Turtles In Loop

HIGH Fluid combat and solid build diversity.

LOW Paper-thin story.

WTF The Shredder knows who Plato is?!

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate is an honest attempt at the roguelike genre featuring the four titular heroes in a half-shell.

The setting and art direction successfully mimic Nickelodeon’s beloved TV series, all the way down to the constant banter between Leonardo, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello, as well as with the inclusion of the handful of familiar baddies they have to beat (and re-beat, and re-beat again) throughout the campaign.

All of this is to be expected by TMNT fans, and the game rightfully delivers on all fronts when it comes to allowing up to four players to spend an afternoon controlling the ninja rascals while slicing through hordes of cutesy foes. However, aside from that specific draw bolstered by some admittedly infectious dynamism, there isn’t much here to warrant prolonged attention. 

As mentioned, Splintered Fate is structured as a roguelike, meaning players will progress through randomly-generated stages in linear fashion while earning currencies, learning skills, and besting bosses at regular intervals during a full run lasting roughly 30 minutes. It’s played from a top-down perspective that allows players a clear view of the action, instantly making it a fair (yet chaotic) romp given the sheer quantity of enemies that will fill up the screen.

The plot has the turtles dealing with an enigmatic character who’s kidnapped their master and locked him away in another dimension. They urge the boys to complete a series of stages accessible through a portal conveniently placed within their hideout. With (roughly) each new attempt, the turtles accrue clues on how to ultimately rescue Splinter and get him back. Unfortunately, the runs don’t vary much, and players will have to witness the same collection of bland, uneventful-looking biomes and the same bosses in the very same order (with only slight random variations from time to time) over and over again. 

While the plot isn’t anything to write home about, each line of dialogue is dutifully recorded with a cadence that resembles the TV shows, and it goes a long way to selling the experience to fans. Granted, not every videogame needs to propose a philosophical basis for why we, as players, “need” to willingly initiate the next chapter of play while postulating semi-hidden meta-commentary on the nature of life, but Splintered Fate is an example where it’s clear from the get-go that story doesn’t matter — and truth be told, allowing oneself to get entangled in building an all-powerful turtle is incentive enough to keep restarting the same loop for a good while.

Unsurprisingly, up to four people can play together, either locally or online, each controlling one of the turtles while trying to navigate the ever-increasing onslaught of enemies with brightly colored area-of-attack indicators heralding each offensive move. Splintered Fate does a fine job of intuitively teaching newcomers its core mechanics and allowing them to get into a rhythm before long — the action is always zappy, fluid, and entertaining, with various combinations of enemies and bosses aggressively racking up the difficulty to eventually force the player into a more calculated, hit-and-run style. Learning how to spot tiny gaps between enemies’ attack chains to land a crunchy critical strike is as satisfying and rewarding as one would hope.

In addition to this smooth teaching curve, Splintered Fate also features a fair amount of character variety and RPG elements, evident from the very screen when we get to select a character.

While each turtle uses a different weapon with a unique attack speed, reach, and combos, Leo can store up to two special attacks at once, Donatello heals between rounds and more quickly recharges a “Tool” attack, Raphael is all about scoring critical hits and Michelangelo receives multi-hit bonuses — and is generally more likable than the rest!

On top of that, players get to pick between various boosts upon clearing a room, allowing them to apply elemental damage-over-time effects like fire, lighting, and poison (or whatever “ooze” is supposed to be), as well as increasing their chance to score a critical hit or dodge an enemy swing. Defensively, we can use a small dash move to get out of danger, which replenishes after a few seconds to remind us that situation awareness is supremely important in Splintered Fate. 

While this may sound a bit complex, that’s not the case in practice. Once the action starts and upon clearing a room, a selection of two or three powers appear on screen that players can choose from in true roguelike fashion. For example, playing as Donatello, I might be prompted to choose between prolonging the invincibility period of my Tool attack or increasing the reach of my Special attack, making it easier to strike fools in all directions at once.

