Hyper Light Drifter and Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden are free at the Epic Games Store

Two post-apocalyptic action RPGs, Hyper Light Drifter and Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden are the latest titles offered for free at the Epic Games Store. They will be available to download from Aug. 14 through Aug. 22.

This is the third time in a month that Epic has offered two free games in one week. Since Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is rated M, users under 17 will be unable to pick it up if their account has parental controls turned on. In a July blog post, Epic confirmed that when it includes an M-rated title in the free game program, a family-friendly alternative will be available as well.

Mutant Year Zero: Road to Eden is a tactical adventure game based on the Mutant Year Zero tabletop RPG. When it launched late last year, Polygon was impressed by the real-time stealth mechanics, but found the turn-based action to be an unbalanced slog. From our review: “So long as you don’t mind save-scumming, there’s an excellent storyline here tied to a fun real-time stealth game.”

Hyper Light Drifter is a gorgeous, stylized homage to 16-bit adventure games. The story is largely up to interpretation, but what it lacks in explicit plot it makes up for in stunning visuals and challenging, yet rewarding, gameplay. Our review particularly praised the pacing and organic world building, saying, “It replaces traditional narrative structures with moods, but punctuates those contemplative, quiet moments with constant scenes of breakneck, pitch-perfect action.”

Both games can now be downloaded on Windows PC at the Epic Games Store. They will be replaced on Aug. 22 by puzzle platformer Fez.