Also On: Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X
Publisher: Digital Eclipse
Developer: Digital Eclipse
Medium: Digital
Players: 1-6
Online: n/a (1-6 in future update)
ESRB: E10+
Being a power rangers fan has been quite rough in this past decade. The 2017 film underwhelmed, The franchise was sold to Hasbro leaving several toy lines incomplete and under the stewardship of the Rhode Island based Toy maker, the TV series went into hiatus and decades of props were auctioned off to the highest bidder. So it certainly feels like a multi-part episode where the heroes are down and in the most perilous state. Will the release of Digital Eclipse’s Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rewind be where the fandom sees things turnaround for this long running franchise?
Ok that last analogy is pretty unfair, but yet apropos to a fandom who’s seen nothing but gradual decline for decades. So when Digital Eclipse announced that they would be releasing a Power Rangers title, I approached it hesitantly. I’m one of those folks that wished the entirety of the franchise would get the attention that the first several seasons got when it comes to products. Yes, I’m aware those are the seasons which saw the franchise in its historic highs, but it almost makes the franchise feel like a 1 hit wonder, when there are over 23 teams spanning 30 years. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to play the title during the course of this year at various conventions and preview events, I got to see that the team did things that were seldom done in power rangers games and knew the franchise was in good hands…but how does the final product fair?
In 2023 (to coincide with the franchise’s 30th anniversary), Robo Rita Repulsa, who debuted in the Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Once & Always special has successfully traveled back in time to share knowledge with her younger self so the latter can rid the world of the rangers. So in a way this game story is a remix of the Netflix special and the first season of the show. Now it’s up to the original ranger team to take on the deadly duo of Rita and Robo Rita.
Choose from the original five rangers as you fight across Angel Grove to protect the denizens of the city. Combat feels good, especially when you hear the “thunk” of your fists meeting putty flesh. The moveset of the rangers is somewhat basic compared to other modern beat em ups, but you do have a dodge which is always welcomed. Besides side scrolling action, the game does mix things up with motorcycles, individual zord sections and of course megazord brawls. My only gripes with these missions are there are no recovery items in advanced difficulties this would prove to be a headache. The megazord mission has its own quirks. In order to make sure every player has some action, the game will cycle through players, however if your team isn’t quite adept at punch out-style gameplay the megazord section will be quite a chore to go through.
Most of the levels have multiple goals that can be accomplished, they usually involve completing the stage without dying, finishing the stage within a par time as well uncovering the secret items or rescuing some familiar faces. Other than being able to reminisce about the items and a short dialogue with the rescuees you’re only going to be a completionist if you want to earn achievements or trophies.
The game’s approach to a story mode feels oddly like an arcade game or console games of years past. On difficulties above normal, you have a set number of continues and if you run out you are effectively locked out of that save and any progress you have made will be lost. Thankfully the game’s compact run time doesn’t mean you’re losing out on much, but thankfully after you have completed the game the continue feature is removed, thus giving you free play.
A major misstep which prevents the title from scoring higher is the lack of online multiplayer at launch. While Digital Eclipse started 2 player online co-op will release shortly after launch and 6 player online co-op will be made available somewhere down the line, it feels like it would’ve done the game a huge service. Especially since there were points where I felt the game was tuned for a multiplayer experience (Dealing with those damn Time Disrupter segments solo can result in several loops)…something I couldn’t experience since I couldn’t exactly invite the other editors from the site to run through the title.
All and all, Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is a quite enjoyable experience, although it falls short of the perch Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge has made for itself. It would definitely be interesting to revisit the title when its online co-op features are implemented. Hopefully I can get one of my fairweather friends to go through this title…I would even be magnanimous enough to them select the Green Ranger. To circle back to the weird rant from the beginning of this review, here’s hoping that products like Rita’s Rewind will show that the fanbase will still come out when it’s created by people who respect and revere the IP. I would love to see what Digital Eclipse has in store for the title, perhaps we’ll even see the game inch closer to the title that stands at the pinnacle.
Note: Digital Eclipse provided us with a Mighty Morphin Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind code for review purposes.
