Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate throws players into the vibrant, chaotic version of New York City, a hidden dimension teeming with mutated creatures and the ever-present threat of the Shredder and his Foot Clan. Developed by Super Evil Megacorp, Splintered Fate takes a surprising turn for the roguelite, borrowing inspiration from the likes of Hades and Dead Cells. Stepping into the well-worn bandana of Leonardo, Raphael, Donatello, or Michelangelo, players embark on a relentless fight to thwart the Shredder’s machinations and restore order to Mystica.
One of Splintered Fate‘s greatest strengths lies in its diverse roster of playable characters. Each turtle boasts a unique combat style, perfectly capturing their personalities from the beloved cartoon series. Leonardo, the stoic leader, excels in swift katana strikes and deflecting attacks with his unwavering focus. Raphael, the hothead, unleashes a flurry of brutal sai attacks, relishing in close-quarters combat. Donatello, the tech wiz, utilizes his bo staff with calculated precision, laying down technological traps and gadgets to outwit enemies. And Michelangelo, the jokester, brings a surprising amount of agility and acrobatic prowess to the battlefield, wielding his nunchucks with a carefree, yet surprisingly effective, style.
This variety is further amplified by a robust skill tree for each turtle. Players unlock new abilities and passive buffs as they progress through each run, allowing them to tailor their playstyle to their liking. Do you prefer Leonardo to be a whirlwind of steel, carving through enemies with lightning-fast attacks? Or perhaps you envision Raphael as an immovable wall, shrugging off blows while dishing out devastating punishment. The choice is yours, and the skill tree offers enough depth to cater to different preferences.
Beyond the characters themselves, Splintered Fate excels in its level design. Each run throws players into procedurally generated sections of Mystica, ensuring a fresh experience every time. The environments are a visual treat, capturing the essence of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles universe with a vibrant blend of neon-lit cityscapes, murky sewers, and ancient temples. Hidden nooks and crannies pepper each level, offering opportunities to discover powerful items, unlock shortcuts, or encounter friendly mutants who provide valuable aid. This constant sense of discovery keeps the gameplay loop engaging, with players always on the lookout for what secrets the next level might hold.
While Splintered Fate offers a compelling core experience, it’s not without its flaws. The biggest offender is the repetition that sets in after a significant amount of playtime. The enemy variety, while decent, can feel limited after facing the same mutated goons and Foot Clan soldiers for several runs. While boss encounters offer a welcome change of pace, they too fall prey to a similar issue, with only a handful of unique boss fights to contend with.
The difficulty curve is another point of contention. Splintered Fate caters heavily to the roguelite genre’s unforgiving nature. Expect to die often, especially in the early stages as you learn enemy attack patterns and refine your combat approach. This can be frustrating for casual players, especially those unfamiliar with the unforgiving nature of roguelites. Thankfully, the developers have included a “Story Mode” that offers a more forgiving experience, allowing players to progress through the narrative at a more relaxed pace. However, veterans of the genre might find this mode lacking in challenge.
The narrative in Splintered Fate is a double-edged sword. On the one hand, it serves as a love letter to TMNT fans, filled with references to the classic cartoon series and familiar faces from the franchise’s lore. Players will encounter allies like April O’Neil and Casey Jones, and even face off against iconic villains like Bebop and Rocksteady. However, the story itself is fairly predictable, following a well-trodden path of thwarting the Shredder’s schemes. While it provides a decent backdrop for the action, it won’t win any awards for originality.
The game simply runs great, though it has limited graphics options, it does run at higher resolutions and framerates than its console counterparts when it released earlier this year. And on the Steam Deck, it runs at a perfect 90fps with no tweaks.
My PC Specs:
– Microsoft Windows 11 Pro
– Intel Core i9 13900K @ 5.8GHz
– ASUS ROG RYUJIN II 360 ARGB AIO Liquid CPU Cooler
– G.SKILL TRIDENT Z5 6000MHZ 64GB (32×2) DDR5 RAM
– ASUS ROG Strix GeForce RTX 4080 16GB GDDR6X
– WD_BLACK SN850X M.2 (4 TB)
– LG UltraGear 34GP950B-G (21:9 Ultrawide @ 3440×1440)My Steam Deck (OLED) Specs
– SteamOS 3 (Arch-based)
– Zen 2 4c/8t, 2.4-3.5GHz (up to 448 GFlops FP32)
– 16 GB LPDDR5 on-board RAM (6400 MT/s quad 32-bit channels)
– 8 RDNA 2 CUs, 1.6GHz (1.6 TFlops FP32)
– Steam Deck 1TB NVMe SSD
– HDR OLED (16:9 @ 1280 x 800)
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate might not be a revolutionary entry in the roguelite genre, it’s a really enjoyable and new kind of experience for TMNT fans. The diverse combat styles of the turtles, coupled with the engaging skill tree and well-designed levels, create a compelling core gameplay loop. The co-op mode shines even brighter, allowing players to team up and combine their turtle power in a truly satisfying way online, and off. While the repetitive enemies and sometimes uneven difficulty hold it back from greatness, Splintered Fate offers enough charm, challenge, and TMNT spirit to warrant a playthrough, especially for those who grew up yelling “Cowabunga!” alongside their favorite shelled turtle – I even found myself shouting it during my own runs.
A Steam code was provided in advance by the publisher for review purposes
