Lords of Gaming and the Iron Lords Podcast are exploring the cultured world of New York Comic Con! One of the exciting events during New York Comic Con was Paramount and Outright Games promoting their latest title, TMNT Mutants Unleashed.
TMNT Mutants Unleashed Interview
Our very own Lord Cognito sat with Vince Grogan, Production Director, and Juan Rayada, Creative Director to discuss everything TMNT: Mutants Unleashed.
The game is a beat ’em with 2 player co-op option and picks up directly after the events of the film, TMNT: Mutant Mayhem. The turtles have been accepted by civilians of New York City, however a new batch of mutants appears. At first, the new mutants appear friendly, but they quickly turn a heel and the turtles along with April have to go in and save the day.
The game takes inspiration from games such as Hi-Fi Rush. In addition, Grogan did mention that the game has accessibility features that are expected to roll out post-launch.
Game Features
From the Press Kit:
- Battle 10 brand new mutant enemies, designed in collaboration with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem’s lead character designer, Woodrow White
- Explore a variety of interactive locations around New York City, from the Turtles’ Sewer Lair to The Coexisting Center and The Haunted Arcade in an expansive map
- Take on missions and unique side quests assigned by familiar faces, from discovering hidden graffiti, immersive Dojo challenges, boss battles, and even pizza delivery
- Unlock in-game character skins that pay homage to the iconic history of the TMNT franchise
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed is available now on PC, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.
Impressions from Lord Sonic
Being able to play the game for a half-hour on PC, I was impressed, seeing a surprising mixture of gameplay elements coming together.
The opening minutes have players exploring the NYC Sewers and eventually going to the surface, fighting other mutant creatures. The gameplay has the turtles run and jump through linear 3D levels, having responsive movement and a good double jump. In many ways, the platforming and overall movement feel like the Ubisoft 2007 TMNT game, minus the Prince of Persia-inspired wall running portions.
When combat kicks in, each turtle has minor differences based on their combat style but they all have the same general controls. The turtles fight using a mixture of light and heavy attacks, each mapped to different buttons and having a ‘charged up’ attack when holding them down. In addition, the turtles can dodge and counterattack using the same button.
The combat seems simple on the surface but other elements early on, such as a skill tree and being able to ‘tag in’ the other turtles for different attacks, imply further depth later in the game. Bleeding into this depth is social mechanics not unlike the Persona series.
After completing the first level, a day and night system is introduced alongside social elements with other characters. By completing one with Master Splinter, his rank went up one level and the skill tree was unlocked. With multiple ones listed in the menus, I can’t wait to see how this system is further developed.
