Biomutant Nintendo Switch review: A fun role-playing game with some glaring flaws

Biomutant is one of the very few multi-platform titles that feels like a perfect fit for the Nintendo Switch. When I first played it on my PC, I wasn't a big fan of the game, mostly due to the technical issues I had to put up with just to play the thing on my aging computer. However, given the kind of open-world experience it offered, I still ended up enjoying the game.

And since its release back in 2021, developer Experiment 101 made some major improvements to Biomutant and how it plays on all systems. I was a massive fan of how it mixed the over-the-top kung-fu-inspired combat system with the traditional RPG progression.

And going into the Nintendo Switch version of the game, I was naturally expecting a similar, albeit a much more polished experience compared to what I had back in 2021 on my PC. Unfortunately, while I did like the quality-of-life and gameplay improvements made to the game since I last played it, Biomutant on the Switch, more or less left me kinda disappointed.

Biomutant Nintendo Switch review: An occasionally fun RPG, marred by poor technical performance

Visuals and presentation

One thing I initially liked about Biomutant, was its art style. I'm of the mindset that when it comes to visuals for a video game, the art style triumphs over graphical fidelity. I do like those high-production AAA games with cutting-edge visuals and photorealistic graphics. Some of my favorite games feature incredibly high-fidelity visuals.

Biomutant features an amazing art style and a beautiful open world, which is severely marred by the Switch port's technical performance (Image via THQ Nordic)

However, I'll always take a game with a unique art style over a photorealistic one, even if the former doesn't make use of "next-gen" graphics. It's exactly why I like playing the Nintendo exclusives. Biomutant features an amazing art style, I'll give it that, but the presentation here is heavily marred by the game's technical shortcomings.

It's not as bad as Mortal Kombat 1, Hogwarts Legacy, or Batman Arkham Knight on the Switch. However, the Switch version of Biomutant does not do its art style any justice. Like any other Unreal Engine 4 offering on the Switch, Biomutant's visuals take a major hit to compensate for the console's dated internals.

Most of the game looks like it's unable to even load the high-resolution textures. Additionally, the game doesn't seem to have any form of temporal anti-aliasing, making the edges look incredibly rough. Lastly, in docked mode, the game looks incredibly low-res, which isn't new for a Switch port, but here it's extremely noticeable.

Don't get me wrong, I understand the challenges that come with porting a game, especially an open-world game to Switch. However, much like how I felt about Mortal Kombat 1, Hogwarts Legacy, and even Darksiders 3, I don't think Biomutant is a good fit for the current-gen Nintendo system, in terms of visuals and presentation at least.

Gameplay and combat system

On a more positive note, I adored Biomutant's moment-to-moment gameplay. And thankfully (and also unsurprisingly) it hasn't changed with the Nintendo Switch port. The game feels much better to play on the Switch in the handheld mode, as long as you look past the graphical and framerate issues in the port.

Combat and character customization in Biomutant is top-notch (Image via THQ Nordic)

I would describe Biomutant's combat as a mix between The Legend of Zelda Breath of the Wild and Nioh. Yes, that comparison might sound weird, but believe me, that's precisely how it feels to play Biomutant. At its core, it is a hack-and-slash game with mild role-playing elements, you know, the usual build crafting and min-maxing.

However, where the game differentiates itself from its contemporaries is how it presents its combat and gameplay systems. Biomutant's combat is heavily influenced by "kung-fu," mixed with a very unique mechanic where your chosen mutation for your furry avatar defines the kind of playstyle your build will excel at.

And much like any good action RPG, Biomutant has a satisfying parry mechanic, which was my go-to when it comes to combat. The combat here can get a bit getting used to, even if you're familiar with action RPGs. What impressed me here is the depth offered in the customization system.

You're essentially free to craft whatever you want from weapons, tools, and armor, to tools to help you survive the harsh post-apocalyptic environment. The game even allows you to tweak your character's genetic structure, letting you alter not only how your furry avatar looks, but also plays. It's sort of like Mad Max but with animals.

Story and progression

Biomutant is very light on the story department. I'd be hard-pressed to say that it even has a story, per se. There's a plot here sure, and I'd admit the premise of the game is pretty intriguing, but there's no "story" to speak of. The game takes place on a post-apocalyptic earth that's ravaged due to the destruction caused by humans and their greed.

The premise here is intriguing even though the story fails to stick the landing (Image via THQ Nordic)

In the wake of the extinction of the human race, mutated animals seem to have reclaimed the earth as their own. However, something goes wrong and a plague starts claiming innocent lives. This is where you come in, a nameless mutant who ventures out into the wild to hunt for answers while also trying to piece together the mystery behind the plague.

The premise is fairly straightforward, which in my opinion is a good thing for a game that focuses primarily on combat. However, I would've liked a bit more fleshed-out narrative, with the protagonist getting a bit more agency than simply being a vessel for players to experience the game's world and its "story."

The narrative of Biomutant is also woven into the game's progression system, which makes it feel more linear than usual open-world RPGs. In that aspect, it feels a bit like Dragon's Dogma, albeit without the political and mystical aspect of the narrative. There are also choices and consequences, which dictate how the story plays out.

I overall liked what Biomutant had to deliver in terms of its narrative, but I do think it could've benefitted from a bit more work, especially in regards to making the protagonist feel part of the world, not just a mere vessel. I also sometimes ended up hating the background narration, which felt overtly preachy for a game as whacky as this.

Few shortcomings

While I'd admit, I enjoyed my time with Biomutant despite having played it once on PC, I don't think it's a perfect fit for Nintendo's handheld system. Some glaring technical issues with the game make it virtually unplayable on Switch, which is exactly what's stopping me from recommending it to anyone, even those who like me loved the title on other platforms.

The unstable framerate and muddy visuals are what holding the Switch port back (Image via THQ Nordic)

The first biggest and most obvious issue that you'll face while trying to play Biomutant on Nintendo Switch is the stuttering and hitching. Even in the character creation menu, the game constantly stuttered, reminding me of my time with Dead Space (remake) on PC, back when it first launched.

The stutters did eventually fade away after a couple of hours of gameplay but they left a rather poor early impression of the game on me. While the stutters got rectified after some time, one thing that persisted throughout the game's 20 or so hours of runtime was the uneven framerate, dipping well below the 30fps target.

Biomutant is the second Unreal Engine 4 game in a row that I tried out on my Switch and did not have a good time, with the other title being Darksiders 3. While I won't call it unplayable, given how frequent the framerate dips were, coupled with the fact that the game struggles to even render properly at times, I can very well see why many would.

Thankfully, I never faced any crashing issues with the game, which is a relief since the autosave system here isn't as generous as other traditional RPGs. I also did not face any issues with the title draining the Switch's battery faster than normal (something that still is an issue with games like Bayonetta 3 and Tears of the Kingdom).

In conclusion

Biomutant is a genuinely unique and fascinating action role-playing game, one that features some intriguing ideas both in terms of its gameplay and character customization.

The combat here is snappy and features ample depth to keep players engaged for hours on end tinkering with their build and creating the perfect mutant.

An excellent RPG, marred by technical shortcomings (Image via THQ Nordic)

However, the Nintendo Switch port is plagued with some glaring technical issues, mostly owing to its use of Unreal Engine 4, that make it virtually unplayable at times. The framerate fluctuations and graphical errors often come in the way of enjoying the kung-fu-inspired combat and the game's moment-to-moment gameplay.