TMNT: Empire City – New Dev Diary Gives First Look at Traversal/Parkour Gameplay

https://www.ign.com/articles/tmnt-empire-city-new-dev-diary-gives-first-look-at-traversalparkour-gameplay

Ryan McCaffrey Aug 12, 2025 · 1 min read
TMNT: Empire City – New Dev Diary Gives First Look at Traversal/Parkour Gameplay
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As we exclusively announced earlier this year, we're finally getting our first first-person Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game – and first TMNT game in VR to boot. It's called TMNT: Empire City, and in the new developer diary video above, you'll get a look at some first-person parkour/traversal gameplay in this early look at the upcoming co-op action-adventure starring your favorite heroes in a half-shell.

Creative director Ace St. Germain gives some insight on the first-person VR parkour mechanics of Empire City: "Movement through sewers is slower and stealthier, while above-ground movement emphasizes parkour, allowing for fast and vertical exploration. We’re not recreating the full New York City but are focusing on key areas. The city's haze and mist are narrative devices, rather than invisible walls. The architecture is inspired by real New York buildings, like the Confucius Plaza (renamed “Wise Man Building”). Using hands for parkour, players can grab ledges, dash mid-air, and launch themselves dynamically. Zip lines and uninterrupted momentum mechanics enhance freedom of movement. This verticality is essential for exploration, combat, and player expression.

You can wishlist TMNT: Empire City on Steam if you're interested.