Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil DLC Review – An Excellent Expansion
written by Jih-Wei Peng
At the end of 2018, we were fortunate enough to review Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden, which blended the turn-based combat concepts of XCOM with real–time stealth mechanics in a very special way.
As such, it ended up being our highest rated game of the year, and ever since, I have been very excited to see what developer Bearded Ladies, have been working on next for the series.
Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil begins right after the end of the main game. While it feels like the story is being expanded beyond the original ending, things quickly takes a completely different direction, bringing our favorite mutants to learn of a new mystery and of a menace that seeks to destroy humanity. Bormin, Dux and the rest of the stalkers will have to deal with an army of clones created by plants, these enemies are quite powerful, as only an endgame squad will survive the new dangers that lurke.
Big Khan is a new veteran stalker with a lot of combat experience, and he is good at showing it. In terms of the gameplay, Big Khan is bit of a middle ground combatant, with a style that lands between Bormin’s tanky style and Dux’s glass-cannon design, making him a strong jack-of-all-trades type, that can fit into any teams build, quite well. His specialty is dealing with foes clustered up, as his Flame Puke and Ground Pound mutation abilities both are best used when targeting groups of enemies.
It’s not just all combat, however – The Seed of Evil takes you through a handful of brand new maps to explore as you complete the expansion’s missions – each one filled with interesting items to find. On top of this, the old areas from the base game have been impressively overhauled, as well, and many of them have been reclaimed by foes, meaning, they need to be cleared again.
These new enemies are tougher than the ones that came before, offering the player a new challenge that can reward them with better gear. As you go through these areas and get stronger, you can also upgrade the base game characters with new versions of their abilities that come with the Seed of Evil DLC.
For example, Bormin’s Hog Rush can now be upgraded to Bear Smash, which significantly increases its effectiveness in destroying cover and knocking foes down. These new upgrades give you the firepower that you’re going to need to quell Seed of Evil’s threats.
Ultimately, Mutant Year Zero: Seed of Evil is an excellent expansion, introducing a new compelling mystery, a powerful new character, and some brand new locations. This is a must-buy for any fans of the series.