Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden

There's a duck, he has a crossbow, but don't let that fool you, later on he's gonna get his... legs? wings! on a figgin' shotgun.
There's a boar, he's a bit of a glutton, constantly looks for scrap
At one point I got another creature into the squad, first impression: "It's a fox!" but no; turns out to be a lady dog, bit of a narcissist that one, kept tooting her own horn right before poppin' one critical bullet into some enemy's melon at point blank. So yeah... a bitch.
the music is very good, it changes with the scene and the intensity of the action.
The characters models exude creativity
the scenery is detailed
if you plan ahead a little bit and go into the "cheapskate" mentality, you can pwn most encounters.
The BEST part about this game is the unexpected humor. The item descriptions are humorous, to be sure, but the way the boar randomly says nonsense as he explores the map and then the duck replies in a jaded tone... yeah, it's good stuff. Gimme stuff like that in all the games I play and I'll be happy. This game makes me happy.

A stylish blend of XCOM combat with free roam stealth mechanics that allow you much more freedom in setting up ambushes than your typical turn-based tactical game. A touch of RPG elements and a silly fantasy story round out a relatively fun if somewhat repetitive game.
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It's not-quite open world, but you do have free roam within each combat zone, up until you trigger a direct attack (or get spotted) at which point it converts to the expected turn-based tactical format. The ambush and stealth mechanics are enjoyable even if the combat afterwards isn't anything special.
The bulk of the game is free roam exploration within each combat zone. This is both good and bad, its a detail missing from games like XCOM, but it's also lacking the succinct satisfaction of completion. By that I mean in XCOM if you succeed in killing all the enemies in a combat zone the mission (zone) "ends" and you collect all loot in the area before taking off for home, job done, get your goods and let's go. Mutant on the other hand leaves you wondering if you missed anything and you can find yourself wandering tediously through areas you've been through just sifting for that last shred of something you may have missed.
This abnormally pads the play time as well. Mutant only really has 10 to 20 hours of content compared to XCOM's 50 to 100 and much of it will be fannying about in the same zones repeatedly. This bleeds over into the replay value as well. Where as XCOM is designed for endless replay with a wide variety of missions; Mutant has defined zones that will never change, and they don't respawn. (neither enemies or loots, so they just remain empty).
If you're an XCOM veteran, imagine just a string of 20 missions in a row that never change and then, the end. You also have comparably fewer choices to make. Mutant has exactly 5 characters, you'll get them automatically as the story unfolds and you can only bring 3 with you at a time (which feels like a very artificial limitation in context when they all talk and act as if they are always there and part of the team, and even all appear in the cut scenes between zones even if you left them behind). Equipment and loot are all limited and preplaced, you'll get them from the same places every time.
Many of these complaints will be meaningless if you're just going to play the game once; it's definitely fun, but these issues stifle the replay value in comparison to larger more robust games where each play through can be unique, have mission variety and a plethora of custom characters to enjoy.
In a direct comparison XCOM simply exceeds Mutant in every category but one. and that's the ambush design. Entering a mission/zone in free roam is much more intuitive in Mutant than XCOM, exploring the zone, collecting some things without the enemy noticing you and then setting up your ambush to enter combat is a gem of a mechanic that Mutant does very well. It's just once the dust settles and the enemy is dead you're left roaming these empty shells of a mission/zone just hoping you didn't miss anything before walking to the next one. Quick travel to old zones alleviates some of the worst of it, but it doesn't negate the need to meticulously search for scrap and items everywhere through areas you've already seen.
Beyond that the story is fun but requires some forgiveness over some gaping plot holes and while the game is filled with jokes and humor, it's more than just subjective, it's often unfortunately just juvenile (and worse, repetitive). I won't spoil it by giving examples; if you don't notice the errors you'll probably enjoy it more and if you do notice them you'll probably just cringe while still continuing on since there's enough other fun elements to push past it.
I could probably make a rather long list of things that would greatly enhance the game in terms of quality of life and replay value but I think I'll save that up and send it in as a suggestions list for a sequel, because in the end this game is still fun despite any flaws I could complain about.
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In summary: This is XCOM light with mutants vs sub-humans instead of humans vs aliens. In a direct comparison with XCOM Enemy Unknown or XCOM 2, XCOM wins with more robust customization and many more hours of replay value. But judged entirely on it's own, this is a fun and entertaining diversion despite the fact that there's room for improvement.
If you enjoy turn based tactical games or if the mutant theme looks fun to you, don't let my complaints turn you off, just buy the game and have fun.
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Let's Start From the End
I couldn't believe the anticlimactic, abrupt, and unsatisfying cliffhanger that is this game's ending! I had to google to make sure that what I got was it. I didn't even realize that I was fighting with the last boss, thought it was just another squad of loser thugs. No big speech, no super-abilities, nothing - the boss was just another mob with slightly higher HP.
I knocked her on the ground with Bormin's Hog Rush ability and she never got the chance to get back on her feet again. But it wasn't the greatest disappointment. The twist also turned out to be kinda lame and predictable. It's as if the game is missing the real final fight and at least one more cutscene that would give the player a proper resolution. Was it done on purpose? I can't say for sure.
