Tactical Takedown is finally coming to Xbox and Switch

A Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game that just so happens to be one of my favorites from this year is finally coming to consoles. I’m referring to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown, a strategy game based on the popular series developed by an acclaimed independent game studio.

Next week, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Tactical Takedown is set to launch on Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch. Alongside that, a Remix update will also be released, giving PC players a reason to return to the game.

When does TMNT: Tactical Takedown launch on Xbox Series X and Nintendo Switch?

It’s part of a TMNT game renaissance

Tactical Takedown will be released for consoles on August 14. That same day, a Remix Mode update will hit the PC version of the game. This new mode is more difficult than the base game and adds new enemies and character builds to play around with.

It’s the latest chapter in the TMNT franchise’s long history with video games. TMNT games range from infamously difficult, like that NES original, to certified classics, like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles IV: Turtles in Time.

After the 16-bit era concluded, we entered a dark period for TMNT games for a while. Games like Out of the Shadows felt more like licensed game bargain bin fodder than worthwhile must-play games. Thankfully, that has started to change in the 2020s.

This decade has been kind to the TMNT franchise’s gaming efforts. The Cowabunga Collection gave us a way to play those classic games on modern platforms, while solid arcade and mobile games like Splintered Fate got console ports.

The crown jewel of these games was Shredder’s Revenge, a beat ’em up inspired by Turtles in Time that served as an amazing love letter to the series. It was so good that its developers are now working on a Marvel beat ’em up game.

For Tactical Takedown, Paramount gave the TMNT license to indie developer Strange Scaffold, best known for games like Space Warlord Organ Trading Simulator and El Paso, Elsewhere. Strange Scaffold created a strategy game set in a world where both Shredder and Splinter are dead.

Players only ever have to command one character, and the gameplay rewards constant movement and attacking to avoid death. This structure gives Tactical Takedown a beat ’em up-like feel that even stands out within the strategy game space.

It quickly became one of my favorite games of the year when I played it on Steam Deck in May, and I’m considering giving it another go when it launches on Nintendo Switch. If you’re a TMNT fan who also happens to enjoy strategy games, definitely give this one a shot.