It’s reassuring that there are studios that won’t hide their inspirations or lie when one game is clearly influenced by another. I was equally frustrated when SNK studio released Fatal Fury and didn’t even mention Street Fighter in the ’90s, or when Crash Nitro studio claimed they didn’t look at Mario Kart as a source of inspiration. I was also irritated when Free Radical claimed to have ignored Halo during the development of Haze, or when Ubisoft advertised Immortals: Fenyx Rising as pretending that The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild didn’t even exist. Such situations really bother me, which is why I’m really amused that when Super Evil Megacorp announced Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate, they openly admit that it was inspired by Hades. Because this game is clearly an imitation of Hades.
The studio played Hades here for a year trying to make a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles game that follows the exact same pattern. True, everything in the game is strongly reminiscent of Hades. The dialog is presented in text boxes that look exactly like Hades. The combat mechanics work similar to Hades. The environment design is very similar except that there are more light green sewer and sewage pipes in this game and the roguelike structure is identical. However, I have to say that, like Super Evil Megacorp, it hasn’t hidden its inspiration and pays homage to the game from which it borrowed many ideas. In a way, it’s more of a homage than anything, and one can appreciate it. However, it is important to mention that this game lacks originality in all aspects and unfortunately the story is boring.
Shredder kidnapped Splinter. What a surprise! The brave, pizza-loving turtle kids must hurry to rescue their mentor and pal. That’s the premise of the game, although I have to admit that the dialogue is full of empty words that say or mean nothing but sheer nonsense. I wish there was a permanent disable option in the start menu. As for the design and game mechanics, they have improved significantly. However, I have to make a strong recommendation: do not play the game on an iPhone. Even on my iPhone 14 Pro Max, the screen is too small and the turtles are so tiny that it’s hard to tell what they’re doing or what direction they’re facing to survive the challenging battles the game has to offer. I tried playing it on my iPhone for about half an hour before giving up and finally installing Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate on my Apple TV. Only then could I really see what the heck was happening on screen.
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Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is not an easy game. As with other roguelikes like Hades, Dead Cells, and Slay the Spire, you’ll be faced with randomly generated rooms where you’ll have to fight enemies while doing your best to survive. If you die, you’ll go back to the beginning and have to go through the same room over and over again. That’s why it’s important to enjoy this production with three friends who are also fans of Ninja Turtles, because the cooperative mode is the key to success. When you have three friends and you’re playing on a screen larger than an iPhone or iPad, it’s much easier to protect each other, move through the world faster, and also better understand what’s happening on screen.
The four turtles have their own abilities and belong to different classes. Raphael is the fast and athletic one, Leonardo is an all-rounder and I chose Donatello, who could be called the “tank” of this group. Of course, skills and attacks can be developed and upgraded, and you’ll have to decide which path you want to take in terms of preferred features and attacks. Any improvement, no matter how small, can mean the difference between success and a sudden, untimely death.
While Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is entertaining, it doesn’t reach extreme levels of fun. It doesn’t completely pull you in or captivate you, and it doesn’t catch your eye visually either. Nonetheless, it’s a beautiful and fun game, a sort of Hades clone for up to four players that manages to capture the original atmosphere of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. Also, it offers the challenge level for those who like the roguelike approach.
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