Recently, the 2023 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem turned out to be an unexpected hit in my household. Not only did I enjoy it, but my two young sons were just as thrilled. So, when Outright Games unveiled TMNT Mutants Unleashed, a video game spin-off from the movie, I couldn’t wait to dive into it. I was eager to ride the wave of enthusiasm sparked by the turtles into this new gaming adventure. However, that excitement quickly faded. The game’s execution is scattered, even though it has some solid concepts and a presentation that admirably extends the movie’s style.
Mutants Unleashed picks up right where Mutant Mayhem ended, with the turtles basking in their victory and newfound acceptance. More mutants, affectionately dubbed "Mewbies" by our teenage heroes, emerge mainly to serve as targets for the game’s classic beat-’em-up action. The story broadens with new characters, including a group of teenage humans that the turtles befriend. As is typical with Outright Games’ child-friendly titles, there’s an abundance of voice acting, which is a treat, particularly for younger players. The dialogue effectively captures the essence of the film, and though the plot feels more like a side story than a major event, it’s genuinely engaging.
Given the Turtles’ long-standing presence in beat-’em-up games, I was eager for some enjoyable co-op brawling. Unfortunately, the game’s combat combos and systems feel half-baked. It veers towards character-driven action instead of sticking to the classic brawling experience, which might have worked better had the character action been more polished. Each of the four turtle heroes has unique abilities and skills, though co-op play caps at two players. Despite my lack of enthusiasm for the combat, I’ll commend its easy accessibility, making it appealing to all ages. But unlike Outright’s toddler-focused games like Bluey and Paw Patrol, Mutants Unleashed aims at an older audience, which makes the simplicity of the combat more of a letdown.
I was taken by surprise by the game’s inclusion of interactive social segments, seemingly inspired by Persona and the newer Fire Emblem games. Players can engage in various activities with friends, but these sections are sluggish, overly drawn-out, and mostly devoid of voice acting, which disrupts the game’s pace. This is exacerbated by the fact that these segments don’t incorporate co-op gameplay effectively. As a result, the game stretches to an unnecessary 15-20 hours without enough content to justify it. Adding to the frustration is the Switch port, which is satisfactory when it runs smoothly but suffers from technical hiccups and painfully long loading times. When I first started the game, I wondered if it had somehow crashed.
Overall, TMNT Mutants Unleashed showcases some promising ideas that fail to meld into an outstanding game. The combat is adequate but unremarkable, and the social RPG elements, though intriguing, are poorly realized. It’s all the more disappointing because the engaging storyline is well-written. There’s a part of me that wishes the developers had more time to polish this game because there’s a potentially fantastic foundation here. Unfortunately, it struggles to break through to its full potential.
