Swedish studio The Bearded Ladies and Norwegian publisher Funcom have announced the release date for their tactical RPG adventure Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, available on December 4. The game was first revealed back in February with a cinematic trailer that showcased its unique premise of a post-apocalyptic, post-human setting with mutant anthropomorphic animals wielding guns, exploring the remnants of human civilization while threatened by robots. The reveal trailer was soon followed by a gameplay trailer in March.
The game is based on a Swedish tabletop RPG also known as Mutant, set hundreds of years after a global catastrophe as humanity experimented with robotics and genetic engineering. It's an appropriate setting for a top-down perspective adventure with tactical turn-based combat and real-time exploration, stealth and strategy. It is the latest in a line of strategy RPGs inspired by the great hit of 2012, XCOM: Enemy Unknown.
The particular appeal of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden seems to be its quirky characters: the sassy duck-man, the husky pig-man, and the girl with what looks like snake skin in the cinematic trailer. These quirky traits bring something new and fresh to the same tired old tropes of post-apocalyptic settings. Hopefully the story and the setting will live up to its first impressions and Mutant Year Zero might consolidate itself as a great and unique post-apocalyptic franchise.
The game is now available for pre-order on PC, either through its website or Steam. There are two editions available to choose from: standard ($34.99) and deluxe ($54.99). The deluxe includes several digital goodies such as a wallpaper, an artbook, the soundtrack, as well as a copy of the Mutant Year Zero tabletop RPG book. Both the standard and deluxe pre-orders will allow players to start playing three days prior to the launch, and the deluxe also offers access to the beta version. It will also be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One at launch.
Are you looking forward to Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden? Do you think the setting will add something new to the post-apocalyptic genre? Let us know in the comments below!