Yet, I don't see anything on the store page that would clue me in beforehand that this game is just chapter one or a prologue, which is utterly misleading. It feels like receiving a vapid handout instead of a proper reward. Now I must buy the DLC to see what's next, right? I was going to, but after these shenanigans - no deal.
This is about as much punishment as I feel like administering right now. I don't want to give the game a negative review, it wouldn't be fair. Yeah, the ending sucks, but I also can't deny that I had a lot of fun on my road to it, which is more important in the grand scheme of things. Also, as far as I know, the sequel went to Epic? It doesn't mean that the original should suffer for it, however.
Go Hard, Very Hard
I wouldn't be so kind to any other game, I think, but this one gets a bunch of bonus points with me by simply being a semi-hardcore turn-based tactical game - my greatest weakness. So, if you still feel like you'll be able to get over the flaws as I did, enter the Mutant. Just not Iron Mutant (a local variation of Ironman), forget about it for the time being - there aren't enough characters to replace the fallen ones or adequate RNG to start the game over.
But I do recommend playing on Very Hard if you want to experience every aspect of this game to the fullest. Because otherwise essential elements like health and cooldown management kinda crumble. They do that anyway, but much later on. The lower settings allow anyone to brute-force their way through and come out unscathed from every fight. Besides, you can always change the difficulty with no repercussions.
Ruinenlust
I was pleasantly surprised to see that I was given the freedom to explore the Zone at my leisure. The player decides when to go back to the Ark (basically hub) or which location to do first. There's plenty of optional places, all of which are worth visiting, if only for the lovely post-apocalyptic views, which are this game's strongest feature. No wonder why our heroes are called Stalkers and their world - the Zone.
Each location is meticulously detailed, gorgeously lit, drenched in atmosphere, and, however banal it may sound, tells its own story to ponder. I admired all of them, yet my personal favorites are the one with the overgrown trains (Iron Serpent) and the one with the road covered in autumn leaves (Spear of Heaven). They hit just the right spot, kudos to the artists.
Ruinenlust is the feeling of pleasure taken from spending time amidst ruins. I don't know if this term is an exact fit, but I can't find another word for the special sentimental feeling that Mutant's environments are there to evoke. It's a very slow-paced game, yet I didn't mind it for a minute. Crawling through the lush landscapes looking for loot, I was too engrossed in the process to get annoyed.
Items & Skills
The 'ka-ching' sound when collecting stuff, little cutscenes that play when you open a chest, well-drawn icons, and cohesive UI make looting a highly satisfying endeavor. You'll be looking for scrap (mostly to buy medkits), weapon parts and mods to upgrade your weapons, weapons themselves, armor with different situational properties (all kinds of immunities, higher crit when hidden, etc), and five types of grenades of which I only ever used two - ordinary ones and EMP.
Also, artifacts, a reasonably rare find that is used to trade for skills that affect your whole squad. Plus ten percent crit against living targets, higher grenade damage, lower shop prices, etc. It's a neat little reward for being a thorough stalker on top of the individual character progression system.
Speaking of characters, there are five of them in the whole game, but you can play with only three at a time. They get XP and level-up by killing enemies. Each one has a skill tree full of active and passive abilities to fill in. It looks like you should get a load of options from it, but I ended up only using three or four abilities throughout the game.
All in all, I found character builds and weapon upgrades limited, but solid enough to carry the short campaign on their feeble backs. Don't hesitate to upgrade your weapons (silent first), there aren't that many guns in the game. There's no need to save up your resources religiously - you'll have more than enough for everything, don't be too stingy. I was left with tons of unused grenades and medkits after finishing the game.
Stealth & Combat
I can't believe that I'm saying this, but this game has great stealth. I haven't seen it realized so well in a tactical game before, typically it just blows. Not here! They kept it simple: every enemy has a hearing range that keeps you guessing and a visibility radius that you can see, which shrinks when you turn off your flashlights, is all. There's much fun to be had with this, especially when going to a high-level area and snatching high-level loot behind enemies' backs.
You can hide by sticking to cover out of combat. It makes your characters absolutely undetectable. Enemies won’t notice anything even if they literally step on you. Very exploitable, just saying. Yet ultimately, it all leads to setting up an ambush. Spot a group of enemies, clean out the area around them by silently killing every patrolling thug. Then take advantageous positions, slay, repeat.
With minimum deviations. Yes, the game lacks variety. I saw no reason to move at all during combat, and there aren't that many skills or accessories to spice things up sufficiently. There's but one tactic - get behind cover (or be a decoy), hold your ground and focus one enemy with all three of your stalkers. But at the same time, I wouldn't call the game boring. Setting up that perfect ambush and executing it precisely while enjoying great animation and punchy hits felt good.
I don't know how people get 20-25 hours out of this game on average. I've searched every location, found all artifacts, strongest weapons, and only left maybe a couple of useless enemy squads alive. Whatever. Personally, I think that Mutant Year Zero's shortness works in its favor since its systems weren't designed to last. To conclude, the game is pretty decent for what it is, but I won't be asking for more any time soon.
My curator Big Bad Mutuh

