Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles fans have had no shortage of video game offerings recently. The latest to come to PlayStation is Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, which is a Hades-like action game that has you going on repeated runs to try to rescue Splinter and defeat some familiar TMNT baddies. It winds up being a highly satisfying grind thanks to its polished gameplay and familiar setting.
A roguelike lives and dies by its core gameplay, as it has to be compelling for you to want to play similar stages repeatedly. Thankfully, TMNT: Splintered Fate features some really satisfying combat. You’ll be dashing away from attacks, upgrading ninja skills to deal elemental damage, and also using special tools and your special attack to gain an edge. What’s interesting is that you can hold the attack button to deliver a combo attack, allowing you to focus more on dodging enemy attacks and finding a balance between offensive and defensive play. Each of the different turtles (and Casey Jones) plays differently, so it’s worth experimenting and finding the one that best fits your playstyle.
The highlight of each run is the game’s boss battles, which see you facing off against Karai, Shredder, and other iconic TMNT baddies. These are very tricky at first, but as you eventually get more permanent upgrades unlocked, it’s fun to see these fights go from progression blockers to a breeze. The fights rely on a lot of pattern recognition, so you’ll need to avoid the highly damaging attacks to make sure your run will be a lengthy one.
As the game continues on, you’ll be presented with optional challenge rooms that make runs more difficult while providing extra rewards. I was impressed with how it never feels overly repetitive (and I have a generally low tolerance for repetition), and even when I had a frustrating run that ended early, I wanted to jump back in for another chance. I always felt like I was just one run away from putting it all together and finding the right upgrade path through the different stages, which is the sign of a good roguelike.
One of the coolest parts of TMNT: Splintered Fate is that it offers co-op gameplay. Both online and local play are supported, so you can try to get through the challenging game with a friend. This makes coming up with a game plan even more fun as you can try to make sure your abilities play off one another during combat. It’s a great addition that’s relatively rare for the genre and is balanced well, so it still feels like an accomplishment when you get through a run successfully.
TMNT: Splintered Fate Review: Final Verdict
TMNT: Splintered Fate is a wonderful roguelike that is one of the PS5’s most replayable games. Thanks to the familiar characters and foes, there’s an instant charm and solid story that will immediately grab your interest. With co-op and difficult options, this is both a great entry point for those new to the genre and a fresh challenge.
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Co-op and difficulty options
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Locations do feel a bit same-y after a while
9
Disclosure: The publisher provided a digital copy for our TMNT: Splintered Fate PS5 review. Reviewed on version 1.000.000.
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