Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate (Nintendo Switch) Review

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate works on a basic story premise but is a game that will please any long-term Saturday morning fans. Essentially, Master Splinter, the cheese loving mentor of the ninja team has been kidnapped and needs rescuing as soon as possible by his green skinned sons. Naturally, Donatello and his less able brothers assume Shredder and the Foot Clan are to blame and head out of the sewers to set them straight.

From the offset, the stall is set out fully. Each attempt may take you a bit further than before with randomly generated foes on each of the main stages. One of the main draws here is the authenticity of the experience, with enemies fitting in perfectly with the established Turtles lore. Members of the Foot range from cannon fodder to elite trained individuals, with mousers also appearing, coming in all shapes and sizes. Not quite as believable are mutated rats littering the sewers, although that is to be expected as a standard videogame trope. Also, it's a game about mutated pets that became martial arts masters, so the absurdity is implied there anyway.

Speaking of authenticity, if a fan of the Turtles in any capacity (and why wouldn't you be, you monster), little to no knowledge is needed to enjoy the interactions littered throughout the experience. Leo is still the boring one, Raph is still angry, Mikey still acts the youngest of the brothers, and Donnie is still the best one. Good voice work and development throughout ensures they all feel like viable, enjoyable options to play as. TMNT: Splintered Fate also has both online and couch co-op to take out the element of choice and get everybody in on the action. For the older and more seasoned TMNT fans, some character inclusions will raise a smile; in particular, it's always nice to see the Punk Frogs get a run out, a team rarely mentioned in videogames.

Before making a run to the end game, initial abilities can be purchased through coins obtained in previous attempts. These can range from increased speed and damage to unique abilities such as multi hit attacks and even meteor storms. The Turtles themselves also have both unique move sets and skills, encouraging variation through different playthroughs. Essentially, the more you play, the further you get.

Therein lies one of the main issues with the genre in general. If the player mindset doesn't favour repetition, the boredom is likely to set in quickly. Even with the mix-up of enemies and the option to test out different abilities, seeing the same environments repeatedly can be draining. Progress at times can also seem unfair, with certain attempts at completion leading to bosses you have mopped the floor with previously now gaining god-like abilities with which to smite and end your run early. Again, the variation should be applauded; however, such a whipping can halt progress entirely both in the game and mentally.

The weirdest part of playing TMNT: Splintered Fate with a trepidation around the roguelite genre? Since being handed the review package, playing for two hours a night has become a regular occurrence. Call it an obsessive personality, like becoming the ninth-fastest Sonic 4 player in the world until an intervention was called (it's true, look it up). More than likely, though, it's the "one more go" mechanic that has been incorporated so effortlessly here.

Powers are fun to use, and good luck of the draw through initial powers and purchases made between battles can amp up the feeling of satisfaction. Boss battles are fun and engaging, and fleshed out characters and dialogue ensure no run is ever the same, or, most importantly, a drag, dude. If there was ever a franchise to convert myself on the genre, it's this one. Now, make that Power Rangers edition everybody wants.