Nostalgia won't save this horrendous remake.
The good news is that players won't have any trouble playing through the game, no matter what difficulty they set it on. They can either go on this short quest on their own or invite three other friends to join in the fun, either locally or online. But even with friends or not, it gets to be easy, at first, but the challenge increases as they leave one stage and enter the next level. Bosses can borderline from being easy to pure frustration, so players may have to caveat and approach the fights with a different strategy. That's not to say the bosses are completely difficult, but may take longer to defeat, depending on what setting the difficulty is on. The campaign only has eight levels awaiting the players brave enough to tackle the adventure head-on, with various baddies and traps awaiting them. Yet it only takes one hour to complete. Two other modes await players as well; Quickplay, in which you can choose to play any level at will or Survival, where you are only granted one life and must overcome the odds and not lose your life. Beyond that, it is unfortunately disappointing to find that not much replay value is here, giving gamers less reason to come back to this atrocious remake.
Despite being given a new facelift and body paint, the turtles aren't necessarily fun to play as, for their arsenal of martial arts moves are limiting. Players can thrash away at their enemies with a standard attack that is stringed into a repetitive combo or nail away a few buddies all at once with a special attack, allowing them room to breathe. If players feel the need to jump and take our the enemy from the air, that can be done. They can also slam one enemy into either the ground or literally throw them towards the screen as well. The choice is yours, but the result is pretty much the same. A lackluster of a move set list prevents the players from enjoying playing as one of the four heroes in a half shell to their heart's content. While it is true that the repetitive moves players perform in the game will serve players well in the adventure ahead, players will become bored eventually and the action will also become both repetitive and tiresome.
Graphically, the game looks decent for what it is, but nothing spectacular. The levels change and never look the same, all of them vibrant and pretty to look at. It isn't the turtles that haven't been bestowed with a new facelift – all baddies receive the same treatment. It's not difficult to tell them apart, so players will have little trouble in figuring out who's who. The backdrops are nice for the battles themselves, but once you have four players dealing with the current wave of enemies, there's no time to stop and smell the flowers whatsoever. Thus, another issue arises – some players may find it complicated to spot out their chosen hero, yet that problem is solve by pushing the left trigger of your XB360 controller, showing a colored indicator above your turtle's head. Even so, in some levels, such as when you are on your board, players can go far off the screen and won't be able to see where they are until they come back and rejoin the others. As it stands, the game looks fine for what it is, but players should not expect an amazing graphical overhaul, for it is nothing special to write home to.
Any frustration that's to be unleashed from players are derived from attempting to earn all achievements or from tackling on several bosses. One achievement requires players to avoid all traps in one certain level. Enemies quickly get in the way, however, and with punch or kick, they thrust them into the trap with ease, forcing players to start the stage all over again. That's not to say that all achievements are hard to earn. Some players with enough skill won't have trouble in gaining them all in one playthrough, others will have to take their time and gain them through trial and error. Bosses also require patience, especially in the form of one boss, who enjoys acting like a homing missile, hitting players with ease, then running away while they take some damage. It ain't fair, to be sure, but that's how the artificial intelligence was programmed – cheap, unfair, and repetitive, perhaps causing few gamers to slam the controller in total rage. As previously mentioned, all bosses can be defeated, yet players would be advised to take caution and solve the fight in a new way, for no boss fight ever plays out the same.
So after earning all the achievements and beating the game on their own or with friends, what else is left to do? Not much to be exact. Turtles In Time Re-Shelled may have good intentions, but the purpose of the game doesn't last for very long. Nostalgia is a thing of beauty, but only if done correctly and Turtles In Time Re-Shelled fails to please in any fashion. Unless players have a love for the Turtles and cannot get enough of their universe, they'd be advised to steer clear of this horrendous remake. Hopefully, this will send Ubisoft or any game developer a clear message – don't do a remake unless you take the time to do it right the first time. Otherwise, please; do not bother with the attempt at all, for it will become nothing more a waste of time for those that love the four heroes and the world that they inhibit.