Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City review

When games are based on an IP, especially a well-known one like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, there’s always a risk that the game - functionality, enjoyment, etc. - will come secondary to well-placed branding opportunities. Beyond Frames Publishing and Cortopia Studios created a quality experience where you can enjoy being a turtle without sacrificing game performance.

Recently a few of us, Ron Burke, David Burdette, and I, jumped into Empire City to check out the game together. After each of us went through the tutorial on our own, we then met up in a hideout - thanks to the very easy-to-use code system.  Simply share four numbers and you can bounce directly to the iconic sewer outpost that serves as home to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and their master, Splinter the Rat.  

The story of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Empire City is that two warring factions have risen in New York City – a Japanese faction led by Mashima, and another lead by the mysterious Karai.  Karai seems to be an ally, though it’s not clear just how long that’ll remain the case, or what her motivations might be.  You’ll be beating them up, along with the Foot Clan, of course, in a bid to keep the city safe while you uncover what’s really going on in the City that Never Sleeps.  

The hideout is one of my favorite areas of the game. There are plenty of things to play with, pick up, climb, etc. I love places like this in VR. Also the ability to hang out there with your friends makes it even more special. It’s a great space.  There are a ton of Easter Eggs for fans, including deep-cuts for super fans of the shows, comics, and movies.  Each turtle has their own room, of course, reflecting their personalities.  Donatello has his messy tech-heavy shop, Leonardo’s space is Zen-focused and tidy, for example. In the center lies a meditation space occupied by Master Splinter, of course. Each of the Turtle’s rooms are also spaces where you can customize your character and just bask in the overall immersion.  There are a metric ton of goodies to play with, throw, or discover – it’s a fun space. Eventually we decided to start our quest. Each of us picked one of the four iconic turtles, complete with their different abilities and icon weapons. 

Let me stop here for a moment and say that I’ve never seen the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies, comic, or show.. I know nothing about this IP other than the fact that I think they’re kind of cute. When I was invited to review the game, I said yes because the idea of being a superhero turtle appeals to me - even if I know nothing about their history. Also, a VR game is either good or it isn’t. It can’t rest on laurels of an IP so the perspective of someone who knows nothing about it can be valuable.  On the other hand, David and Ron both grew up with the series and know it extraordinarily well, so like the team, I was in good company.  And so, our gang headed into the sewer to catch some criminals.

David was playing Leonardo with his katanas, and Ron swung the nunchucks as Michaelangelo, while I had a bo staff to wield as Donatello.  You can play four players, so the last player would pick up the sai as Raphael. The staff isn’t my favorite weapon so I usually resorted to using it as a blocking tool while my kick recharged, though Ron was overly excited as it can be used as a trip weapon. I really enjoy the kick feature. It’s powerful and fun to use and has a little bit of haptic feedback.

Ron has spent his life in martial arts, training in these weapons, so it’s no surprise how jazzed he was with the weapon movements in the game.  He looked insane, whipping the nunchucks around like a boss, and I’m sure he looked even more insane for those watching him play, but that’s the fun of VR!  

We moved from one area of the map to another, clearing away all the threats and completing quests.  The turtles get missions by listening in on police scanners, calls into radio shows, or even calls from Casey Jones or April O’Neal.  They will ask you to dispatch the Foot Clan to disarm bombs by dropping them into drop boxes, destroy cameras, save civilians, and more.  

One of the very best parts of the game is its verticality, and that each player operates independently. Ron immediately scrambled up the drain pipes to the roof, while David and I scattered to different corners, all of us chasing down enemies.  This is a game that rewards creativity and doesn’t restrict the fun – play your way.

It’s definitely a game that’s probably much more enjoyable with friends as the threads start to show if you’re tackling it solo.  That said, playing with friends means coordinating ninja star throws, kicks, weapons, and more.  You can head back down into the sewers at any time to regroup and rearm.  

Ron was especially excited about how much this game ties into the IDW comics from the 90s to 2011, and how the art style seems ripped straight from the Sophie Campbell and Mateus Santolouco era.  It all feels like a love letter to fans, and he was especially appreciative of the team's hard work.  

The game gains a lot of points for being a great multiplayer experience, though it does lose a few for overall mission depth. If one has a small gang of friends to hang out with, you can try out different turtles, replay maps, etc. and that tends to paper over that simplicity quite a bit. You and your friends can explore, save the city, and take out the bosses like the iconic Rocksteady and Bebop, and at the end of the day, isn’t that what good co-op VR is all about?

Overall great experience and as an adult, I enjoyed this. If I still had kids at home, I’d definitely buy this for them to play with their friends.