Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles New Game Will Have A Heart-Breaking Twist
A recently revealed Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game is adapting The Last Ronin graphic novel, which takes place in a dark future following the death fo three of the four Turtles.
A new Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game is currently in development, and unlike the previously released Cowabunga Collection and Shredder’s Revenge, the upcoming release won’t be as colorful, retro-style beat ‘em up action. Instead, the new game takes a much darker approach in which the Foot Clan kills the turtles.
All but one, that is, the upcoming game is actually an adaptation of The Last Ronin, a five-issue comic mini-series launched in 2020, which is set in the future in which three of the Turtles are already dead. According to the VGC, the upcoming game will adhere to the tone of the comic, so we’re expecting a grimmer and more mature story with a gameplay style that’s more akin to the third-person action RPG such as Sony’s new God of War titles, rather than the colorful and humorous action typically associated with Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles games.
However, just as God of War’s best game gives Kratos more than things to punch, the upcoming adaptation could provide more depth to the character development of a single turtle instead of focusing on the shenanigans of all four. Grim narrative aside, this is a very good approach to The Last Ronin adaptation; other Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles usually focus on playing with all four brothers, which typically implies a co-op or an adventure game that swaps each character with each subsequent level.
This means the upcoming game will focus on a single character, though other characters might appear in flashback sequences, with the primary action focused on the surviving Turtle. The identity of the surviving Turtle was a mystery at the time the mini-series was announced; the remaining brother wore a black mask and fought using all four signature weapons, giving the fandom the impression that strong-willed and hot-headed Raphael was the survivor. In the end, he was always the tough guy in the group.
However, the ending pages of the first release reveal that Michelangelo is the surviving Turtle seeking vengeance against Shredder’s grandson. Considering that he carries the weapons of his brothers, gamers can expect to switch styles and weapons mid-game and on the fly, which will only further expand the gameplay experience. It certainly sounds like an interesting concept, and to be honest, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a decades-old franchise that most certainly deserves an expensive AAA gaming narrative aimed at an adult audience.
Besides the upcoming game, The Last Ronin comic-book series is also getting a sequel, and those close to the creative process also mention a whole slew of multimedia releases for the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles franchise, so more gaming, animation, and live-action films—including villain spinoffs—is to be expected. This will also include releases for younger generations and those who grew up watching the Turtles. It’s also worth mentioning that The Last Ronin adaptation is being developed by an unnamed studio and is most likely a few years away from release.
This suggests that the announced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is in its pre-production or early active development stage.
