Game review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan

A screenshot from the game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles were a pretty big part of my early years, I even had a turtle-themed birthday, including a Leonardo cake.

So it's nice to reminisce and catch up with the four turtles again - but it would be much better to have the option to play with my son.

That's what makes the Lego games so great. There are easy two-player options to introduce children to gaming while also bringing characters like Luke Skywalker and Indiana Jones - big pop culture figures when I was young - into their lives.

Here was a chance to do the same with the Ninja Turtles but Mutants in Manhattan fails at the first hurdle, not having a two-player option and instead offering only 2-4 multiplayer online options.

Outside the Ninja Turtle fan base there's really not much on offer. The graphics aren't high class and the gameplay is repetitive, which is often the case with "hack and slash" games.

A screenshot from the game Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan.

As expected you can control all four turtles - that's Leonardo, Donatello, Michelangelo and Raphael for non-Turtleheads - who each have different skills. You collect orbs and fight your way through repetitive enemies before facing a boss at the end of each stage. Rinse and repeat.

There are parts of a good game here but, as is often the case with titles that are connected to a movie or a brand, it feels rushed and unfinished.

Platforms:

PS4, Xbox One

Rated:

M

Verdict:

90s nostalgia wrapped up in a turtle shell