As mentioned during our new release round-up, Activision has been crafty with TMNT: Mutants in Manhattan’s launch. The Platinum-developed brawler hit the digital services on Tuesday whereas the retail release isn’t due until tomorrow.
Reviews are just starting to surface now; giving it an early digital release strikes us as a rather cheeky way to get hardcore fans to open their wallets in blind faith. Faith that it’ll be on par – if not better – than Transformers: Devastation. Sadly, reviewers claim that due to shortness and repetition it’s more in line with The Legend of Korra in terms of quality.
“There isn’t much to Mutants in Manhattan and almost half of it is a retread” warned IGN. Eurogamer’s Digital Foundry also report of issues when trying to take the Xbox One version online, and like most other reviewers, were disappointed with the 30fps cap.
Scores are mostly middling so far, leading to a Metacritic of 46%. That’s actually lower than The Legend of Korra’s Metacritic – 54% on PS4 and 49% on Xbox One. Ouch.
At the time of typing the most positive review the brawler has received is Cheat Code Central’s 3.4/5, who claim that if you get some buddies together online (local co-op is a no go, incidentally) you’ll be in for a good time.
Here’s what else is being said:
3.4/5 – Cheat Code Central: “Rent this one first and see how you like it, or else wait for a sale – it’s hard to pay $50 for a game that you can beat (on normal) in less than 7 hours. If you have even one friend who might like to play with you, though, it’s totally worth it, and all of the upgrades and secrets will keep you occupied for months”
5.5/10 – Middle of Nowhere Gaming: “The beautiful artstyle, well-designed stages, and excellent combat are screaming to be part of a great game… but this isn’t it. It’s just okay, and borders on being ridiculously short”
2.5/5 – US Gamer: “The Platinum spark exists in Mutants in Manhattan, which is why it’s tragic the developers couldn’t spend the same resources they would on original IP like Bayonetta. As licensed games go, you could do much worse, but this TMNT outing feels like a collection of good ideas in need of a second pass”
5.0/10 – NuGame: “I think, after this string of “meh†games, the folks at Platinum need to do some soul-searching. I know not every game can be a Bayonetta or a Wonderful 101, but it’s getting to the point where, if they keep making games of this quality, people are going to stop taking them seriously, and that would break my heart”
4.9/10 – IGN: “Even with a super-short running time, the repetitiveness that pervades Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants in Manhattan makes this fight a slog”
4.5/10 – Destructoid: “Although the campaign is only maybe six hours on normal difficulty, the game wears out its welcome quickly. Save for the subway, each setting is used for two different levels, meaning that the player has seen most of what there is to see long before the experience is over”
4.0/10 – PlayStation Lifestyle: “A good game could’ve been made with these combat mechanics, but sadly some abysmal level design makes this 4-hour game a complete chore to play. When an uninspired boss rush level is arguably the best part of the game, then you know something went wrong”
3.0/10 – Polygon: “After a six-hour campaign that manages to be both mind-numbingly dull and insultingly repetitive, I’m sad to report that Mutants in Manhattan is made by the Platinum that brought us The Legend of Korra”