Oh, bother! Found ourselves in a spot of trouble post-apocalyptic style again, have we? And...what's this? Is this a duck bill where my mouth used to be?!
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is an interesting take on the genre of destroyed world survival, with a Howard the Duck twist. The best part about the main characters being actual animals is how well they're sold to you -- I know you're thinking, 'Well, Howard is a goofy character'. But this cast has nothing to be goofy for. It's pure kill or be killed in this age of sparse living.
: Road to Eden plays like a tactical wonderland rooted in some pretty heavy stealth. The combat is turn based whilst in the thick of it, and plays out pretty interesting. The mechanics of stealth are often employed to get the upper hand making the jump to fighting a unique and rewarding one. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden forces it's hand to make you work smart and not hard.
On top of the fantastic experience of simply making your way through the game hunched over in sneak mode (literally my entire time in Skyrim in any playthrough, so I was hungry for it), the lush environments and levels really are a thing of beauty. The detail of this torn world really sets the game up to run a chill down your spine, even in the best of situations. The character models are ridiculously well done to the point where you think you're going to laugh at the fact that you're toting around Howard the Duck in a post apocalyptic world--but it never really seems to cross your mind as everything about them is so convincing and immersive that it's hard not to take it seriously. The enemies are foul and deranged--a real threat. Five minutes with the mutant hunters in your midst and you're guaranteed to know what they're all about without a massive context behind them.
The in-game weapons are wonderfully worked in too, appearing jury-rigged to everyone's satisfaction. Hey, as long as it works it doesn't matter if it's held together with duct tape, right? A great show of imagination, originality and fantastic care to keep in the universe with these designs.
Unfortunately I ran into some serious bugs pretty fast. With a game this size, it's bound to happen and as it's still in development, completely understandable. The biggest bug was one I encountered during a sneak attack. As I was planning out the attack itself, I switched characters to get everyone in position and the game completely locked up, game breaking it. A bummer on the whole, but worth making note: if you do get it in this state then please expect things like this to happen. I have full faith that The Bearded Ladies (developer) have their swatters ready to squash anything and everything that comes their way, so make sure to give constructive criticism in places like the Steam Forums if you run across anything like this.
It's super fun and it'll make you think hard on your way through. As with most stealth games, you can play it fast and loose in the shadows or really take your time to construct a symphony of destruction. Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden will not only tempt you into taking your time, it'll reward you gloriously in doing so.