At the end of last year, Madrid-based developer Aheartfulofgames, and publisher Outright Games, released Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed, an exciting 3D Beat ‘Em Up’ Platformer game that continues the story of the iconic movie Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem (2023).
DigiPen Europe-Bilbao has established a strong presence across the industry, from small indie teams to major AAA studios. In the case of Aheartfulofgames, a considerable group of alumni have joined their ranks. In this article, we explore how their DigiPen training has prepared them to face the challenges of developing a video game based on an IP as iconic and recognized as the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
A video game development team is divided into several departments:
Ane Escudero, Arantzazu Martínez and Garazi Feliu work in the environment team together with three other artists:
The team designs immersive environments, creating the worlds where the action takes place and captivating the player in the narrative of the game.
Meanwhile, Gonzalo Fernández, Aintzane Arribas, and Amaia Bonachera focus on animation:
Their mission is to give life to the characters, such as the four Turtles, the supporting characters (including fan favourites Master Splinter and April O’Neil), the villains, and also the cinematics that narrate the key events of the game.
Both teams — animation and environment — rely on industry-standard tools such as Maya Creative, Zbrush, Substance Painter, Substance Designer, and Houdini, which are essential to maintain the artistic and technical quality required by a renowned IP like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Carolina Pereda is in charge of rigging the characters, in addition to modeling and texturing.
Rigging is a technical process in which a skeleton is built that allows the characters to move naturally through specific controls. On the other hand, it also works in modeling, where it defines the three-dimensional shapes of the game and in texturing, taking care of applying details and colors that bring realism and personality to each element.
- The concept art is in the hands of Marina Rodriguez, who establishes the aesthetic base of the game, on which the final visual aspect is generated. Her work is mainly in Photoshop.
At DigiPen, they studied the Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Art and Animation (BFA). Coming from the same faculty has facilitated their role in the project, as they have all been able to row towards the same goal by having the same base and way of approaching a work process:
“We have given each other feedback to improve, and that has been key to keeping us aligned. This has helped us to stick together and stay united throughout the development of the game,” says Aintzane.
In Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed, the designers work with the Unity engine to build the game, and on that basis, the programmers apply their technical knowledge.
This is where Pablo Riesco, a computer science graduate in Real-Time Interactive Simulation (RTIS), comes in. Although his time on this project was brief, he contributed in different areas of programming.
“The biggest challenge has been to translate the style of the film — pictorial and even somewhat chaotic — into a 3D environment since the formats are very different,” says Amaia.
The game development began in 2022, well before the film’s release in August 2023. From day one at Aheartfulofgames, the team has enjoyed a lot of independence, allowing them to explore their skills autonomously. However, they have been able to successfully meet these challenges because their way of working is very similar to that experienced at DigiPen Europe-Bilbao.
“Developing complete projects at DigiPen has helped me a lot since I started working. Having that global vision of how a production is carried from the beginning to the end is key,” says Ane.
Amaia, part of the animation team, points out that at DigiPen they were encouraged to work in all production areas, which has allowed them to better adapt to the different needs of the title. “The fact that at DigiPen we were taught a little bit of everything allowed us to better understand the work of our colleagues and adapt more efficiently,” she says.
The technical aspect of their work has been one of the most interesting challenges for the team: “This project has improved my confidence as a professional. I was drawn to the technical aspect, an area I hadn’t explored as much before, and thanks to this opportunity I’ve found a balance between art and technology where I feel comfortable. Even though you face challenges, figuring things out on your own is tremendously rewarding,” says Carolina.
Having each followed a different career path, they all agree that thanks to DigiPen’s solid training, they have been able to showcase their talent on a major release. Their work on Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutants Unleashed is a testament to the impact that graduates can have on the video game industry.
The game is out now and available for PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, Nintendo Switch, and PC. Want to join the Turtles on their new adventure? At DigiPen, we will keep a signed copy of this title as another remarkable project in which our alumni have left their mark.