Aside from that choice system, we also earn currencies that can be spent to bolster certain aspects of our build — things like getting a revive that automatically respawns the character upon death, or permanently increasing things like health points or faster move speed. Of course, such a scheme coalesces into a satisfying advances, as even failed runs allow one to make critical upgrades across the board, boosting the desire to surmount each of Splintered Fate’s challenges.  

On the flip side, this system proved unable to combat the staleness that started to creep in once I had successfully been through a dozen successful runs. Of course no game is meant to last forever, but replay and variety are hallmarks of the roguelike genre and in this way, Splintered Fate comes up a bit short. It’s a good time while it lasts — especially for Turtles fans — but more content, more variety and perhaps a little more narrative would have boosted the experience to the next level. But still, it’s OK!

Rating: 7 out of 10 

Disclosures: This game was developed and published by Super Evil Mega Corp. It is currently available on Switch, PS5, XBX and PC. This copy of the game was obtained via publisher and reviewed on the Switch Lite. Approximately 10 hours of play were devoted to the game, and it was completed. About 45 minutes were spent in online multiplier with two other players, while the maximum player count is four. 

Parents: This game has received an E rating from the ESRB and contains Fantasy Violence. The game features the titular cartoon characters as they battle through hordes of enemy ninjas and robots in an attempt to track down and save their kidnapped master. The writing, action, and art direction are all faithful to Nickelodeon’s long-running Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles series. 

Colorblind Modes: There are no colorblind modes available.

Deaf & Hard of Hearing Gamers: All dialogue in this game is shown via textboxes and fairly well-acted voiceovers, so they’re easy to keep track of even mid-fights. All enemy attacks are clearly telegraphed on-screen with easy-to-note areas of attack. I’d say this game is fully accessible. 

Remappable Controls: This game doesn’t offer a controller diagram and the controls are not remappable. However, the controls are displayed at all times during gameplay at the screen’s corners for easy reference. On the Switch, the face buttons are for striking, using special attacks, and dashing in and out of danger, while the left stick moves the character.

Can you hear that sound—sort of like a brushing, friction-y noise? That’s the sound of me rubbing my hands together with devilish glee as I realize that I can finally write about hockey on Kotaku dot com thanks to Ninja and his latest Twitch stream.

Read more...

Since the mid-90s, the developers at Team Ninja have earned consistent praise for their precise, satisfying combat. Look no further than the Dead or Alive franchise’s dynamic fighting system or Ninja Gaiden’s lightning-fast combat for prime examples. The developer aims to continue and expand that legacy of satisfying melee mechanics in Rise of the Ronin.

Rise of the Ronin allows players to battle through a storyline set in the final days of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan, known as Bakumatsu, where they can enjoy an accessible but deep combat system using different play styles combining melee weapons and firearms. This involves draining enemies’ Ki, mastering Martial Skills, and becoming proficient with multiple fighting styles. Mix and match to find your approach on PlayStation 5 on March 22. 

To help players get ready to battle through historic Japan, Team Ninja shares a new behind-the-scenes developer diary diving into the combat of Rise of the Ronin.

Play Video

Ki-depleting battle actions

In Rise of the Ronin, Team Ninja combines its signature combat action with Katanas, spears, other melee weapons, and ranged weapons like foreign firearms. As a Ronin, you will battle foes utilizing these two types of weapons. 

The basic combat strategy involves performing melee attacks with Square, defending yourself from foes’ attacks with L1 to guard and Circle to dodge. When your foe’s Ki is completely depleted, they will become vulnerable and incapacitated, making it easier to deal massive damage with critical hits.

Similarly, when your Ki is exhausted, you temporarily won’t be able to attack or run, so pay attention to your Ki as you battle.

Using Counterspark and Martial Skills to damage Ki

When facing formidable foes, effectively parrying with the Counterspark action and utilizing Martial Skills can lower their maximum Ki, making it easier to defeat them.

