In my household, we were all delighted by the 2023 film Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem. Both my kids and I thoroughly enjoyed it, so when I heard that Outright Games was releasing TMNT Mutants Unleashed, a video game inspired by the movie, I couldn’t help but get excited. I hoped to carry that movie magic into the gaming world, but the excitement was short-lived. Mutants Unleashed, despite having some promising concepts and a presentation that captures the film’s essence, stumbles in its execution.
The game picks up right after the events of Mutant Mayhem, with a surprisingly intricate plot. It dives into what happens next after the turtles’ victory and newfound acceptance. New mutants, nicknamed “Mewbies” by the turtles, surface to amp up the beat-’em-up gameplay. The game even brings in new teenage human friends for the turtles to engage with. Outright Games manages to maintain its standard with plenty of voice acting, which is fantastic, especially for the younger audience. The dialogue captures the movie’s spirit, and while the plot feels more like a side story than the main narrative, it still tells a compelling tale.
I went in eager to dive into some co-op brawling reminiscent of TMNT’s historic beat-’em-up style. However, the combos and gameplay felt half-baked. Though it steers more towards character action than classic brawling, this shift would have been more successful if the characters’ actions were executed more crisply. You do still get to use all four turtles, each boasting unique abilities, though the multiplayer itself maxes out at two players. While the combat didn’t grip me, it’s accessible, making it suitable for players of various ages. Nonetheless, unlike Outright Games’ more toddler-focused titles like Bluey or Paw Patrol, Mutants Unleashed aims at a slightly older audience, which makes the simplicity of the combat seem lacking.
I was surprised to find that Mutants Unleashed also features interactive social segments, reminiscent of games like Persona and the recent Fire Emblem titles. You can take the turtles to events and spend time with friends, but these moments are drawn out, mostly devoid of voice acting, and sluggish in pace. This not only stalls the game’s rhythm but also doesn’t mesh well with the cooperative gameplay, ultimately stretching the game time to a hefty 15-20 hours. Unfortunately, the Switch version exacerbates this with some technical hiccups and lengthy load times that nearly made me question if the game had frozen at the start.
While TMNT Mutants Unleashed displays some promising elements, they fall short of creating an outstanding game. The combat is passable, but not particularly noteworthy. The idea of infusing social RPG elements is intriguing but poorly executed. Frustratingly, the engaging plot and solid writing show potential. With more polish, this game could have been something spectacular; instead, it remains stuck in the sewers.