Introduction
Big Xcom series fan after bought Golden 1st one 25y ago. Waited with big expectations a while before this released. Wasn't let down after half a year wait Have mostly posit. feels about this & some cons, but nothing that would've stopped me from adventuring. I was happy to support also via dlc purchase here in Steam when it's price was good around ten eur. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is actually based on a tabletop role-playing game that's played with P&P. Set in a post-apocalyptic univ. humanity has wreck the places with ignorance. Every last shred of resources having been ripped from planet Tellus.
You control half-animal beings known as mutants & plunder goodies as you travel around the zone. There's plenty of good belly rubbing giggidy moments while you adv. in the zone & some in the Ark :) They come in text & voice form. Couple mutants you’ll be spending most of your time with are Bormin & Dux. Sure you can switch perm. to new mutants after found more allies. Dream of Eden looms in minds of every Ark Citizen. The settlement believed to be one where all can live in peace without having to worry about scavenging for resources each day.

Wordies about Combat
Both you & the enemies take your turns to move, attack & perform other actions with two act. points per turn. If you move to attack, the turn will end even with additional Ap available. Following a battle, you’re granted exp. points so you can level up & earn Mutation Points. Mutation Points unlock Combat Mutations, which can drastically change the flow of battle once applied to characters. You can pick off enemy patrols to reduce their strength before you go loud & fight the remaining bogeys. Stealth takedown with success won't alert others. Of course you can go in with big boom by sending Bormin first to absorb the pain & show em why he's the funny tanky mutant. Or boom time can work without Bormin depending on what allies you have.
+Pros
Beauty rustic style built for the Zone.
Likeable characters & good voice acting.
Approach to stealth mech.
Seamless integration to exploring & tac combat.
Solid Ear & Eye massage artwork
Free cam control.
-Cons
Some frustrating encounters cause of bad Rng.
Some characters lacked the final touch that i wanted to see.
Story that felt recycled, but it's still entertaining so this is on edge for both.
Summary & few words about Seeds of Evil Dlc
Overall, Mutant Year Zero offers engaging & challenging adv. that’s well worth the time you put into it. If you enjoy adventures like Wasteland or XCOM, you’ll find plenty to love in this fine adv. made by Funcom. About Seeds of Evil Dlc: It's a solid expansion to nice base client. It builds on the original without ruining the base client's formula. If you’re looking for more of that sweet tac gameplay that the base game offered, you won't be disappointed.
It's not lengthy as in if would compare to something like Lotr movies extended cut, but gives good lore cont. & new bogeyz & mechanics that's worth of support :) Norm. pricing for it on steam is like five eur higher than it should when know the length. Personally i recom. to get it on Steam when has at least twenty five percent discount. I was happy to support Funcom & give H.School rating 8.3/10 to M.Year Zero: Road to New Eden <3

The game is enjoyable, tactical, and has a good story. I highly recommend it if you like single-player tactical games.
There was very little in terms of tutorial/instructions. I stumbled for quite a bit trying to figure out how things worked.
The game has 3 levels of difficulty - I started playing at the middle level, because I have familiarity with tactical games like X-Com and such. I got my ass handed to me and had to restart after playing through about 5 levels. It then switched to "Easy" and played about 20 levels, getting the hang of the game and figuring things out I had been missing earlier. This quickly became too easy, so I switch to the hard mode (but not "Iron Mutant"). This was excellent and I played through the whole game. I am tempted to go back and do it again on Iron-Mutant (Iron Man) mode.
All said and done, I have played about 90 hours. It is a short but satisfying game. There is no random loot drops or maps, so the replay value is very limited.

It's a good game that feels like it missed its potential.
If you came looking for XCOM, play XCOM instead. This game relies more on atmosphere and story. It's pretty to look at, and the story is satisfying if completely predictable. It looks great, it plays just OK. At first, you think that the leveling up is exciting, but after a while you realize you can just stick with mostly the same weapons, and the mutations you unlock are half indispensable and half completely ignorable. After a short while, leveling up means nothing. You also don't need to buy most things in the shop. The total lack of pressure or demands from the game make the whole thing a pretty linear experience. The story is just good enough to keep you going, though I did force myself to finish.
It's definitely a save-scumming grind, and pretty much every battle has to be fought, but none have to actually be fought. That is, you can stealth your way through the entire game, and while it's an interesting challenge it's mostly just trial and error, with some frustrating graphical glitches mixed in. The graphical glitches and weird editing choices also detract from the atmosphere a bit. I played on normal difficulty, with the Iron Mutant mod. I can imagine it's probably a very different game if it's harder.
Definitely a game made with love, it could have been The Last of Us in the style of XCOM. Instead, it's mostly just a decent romp for 15-20 hours.

Just finished my first play through in normal difficulty. This was a very fun and entertaining game. The stealthy style of strategy required to succeed really makes the turn based combat satisfying. I found that the pace and feel of the exploration added a great sense of uncovering a mystery. This was a winner in my book.