Last month,Screen Ranthad the opportunity to go hands on withTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashedat Gamescom, a new brawler that picks up where the 2023 film left off. In collaboration with Paramount Game Studios, the title is produced by Outright Games, a company that specializes in creating video game adaptations of famous IPs - with other upcoming releases touching on everything fromTransformerstoBarbie- that are accessible to all ages. Though the Gamescom session was short, lasting only about 10 minutes, it still offered some good insight into the game’s combat and overall structure.
The game begins about eight months after the events ofMutant Mayhem, following the acceptance of the mutant brothers into society - but this peace is unfortunately short-lived. Just as they’ve begun to live normally among humans and attend Eastman High School,a wave of new mutants - which the game calls Mewbies - begins threatening the city due to shipments of mutagenic ooze being scattered throughout New Yorkand causing transformations.
The following article contains spoilers forTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem.
Though I didn’t get to see much of them in my brief preview, developers have teased that the game will feature appearances from many beloved characters, from April O’Neil and Splinter in supporting roles to others serving as side-quest-giving NPCs. The game will offer approximately 15 hours of story, which is one of Outright’s longest undertakings yet, and players can tackle the entire thing either solo or with a friend in couch co-op. In addition to being available for purchase digitally, there will also be specialDeluxeandCollector’s Editionversions ofMutants Unleashedavailable with exclusiveTMNTcollectibles.
The Gameplay Structure Of TMNT: Unleashed
Investigating Mewbie Threats & Making NYC Residents Happy
During my preview time with the game, I began by selecting a character, Raphael, and being transported to the rooftops to deal with a mutant ambush. It was explained to me that this is a core aspect of the gameplay loop: dealing with enemy ambushes at different locales, receiving a score for overall combat performance, and then getting XP for the chosen character based off of said score. The ambush I faced was a particularly hearty one, drawing forth all sorts of mutants I’d never seen before, ranging across various species like pigs, lizards, and crabs.
While this location was fairly limited in what could be explored, I was told thatover time the city will open up a bit more, and players will be able to meet many NPCs. The quests they’ll offer will vary; some have to do with combat, but others - like Pizza Parlor Time Attack, where players will deliver pizzas within a time limit - will switch up that formula. Even in my short exploration time, I still managed to discover a piece of the game’s graffiti, which serves as fun, artistic Easter eggs to find throughout New York.
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The other main thing I got to see during my demo was the gang’s sewer lair, which serves as a base between missions. This is where they can speak to Splinter, access each character’s skill tree, and plan their next move against the Mewbies. In a sentence that would be odd for just about any IP besidesTMNT, the sewer felt oddly homey, and provided a nice contrast to the fast-paced combat I’d been involved with moments prior.
Combat In TMNT: Mutants Unleashed
Fast-Paced Turtle Fury With Distinct Styles
ThoughOutright is known for children’s games, the developer hasn’t oversimplified the combat ofMutants Unleashedby any stretch. Each of the four turtles has their own distinct fighting style, though I only got to experience that of Raphael during my time with the title. True to his character, Raph’s style is very powerful and based in beefier - though sometimes slower - brawling moves than some of his brothers. They all have their own personalized skill trees where they can unlock new battle moves with earned XP,which gives a good incentive not to stick to only one character.
Though he’s one of the bulkier of the quartet when it comes to his moves, the flow of combat still remained quite fast-paced even when using him as my fighter. Enemies came at me quickly and often in large groups, necessitating a lot of crowd clearing with his twin sai and distancing myself as best I could when things got too intense. Since it was a mission from near the start of the game, his move set hadn’t gotten too complex yet, but a look into his skill tree gave a glimpse at many fun-looking future combos.
Mutant Mayhemwas generally well-received by fans of the franchise, andUnleashedfeels like a real labor of love for those same people.
Defensively speaking, players can utilize dodges and jumps to their benefit in battles, as well as take advantage of environmental blockages like boxes that can temporarily get in enemies’ way. They can also regain health by consuming pizzas that are spawned in each level, though funnily enough, I was told during my preview as my health veered into red that it was the first time during appointments that none managed to appear in any of the destructible crates scattered around. Despite the lack of a safety net, I survived, and was left curious about what future ambushes might look like.
Final Thoughts On TMNT: Mutants Unleashed
Fun Fighting Potential That’s Designed With Fans In Mind
Even in my short time with the title, the overall visuals ofMutants Unleashedwere undeniably gorgeous right off the bat. It maintains the same painterly style asMutant Mayheminstead of opting for its own aesthetic the way manypreviousTMNTvideo game adaptationshave done, which works greatly to its benefit. This choice not only makes the game look great, but alsomakes it feel like a more seamless transition from the movie as it continues on with the same narrative threads.
This is further aided by the fact that all the main cast members fromMayhemhave joined the cast to reprise their roles, once again delivering a stellar performance. These two elements combined really help avoid the trap that many movie-related games fall into of simply rehashing the same plot or feeling like a shallow tie-in, instead managing to seem more like a natural continuation of a film that’s now interactive.Mutant Mayhemwas generally well-received by fans of the franchise, andUnleashedfeels like a real labor of love for those same people.
It also seems as though it can expand on how fans experience the IP’s universe in worthwhile ways, not just in the obvious manner the inclusion of interactivity achieves this, but also in terms of expanding the overall cast and lore. Not all the new Mewbies are evil, after all, and it’s very possible some new friends will come to the aid of the heroes in the half shell. Fans won’t have to wait much longer to see whatTeenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashedhas in store, and can begin cleaning up the streets of NYC next month.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashedwill release for PlayStation consoles, Xbox consoles, Nintendo Switch, and Steam October 18.Screen Rantattended a hands-on session at Gamescom for the purpose of this preview.
