Funcom have released new gameplay footage of Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, a new post-apocalyptic tactical adventure game developed by The Bearded Ladies.
Mutant Year Zero is based on the tabletop game of the same name. Set in a post-apocalyptic world, the player controls a team of mutated humans known as The People — Bormin, Dux and Selma. Bormin is a mutated boar, Dux is a four-foot tall duck, and Selma appears human but has mutated powers such as Stoneskin.
Gameplay is a mix of open-world exploration and tactical, turn-based combat. The world is set in the Zone, the post-apocalyptic wasteland outside of abandoned cities, crumbling highways and overgrown countryside to explore outside of the player’s home, known as the Ark.
The Ark is run by the Elder, who is the only character who is not mutated. The Ark is the only safe area in the game, and has a workshop for player’s to modify weapons, a bar where players can find quests and information as well as exchange artifacts found throughout the Zone for group bonuses, and a marketplace to buy and sell weapons.
About the gameplay footage
The new gameplay footage is from a level about half-way through the game. The start has a short intro video, before going into the level. The team have to break into an enemy camp and steal a powerful generator. The team talk to each other as you progress through the level, giving a great insight into each of their personalities.
In the gameplay footage, the team decide to sneak through the side of the camp, rather than charge in front on, and this shows the mechanics. While sneaking, enemies have white circles showing the area where they can see and hear your approach. When the player goes inside a white circles, the turn-based combat will begin with the enemy moving first, or the player can ambush an enemy at any time from outside the circle.
In combat, the team attacks a Howler Ghoul – a zombie with a trumpet on its head that can release a loud ‘war cry’ on its turn, summoning more ghouls to its aid. It also shows the importance of using silent stealth weapons in combat – when using a loud weapon, another enemy heard the gunfire and ran into the battle.
The whole environment is dynamic – players can destroy parts of the environment during combat. In the footage, Selma uses a grenade which destroys Bormin’s cover.
The gameplay footage also shows the levelling system. Experience points can be used to buy mutations or additional abilities. The mutations are split into Major, Minor and Passive, with two Major and three Minor and Passive active at any one time. The active Mutations can be changed as many times as you like, with different combinations being more effective against different enemy types and environments.
You can check out the full, 35-minute gameplay trailer below!
Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden has been developed by The Bearded Ladies and published by Funcom. It will be released later this year for PC, Xbox and PlayStation 4. You can find out more on the official website, or add it to your wishlist on Steam.
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