover.
Once you’ve thinned out your
enemies to a manageable level, the
ensuing battles are epic and about as
tactical as you can get. Enemies might
lob molotovs at you, move in quickly
for melee attacks or, once you make
some inroads into the game, come
at you with all manner of exotic and
futuristic weaponry.
The battle system closely follows
XCOM’s blueprint, with two turns per
round – so, for example, you can stay
still, reload and shoot, or move to
cover and perform one other action,
such as entering Overwatch mode,
where you will shoot at any enemy in
range who moves during their round.
Mutations – like Bormin’s Hog Rush,
which causes vast amounts of melee
damage and destroys enemy cover –
often prove crucial, but must be used
carefully, as they have cooldowns.
So you will die a lot – often after 15
minutes of battling: as little as two
misses on 50 per cent-probability
shots could cost you a battle. Mutant
Year Zero is super-rigorous. It pays
to save frequently and fast-travel
back to the Ark often for essential
supplies and upgrades. Sometimes
you’ll realise that rather than taking
on a seemingly unbeatable group, you
can stealth around them. But always,
when you prevail in a battle, you’ll end
up immensely satisfied.Lore blimey
The devs have done a great job
of imbuing Mutant Year Zero with
fascinating lore (revealed by objects
you find, notes and conversations).
And the game’s high level of polish,
thoroughly decent graphics, gentle
but insistent Borderlands-ish humour
and meticulously balanced feel in no
way betray its indie origins.
Mutant Year Zero: Road To Eden
has everything required to achievecult-classic status. Not unlike
XCOM, it has the sort of infuriatingly
moreish gameplay that will suck
you in deeper and deeper until you
realise you’re close to becoming
obsessed with it. If you prefer your
games to be deeply tactical and prize
mid-paced, considered gameplay
above instant-gratification wall-to-
wall action, you’ll love it. QUSING
MUTATIONS
Each of your team’s
characters has a
Mutations tree which
unlocks abilities that
could prove crucial.
For example, Selma’s
Tree Hugger mutation
will build roots around
a specific enemy,
immobilising them for
two rounds. Dux’s
Moth Wings mutation
lets him hover above
a battleground,
earning an advantage
from occupying high
ground. His Skull
Splitter mutation,
meanwhile
guarantees a critical
hit, but lowers his
chance of a hit to 25
per cent. Always keep
an eye on the
probabilities when
deciding on your
next move.“The ame
has everythin
required to
achieve cult-
classic status”
FAR LEFT
Story-wise, the
game has a
fairly standard
end-of-the-world
scenario.
RIGHTExotic
weaponry
complements the
exotic scenery.OXM VERDICT
A beautifully
fettled, deeply
tactical XCOM-alike
that has a shot at
cult-classic status.8
LEFTSome
enemies can
call in
reinforcementsMore Xbox news at gamesradar.com/oxm THE OFFICIAL XBOX MAGAZINE 083REVIEW