TMNT: Empire City – A New VR Gem
In his weekly column, Android Central Senior Content Producer Nick Sutrich delves into all things VR, from new hardware to new games, upcoming technologies, and so much more.
Given the state of the gaming industry right now, it’s always surprising when a gem comes along and blows me away. It’s even more surprising that this has happened more than once this year, and TMNT: Empire City is just the most recent example of developers triumphing during a particularly tribulating era.
But given Cortopia Studios’ pedigree, this shouldn’t be all that surprising. The developer is responsible for games like Wands Alliances, Down the Rabbit Hole, Escaping Wonderland, and GORN 2, and it’s great to see the company working its magic on an IP that’s so close to my heart: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
TMNT: Empire City is a new VR game that lets you team up with three other friends — each embodying a legendary Ninja Turtle — to take down the Footclan once and for all after the death of the Shredder, and there’s more to it than you ever could have hoped for, too!
Like any good modern open-world game — particularly in VR — you can climb basically anything you want. Reaching for the side of buildings, windowsills, steel beams, light poles, etc., will present you with a white highlight of where to grab. This mechanic feels accurate for a Ninja Turtle, because you still have to grab specific places to climb, not just bare rock walls, but there’s no shortage of ways to parkour up a building to get a better vantage point.
TMNT: Empire City rewards players who approach situations with a stealth-first approach, but you can always just rush in and go ham if you enjoy the traditional beat-em-up mechanics. As you would expect, each Turtle has its own weapon and skillset, with plenty of attitude and jokes to fill the gaps.
Exploration and Crafting in TMNT: Empire City
Combat is rewarding and visceral, albeit a little easy from the onset, but things get more challenging and varied as you progress through the game. You’ll also come across tons of little puzzles along the way. Locked doors might require a keycard or just a conveniently placed computer to hack, or maybe even a power junction box that you need to rewire (via a fun laser puzzle).
You’ll also find lots of junk lying about. Plastic parts, electronics scraps, and other pickups can be used in Donnie’s machine back in the Turtle Lair to craft items and upgrades. You can hold several items at a time in your pouch, and players can equip two upgrades from a list of unlockables that suit the mission best. There’s a ton here, and it deeply rewards players who enjoy exploring, something that’s great to see in a game like this.
TMNT: Empire City is available for a crazy good .99. Plus, it’s crossplay-compatible, so you can enjoy time with friends even if they’re on a different platform.
