The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have starred in several iconic video games over the series’ 40-year history, but none are more beloved than their fighting games, such as the 1989 arcade game Turtles in Time . However, the genre often lacks the depth that contemporary gamers crave. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate takes various cues from recent popular games—most notably Supergiant’s hit Hades —in an effort to modernize the action-packed hack-and-slash gameplay that the Turtles have been known for since their earliest days in the medium. The result is a fun roguelike full of meaningful progression and engaging action that doesn’t quite soar as high as the games that inspired it.
After a mysterious kidnapper kidnaps Master Splinter, you control one of the four iconic turtle brothers who set out on a quest to get him back. Each playable character has different basic combos, special attacks, and tools, allowing you to choose the foundation you build on as you progress through each run. Leonardo’s medium range is nicely complemented by his ability to throw shurikens and gain an extra charge on his special ability, while Donatello’s long range is balanced out by the fact that he’s a tad stiffer, but his tool also charges 80 percent faster (after all, he does (to machines). I loved Michelangelo’s sweeping nunchaku and the chance to deal multiple hits in one hit, but Raphael’s hook, which pulls enemies closer and higher critical damage, quickly made it my main. You’ll have plenty of time to experiment to find the right fit, since every time you die, you start over in the Turtles’ lair.
Each round plays out in a similar way: You start by choosing an ability, such as extra dash charges, increased dodge chance, or a boost to your chosen turtle’s special ability. Then, you fight your way through room after room of enemies, from rats and Mice to Foot Clan ninjas and other mutants. Each faction offers different attacks that require a slightly different approach, but the action generally involves running around the arena to avoid incoming attacks while working to clear the room. The combat is great, and each attack in your arsenal feels like a significant part of a successful and fun strategy. This is especially true when Elite enemies drop in, like the giant StockGen robot or the Foot’s special elemental assassins.
It usually doesn’t take long to clear rooms. When the repetition starts with consecutive runs, I often find joy in trying out fresh combinations or simply getting through the earliest rooms as quickly as possible. Testing out fresh builds or setting my own challenges is fun, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re finishing the same rooms and facing the same bosses over and over again. Splintered Fate tries to remedy this by introducing fresh variations on a handful of bosses in the game, but whether the first boss suddenly summons more minions or the second boss now uses fire attacks, I still found myself dreading facing them for the 20th time. Even the gauntlet challenges, which are unlocked after completing the first run, do little to spice up the experience. Splintered Fate’s co-op, which can be played locally or online, shakes things up by letting you combine the Turtles’ tools and abilities, but the structure remains the same.
Of course, a key part of the roguelike formula is the upward trajectory of both your skills as a player and your character’s strengths through constant upgrades. TMNT: Splintered Fate does an admirable job of this; I always felt like I was improving with each run, aided by the constant upgrades you unlock via various currencies. This satisfying loop is unfortunately hampered by the sheer number of currencies you have to keep track of.
In addition to Scrap, an in-game currency used for fleeting upgrades, you get two separate indefinite currencies to upgrade different parts of the experience; one lets you upgrade your economy, including the amount of Scrap dropped by enemies and the more powerful upgrades offered by defeating rooms, while the other permanently improves your character’s attributes, like attack damage and health. However, some upgrades also require special items dropped by bosses, of which there are several, in conjunction with indefinite currencies. If that sounds confusing, that’s because it is. I don’t mind having more stringent requirements to unlock higher-tier upgrades, but when a game requires me to constantly refer to the facilitate screen to figure out what each of its nine-plus currencies does and how to obtain them, that should serve as a warning to the developers that the system has gone too far.
Despite its overt repetitiveness, both intentional and excessive, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate effectively captures the spirit of the most beloved games that came before it in the series. While I was occasionally frustrated by the failure of a promising series, the experience only spurred me on to eagerly apply what I had learned from my failures to the next series.
