Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind – PS5 Review 1

The belt scroller revival has been going on for a few years now. Digital Eclipse seem to be the right people for this work and the likes of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Shredder’s Revenge have beenwarmly received. Following in those footsteps is Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind. This is a wholly new game that looks to evoke nostalgia for the old TV series and the games that made the genre so popular in the 90’s. It’s a mixed result, with the presentation doing wonders to hit the right notes but the execution on the playing field is not perfect.

The story focuses on Rita Rapunzel’s meddling with time. She wants to eliminate the Power Rangers before they truly become the thorn in her side. She’s discovered crystals with time bending properties and wants to harness that power in Time Disruptors which are these ominous looking green chambers. Her minions are all for this plan and it’s up to our teenage heroes to put a stop to it. There’s not much else to it with the premise mainly an excuse to mow down the Putty Squad. It works as a goofy narrative and wouldn’t sound out of place on the TV show.

Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers: Rita’s Rewind is not short of ideas. There’s 15 stages in all and they’re not strictly tied to battering putties. There’s vehicle sections that remind me of shooters like Space Harrier. These segments test your ability to deal with incoming threats whilst also focusing on your positioning. They feel busy and tying both movement and aiming to the left stick can make coordinating attacks a little tricky.

The change-up is still nice. If the game was solely a belt scroller, I’d perhaps be bored by the half-way point. It functions well enough with a basic combo system allowing for some fun juggles. Attacks are mostly done with the square button with jumps performed by pressing X. Combing the two, as well as a dash move, opens up the possibilities in combat. For me, I could progress with mashing out most hits. I don’t think it needs to be more complex and some encounters do throw plenty of enemies at you.  Lastly, there’s a screen-clearing special move you can trigger when your special bar is full.  Regular attacks fill that up just fine.

Combat feels impactful, although I have stumbled into some issues with collision. Not so much with enemies but specific goals like Time Disruptors you need to destroy on a semi-regular basis. Sometimes I’m not sure where the hitbox is supposed to be. This can also a problem in the latter boss fights. It’s a blot on otherwise serviceable brawler that can really bring some frustration. Other problems are more inherent to the genre. Being locked in place by two foes, having one of your own moves launch you into a pit and so on.

The cluttered nature of the screen can also enter into boss fights. They follow strict patterns but they have moments of invincibility which requires a lot of waiting for the right situation to strike. Missing those windows can be irritating, particularly if you’re also dealing with a mob of fodder.

There’s a solid enemy variety on offer with each new area delivering meaningful changes. It culminates in a final stage that sprinkles them all in nicely. It’s a colourful game that takes you all over Angel Grove and it moves at a fast pace. Completion shouldn’t take many people longer than three hours. In that respect, the game doesn’t outstay its welcome and stage times are short enough to encourage replays.

Each stage has it’s own side-objectives to accomplish. The rating system seems to be focused entirely on time. I’ve managed to hit a few by just being quick, rather than my proficiency in martial arts. There’s mementoes to grab which are usually within crates. Some of these unlock arcade games back at the juice bar which are surprisingly enjoyable.

It’s a shame the Megazord are so muddled. When it comes to throw down against a lumbering robot, the gameplay follows a Simon Say’s approach. You can deal out basic strikes but only when certain windows of opportunity present themselves. Beyond that, the game tasks you with closing down the distance by dodging projectiles and slowly trying to advance. There is no risk of death in these sections but the constant keep-away of battle kills my interest. It feels like a nuisance rather than a contest.

There is local and multiplayer co-op available. I do suggest tagging a friend along to make some of the hectic scenarios manageable. Having someone to run crowd control can be beneficial. As a solo player, there were moments where being pincered couldn’t be avoided and taking damage felt inevitable. You do have three difficulty options to pick. You can’t amend these on the fly do you’ll have to commit to whatever you’ve chosen at the start of the game. For what it’s worth, I could reliably stack enemies up and deal with duos without trouble. I find enemies with throwable objects almost always hit their mark.

I do think the visual style is fantastic. It evokes 1993 without adhering to its limitations. The character designs are detailed and the use of the license allows them to recreate plenty of putty opposition. The key figures are well represented with Goldzar being presented as an early antagonist. The cutscenes aren’t fully voiced but you do get some trademark quips from the cast.

What really surprises me is how much the default CRT filter adds to the experience. It nicely blends the pixels together and doesn’t cause problems reading a scene. Removing it shows the art in a clearer light but it makes just things look a little too clean. The soundtrack does well to accompany the action and I can’t really fault the presentation. In Megazord fights, taking damage cuts to a wonderfully over-the-top rendition of the cockpit shaking. I’m not a big Power Rangers guy but those kind of details are endearing.

Overall, those boss fights, issues with collision and the busy nature of the vehicle sections put a dampener on this. The visuals do a great job of capturing the early 90’s vibe but it’s lacking in execution. I find the combat to be repetitive, even if the stage design does try to stave off the boredom. In co-op, it’s a smoother ride but I can’t overlook how underwhelming the Megazord fights are.  At times, it can feel like a winner but the missteps are too big not to notice.