Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown, developed and published by Strange Scaffold, brings the iconic ninja turtles to life in a surprising new way. The developer brings all the excitement of the classic brawlers the TMNT are best known for and reshapes it to fit a single-player, turn-based gameplay style that never slows down and keeps the tension high.
The opening moments of the game establish the style of storytelling. Still images with dialogue presented underneath of characters deliver the moment-to-moment story. In the first scene, we see the Foot Clan have invaded the turtles’ home, looking for something. With only Michalagelo present, it is up to him to try to drive them off. Once the fight at home is done, the battle spills out to city streets and beyond as Mikey, and eventually, the rest of the team, must scramble to uncover what the Foot is up to and stop them.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown establishes the familiar humorous tone one expects of a TMNT narrative. It also uses the moment to establish that the four turtles are each separated, providing a useful explanation for the single-player game structure.
The first element that keeps this tension up is the level maps. As levels progress, new chunks of the map assemble and previous areas disassemble. Glowing stripes overlayed on terrain warn players when an area will disappear next turn, or where the next stretch of the map will appear, allowing for pre-planning.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown requires pre-planning to succeed.
This drives the action forward, compelling progression through a level, or the map will vanish beneath a turtle’s feet. No hunkering down to avoid slow-moving foot soldiers. The turtles have to charge headlong into the fray. And there is no shortage of enemies for them to crash through.
Foot Soldiers of various varieties, Mousers, and more enemy types appear in large quantities to stop our teenage heroes. Most enemies can be dispatched in a hit or two, reinforcing the sensation of speed and excitement the game builds. This also works well with the ever-mutating map, as knocking off enemies doesn’t get in the way of keeping one step ahead of the map’s edge. Most enemies don’t have to be defeated, either. Only specified enemies with red rings around their bases must be defeated. Requiring only certain enemies to be defeated allows for a deeper strategy, as which fights are or aren’t worth taking is evaluated.
The game’s liberal approach to movement also works with the previous two elements to keep the sense of speed up. If it’s a clear spot of terrain within a turtle’s movement range, you can jump there. No concerns about enemy attacks of opportunity or objects blocking line of sight to impede movement. This keeps the game focused on how the turtles will dispatch their foes.
The high level of motion also helps the turtles navigate the game’s numerous terrain dangers. Moving cars careen by between turns, and poisoned water flows through sewers. These give the map personality and can also be used to defeat enemies, as knocking them into these traps or clearing off the edge of the map can be useful.
Each turtle has a distinct skill kit in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles Tactical Takedown.
The gem in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown‘s crown is the fantastic skill kits the turtles utilize to dispatch their foes. The demo provides a level for each of the titular brothers to shine. And they all shine beautifully. Each kit is not only fun and diverse but they also reflect each character’s personality wonderfully.
Mikey’s movement is the best, while Raph’s ability to power through foes is unparalleled. Donny can control a battlefield with traps, while Leo excels at careful preplanning to increase how efficiently he can defeat his foes. Each turtle brings distinct gameplay as well as personality into them.
A generous action point system allows full advantage of these enjoyable kits. Each player turn starts with six action points available. Each turn has tons of opportunities for mayhem each turn thanks to the ability to order and repeat actions however they wish. Plus, some actions provided opportunities to gain more.
While not available in the demo, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown promises kit customization. The way it was presented implies you’ll be able to swap available actions out before starting a level. Being able to fine-tune playstyles sounds great. Just as long as it doesn’t go so far as to strip each turtle of their uniqueness.
The game has a fresh take on visuals and character.
The visual presentation leans heavily into a “tabletop” look. Each character is placed on a base and actions are not animated. Rather, models are swapped for a new pose that they remain in until their next action. This is a brilliant approach that keeps the visuals fun and looking great. Designing a game sans character animations seems counter-intuitive, but this style makes it work wonderfully.
The ever-changing map further leans into this aesthetic. As new sections arrive, they fall into place like they are being assembled. The general look feels reminiscent of the old playsets they used to sell. Familiar settings like street levels, rooftops, and subway scenes all drop into the game wonderfully.
The demo provides a perfect amount of time to showcase what Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown has to offer. It brings each of the starring characters in and allows players to experience just enough to get them hyped for more. While there is no current release date announced, hopefully, it won’t be long before the rest of this unique experience sees the light of day.
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown demo is currently available as part of Steam Next Fest.
