The best Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game has a demo on Steam

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Over time, the characters from the series Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have undergone multiple adaptations. They’ve graced both big and small screens, as well as a multitude of video games. Interestingly, an independent game developer announced last year that they would create a strategic version of the popular series. In this case, it’s worth mentioning that the demo for this game was unveiled on Steam during the recent Next Fest event, and I must say that it’s ninety minutes of the finest TMNT video game play I have ever experienced.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown is the best turtles game I’ve played

Strange Scaffold, an independent game developer, is creating the upcoming title Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown. They are recognized for their unique games such as I Am Your Beast, a speedy first-person shooter, Clickolding with its peculiar and eerie atmosphere, and El Paso, Elsewhere, a previous indie hit. Strange Scaffold doesn’t typically adhere to one particular genre or have lengthy gaps between releases. The TMNT game was unveiled in December and a playable demo is already available on Steam.

In a surprising turn of events, the studio was granted considerable creative leeway for this high-profile intellectual property we know as Tactical Takedown. The narrative takes an unexpected twist in the turtles’ saga, with the storyline set far ahead than fans are accustomed to. The turtles are now grown, and significant characters like Master Splinter, their father figure, and Shredder, their long-time adversary, have sadly passed away. This installment introduces a new antagonist who launches the demo by infiltrating the turtles’ underground lair. The once unbreakable bond between the four brothers has weakened over time. Raphael is living apart from his kin, residing with Casey Jones and his hockey mask, while Leonardo operates independently as a lone vigilante.

In this ninety-minute demo, Michelangeo must bravely escape from the sewers on his own, disconnected from his brothers due to the Foot Clan’s city-wide communication blackout. Luckily, during gameplay, you’ll control all four turtles. The gameplay involves strategic, turn-based battles where each turn offers a limited number of actions. While enemies only move and attack, their sheer numbers can quickly overpower if not managed tactically.

The stages undergo changes, or “mutate,” as the battle progresses through the area. Portions of the stage may collapse, pulling any characters still on them down with it. This isn’t a static battlefield; instead, each level is a journey, with sections lasting only a few turns before you must advance to the next.

In my attempt with the demo, I found myself harboring concerns due to my mixed feelings about tactical combat. At times, it’s not the most enjoyable or intuitive for me, often being too difficult to grasp or moving too slowly to keep things engaging. However, when I played Tactical Takedown, I found myself breezing through the ninety minutes as if it were effortless, yearning for more. The combat is fast-paced yet challenging, never overly complex, offering at least five distinct actions per turn, such as maneuvering across stages, knocking enemies off buildings, and so on.

The enemy’s turn is straightforward, with all of them moving and attacking if they’re close enough, before it’s back to your control. Each turtle character has its unique charm, yet they each differ from one another. For instance, Michelangelo can plow through a group of enemies, Raphael can jump and stun nearby foes, Donatello utilizes gadgets to manipulate the environment, while Leonardo inflicts the most damage and boosts himself. I’m uncertain if there will be a level in the full game that allows you to control multiple turtles simultaneously, but in this demo, you get them one at a time.

At present, there’s no set release date for the game titled “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown”. However, the demo looks fantastic and if the rest of the game maintains this level of quality, it seems likely that the full game might be out sooner rather than later. The developers, Strange Scaffold, have been quite active with this project, dropping a surprise demo soon after its initial announcement, which hints at an earlier launch than expected. I really hope this turns out to be true because I’m eagerly awaiting more of the game.

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2025-03-05 02:53