Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate
Developer: Super Evil Megacorp
Publisher: Super Evil Megacorp
Platforms: Windows (Reviewed), Switch
Release Date: 17 July 2024 (Switch), 7 November 2024 (Windows)
Price: $29.99 USD / $44.99 AUD – Available Here
Overview
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is a 3D action rogue-like that follows the Hades school of procedurally generated hack n’ slashes. That said, Splintered Fate’s simple gameplay, lack of excessive dialogues, and accessible upgrade system make it an experience more akin to a traditional beat ’em up. Now that you know what you’re getting yourself into, let’s see if this new iteration holds a candle to the storied legacy of brawlers that the Ninja Turtles franchise is famous for.
Story
While training on the rooftops of New York City at night, Leonardo is ambushed by Shredder and his elite Foot Clan soldiers. Heavily outnumbered, Leonardo is defeated but is brought back to the turtle lair through a mysterious portal.
As Leonardo recounts his strange predicament to his brothers, the familiar voice of their esteemed sensei calls out to them from beyond… No, Master Splinter isn’t dead, and I’d see myself out if I didn’t have to finish the review. Bad jokes aside, it turns out our favorite master ninja rat is trapped in the same kind of portal that saved Leonardo at the brink of time.
Despite his ethereal form, Master Splinter informs his disciples that the only way to solve this conundrum and stop whatever Shredder is plotting is obviously through extreme violence. I can’t really argue with Splinter there since this is an action game – and a beat ’em up on top of that.
Throughout their journey, our pizza-loving heroes will encounter friends and foes. The game does a good job fleshing out the characters. Each boss encounter provides fun banter between them and the turtles. Raphael’s grumpy remarks and Michelangelo’s bad jokes keep the dialogues lighthearted and fun.
Gameplay
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate’s levels are structured almost identically to Hades. The four chapters comprise multiple levels where players must defeat a set number of enemies to advance. Enemies include the series’ mainstays, such as the electrifying Mousers, Shredder’s Foot soldiers, and rats – although the Rat King is mysteriously absent. Furthermore, common mobs appear in different sizes and colors – Despite their lack of visual flair, their attacks change enough to make them distinct threats.
The boss selection is rather conservative, although I must admit I don’t remember facing Karai in the old Ninja Turtles beat ’em ups. Karai is a playable character in Tournament Fighters for the SNES, and she’s also selectable in the DLC expansion for Shredder’s Revenge, but that’s all the knowledge I can offer on the matter, currently.
The four ninja turtles are playable from the start, but there are no additional characters to unlock. The limited pool of playable characters wouldn’t be an issue if the turtles had more distinct basic attributes and attacks. That said, there’s some degree of uniqueness to each turtle since they have exclusive special moves and stats. Regardless, one of the hallmarks of a rogue-lite is the possibility to create numerous and varied builds, so the turtles’ lack of distinction isn’t a deal breaker.
After each level, players are granted a random boon that can be currency, pizza, or upgrades. Rarer turtle powers, however, can heavily modify the turtles’ skills. Other boons may grant completely new tools, replacing the default weaker ones. Upgrades can work great together and setting up the right combination to get synergistic bonuses is satisfying, making runs varied and addictive.
I personally find it exciting to build my turtle’s skill tree with whatever chance sends my way. Conversely, the inherent randomness of rogue-lites leads to a lot of trial and error, increasing the number of runs necessary to finish the game by a lot. Despite that, there’s some room for players to influence which turtle powers may appear with the use of artifacts acquired through progression.
Players can tackle the game’s multiple levels solo or with up to three others in local or online multiplayer sessions. Fortunately, online co-op works well even during four-player sessions. To my surprise, it was easy to connect with three other players. The chaos that ensued was one of the highlights of my time with the game.
The controls are responsive. The easily customizable gameplay combined with the addition of functional online co-op will keep players tackling run after run to solve the mystery of the portals, experiment with builds, or just enjoy mindless beat ’em up fun.
Visuals
Visually, the game takes a simple approach typical of indie titles. That said, the characters were modeled and animated with care, and the backgrounds are colorful even if a bit lacking in detail. All in all, the game successfully delivers vibrant graphics. The hand-drawn, comic book-styled art adds personality and life to cutscenes.
Audio
The voice acting is very well done overall. Most characters sound good, and the turtles’ voices fit their personalities perfectly. The soundtrack is decent but could use a few more tracks to avoid excessive repetition. While not groundbreaking, the music fits the game’s action and mood well enough.
Overall
The enjoyment gaming provides nowadays is, in many cases, inversely proportional to modern titles’ inflated budgets. As unfortunate as the gaming industry’s current state may be, players who appreciate a good-old-fashioned video game can still partake in their favorite pastime thanks to smaller and more focused titles like Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate.
The game delivers a satisfying blend of rogue-lite mechanics, engaging combat, and online cooperative multiplayer. While it doesn’t revolutionize the genre or the franchise, its solid gameplay loop and nostalgic charm make it a fun experience for fans of the turtles and action enthusiasts alike.
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