Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden. Here is a downloadable game that really took me by surprise. I was not sure at first what to expect. The first trailer I saw made it look like a post-apocalyptic Splinter Cell, but with animal characters. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden though is far more than that and if you love stealth and strategy it is a game you really want to take a closer look at.
How to Download Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden
In order to download the game click on the Download link placed at the bottom of this review. You can also get Deluxe Edition of the game which additionally contains wallpaper, game soundtrack, digital artbook and pen-and-paper role-playing book!
And if you would like to try out XCOM, the game which was a clear inspiration for MYZ, be our guest and read first the review.
The Game Review
The Story
The back story of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is pretty interesting in that the game comes from a pen and paper RPG that originated from Sweden in 2014. The game is set in a post-apocalyptic world where mankind is all but dead and the world is in a really sorry state.
The idea of the game is that you are in charge of a team of Stalkers which are mutated, humans. You need to scavenge for supplies so that the people in your settlement which is known as the Ark can survive.
The story is filled out pretty well through cutscenes and the chatter between the characters and it is actually pretty interesting and if you are into sci-fi you will probably dig it.
The standout characters are Dux who is half man half duck and Farrow who is half woman half fox. These are two great characters and they are interesting enough that you actually care about them.
What is the Gameplay Like in Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden?
The presentation is not bad at all, the post-apocalyptic wasteland looks good enough and you get a real sense that some serious stuff went down in this world. The gameplay though is the real star of the game.
Let me start by saying this is one very, very hard game. You will need to sneak around and figure out the best way to start your attack. The stealth gameplay is actually really solid and you can try and make enemies go in a certain direction so you can make your attack easier on yourself.
You need to plan your attack well because as soon as you pull the trigger the game switches things up and it becomes a turn-based strategy game and it does not hold back! You better have a game plan for each battle because you will die and die a lot.
The thing with this is that it is not actually frustrating. You learn a little from each defeat and it drives you to win next time. Of course, this style of gameplay is not for everyone and the punishing difficulty may put some people off very early in the game. If you felt that games like X-Com were too hard for you then this may not be the game for you.
There are also some RPG style elements where you can use skill points to make your characters stronger and learn new abilities, but this is one area where the game does not really go all out in.
The Bottom Line
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is the kind of game that you are either going to love or hate. For those who love stealth and turn-based tactical shooter, this could be your dream game. It is very, very challenging, but with this challenge comes a real sense of accomplishment when you do finally win a battle.
The setting is cool and great if you love sci-fi. In all, if tactical and stealth games are your thing and you are not scared of a challenge it could be a game you have a lot of fun with.
