In Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden you will face a world devastated by pandemics, global climate change and nuclear war. The countryside lies abandoned and cities lie in ruins.
In this devastated land you find an island of safety, peace and community – it is called the Ark.
The only safe place
A wide variety of mutants live in the Ark. There they have formed a community under the guidance of the Elder. They have built machines from the scrap of the old world and what little the ancients left behind intact.
The land outside the Ark is called the Zone. It is filled with dangers and the unknown. The Elder warns the mutants not to venture too far into the Zone. Dangerous creatures live there, like the mysterious Zone Ghouls, mutated monsters and automated robots still active from an earlier age.
The Ark has been built on top of an ancient bridge, safely perched above the dangers of the Zone, but in recent days the Zone Ghouls seem more and more aggressive and have been drawing closer to the Ark.
The mutants in the Ark need scrap and supplies to survive, and for this they send out the Stalkers. These are the toughest and most resourceful mutants the Ark can muster. They carry strong weapons and dare venture into the Zone to see what they can find and bring back.
You start Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden playing two Stalkers, Dux and Bormin, on their way back from such a mission.
A bar not only for drinking grog
When you are out exploring the Zone you will sometimes find valuable artifacts which the ancients have left behind. They can be things like a boombox or car battery. Your team of Stalkers may not fully understand the value of such things, but they know that Pripp, the owner of the Ark’s bar where mutants gather for a cup of grog or two in the evenings, has good insights into the matter.
By handing in artifacts to Pripp you can unlock team wide bonuses, such as increasing the damage of your grenades to upgrading the effectiveness of your med kits or receiving a permanent discount in the shop.
A smart strategy may be to save a few of your artifacts and hand them in when you can see that a specific bonus could be particularly helpful. Perhaps you want to get a bonus against a new type of enemy, or see that you need more healing than before.
Upgrade at Delta’s fix pit
Your Stalkers can carry two weapons each and every weapon in the game can be upgraded by using weapon parts.
You will find weapon parts when scouring the Zone for helpful loot. These parts can be used at Delta’s fix pit in the Ark to upgrade your weapons.
Delta is a practiced Gearhead and specializes in making weapons. She can also break down the weapons you have so you get more weapon parts in return, but each Stalker must have at least one weapon. If not they would be useless in a fight.
All weapons have three levels, and the higher you want to upgrade one the more it costs. A good tip is to only upgrade the most useful weapons you have. You will find many new weapons in Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden as you play, and some will be more powerful than others.
A good rule to keep in mind is that silent weapons are almost always very useful. The ability to take single enemy targets out before the rest of their group notices can be extremely helpful.
Iridia’s shop
The main currency in the Ark is scrap. These pieces of broken electronics or old machine parts are much needed in the Ark to keep its machines and electricity running.
You will find piles of scrap all over the Zone. Try and pick up as much as you can find because you can use it to trade in Iridia’s shop.
Iridia used to be a Stalker and is now retired due to sickness. She may be ill tempered, but she may also have useful tips on where to find scrap in the Zone.
In her shop you can buy many things, like grenades, scopes for your weapons, med kits and even new weapons.
Be sure to check back at Iridia’s shop quite regularly as you play, because new items will become available over time.
The Elder’s home
Your mentor and leader has always been the Elder. He knows much about the world and is eager to guide you in the right direction.
He counts on his Stalkers to bring back supplies and in Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden he has a special mission for Dux and Bormin.
As you play you should check in with the Elder back at the Ark from time to time, because he may have knowledge and insights to share about the many dangers you may encounter in the Zone.
The Ark is your only safe place in a dangerous world, and it is the headquarters you go to when you need to gear up and get ready for your next trip into the Zone.