Counterspark is an action that parries enemy attacks. To Counterspark, press Triangle to rotate the melee weapon in a large arc to counter the foe’s attack. When you use Counterspark to evade damage from attacks that you cannot guard yourself against, your foe’s Ki reduces, and they will be stunned briefly. This can create a window to deal even more damage to reduce their maximum Ki.

Martial skills (holding down R1 while pressing Square/Triangle) inflict more significant damage. They are also highly effective against strong foes.

Know your foes, weapons, and combat styles 

Each Japanese and Western weapon—Katana, spears, dual blades, bayonets, and sabers—has its own capabilities and attack actions. As you build bonds with characters you meet, you will acquire new combat styles and further evolve their capabilities to enhance your battle experience.

As you battle your foes, knowing which one of the three combat styles, Ten (Sky), Chi (Earth), and Jin (Human), is advantageous against their weapons and can help you gain the upper hand in battle—and parrying them with the proper combat style will knock them back significantly.

Main combat styles

Mumyo Style

Originating in the Kurosu Clan from an unknown master, it is a versatile martial art combat style performed in pairs. Those who mastered the style were called Veiled Edge.

Hokushin Itto Style

This style of swordsmanship, founded by Shusaku Chiba in the early 19th century, is used to overwhelm foes with a series of attacks. Their teaching is rational, emphasizing the mastery of techniques through training performed by an attacker and a defender. Their dojo, established in 1822 in Edo (today’s Tokyo), remains operational today. 

Yagyu Shinkage Style

The renowned military instructor of the Tokugawa clan founded this swordsmanship style. Starting with Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun, generations of shoguns and the Tokugawa clan are known to have studied this swordsmanship.

Nine weapons will be available for battling enemies, including dual blades, Oxtail Swords, great swords, and Odachi.

Long-ranged weapons

Bows and firearms require careful aiming to attack from a distance. Leveraging silent weapons like bows, you can perform a stealth takedown on unaware foes. While firearms are powerful, the gunfire will give away your attack to your enemies. 

The timed firing of a handgun will stun foes for a prolonged period. It can be used as an attack opportunity to reduce the foe’s Ki cap limit.

Fire Pipes blow powerful flames. You can use this long-range weapon to set a group of enemies ablaze or ignite a gunpowder barrel to explode.

Ingenious grappling rope actions

You can throw the grappling rope at a latching point to gain leverage in a flash. You can also wield it to pull distant enemies in during combat. Keep the grappling rope in mind to take control of the battlefield from afar.

You can hold down R2 to wield a grappling rope to grab a nearby gunpowder barrel and throw it at enemies. The barrel will explode, setting the enemies on fire and inflicting epic damage.

There is no right or wrong way to approach combat with the multitude of options in your arsenal. Experiment with gear and master the many styles Rise of the Ronin has to offer on March 22.

Source

Jak se  Rise of the Ronin  blíží ke svému spuštění koncem příštího měsíce, Sony a vývojářský tým Ninja pokračují v odhalování nových podrobností o akčním RPG s otevřeným světem, přičemž nedávný vývojářský deník odhalil rozsáhlé nové informace.

Bylo například potvrzeno, že  Rise of the Ronin  bude obsahovat tvůrce postavy. Ačkoli Team Ninja již dříve potvrdil, že hlavním hrdinou akčního RPG bude plně realizovaná postava s propracovaným příběhem , FAQ potvrzuje, že hráči si budou stále moci přizpůsobit různé prvky hlavního hrdiny, včetně jejich „tvaru obličeje a těla“. , vlasy, hlas a další.“

Stejné FAQ také odhaluje, že  Rise of the Ronin  bude obsahovat kooperaci pro čtyři hráče. V často kladených dotazech na oficiální stránce hry pro PlayStation společnost Sony odhalila, že  Rise of the Ronin  umožní až čtyřem hráčům hrát online společně, aby zvládli hlavní příběhové mise, k čemuž budete samozřejmě vyžadovat předplatné PlayStation Plus. Mezitím bylo také potvrzeno, že nebude žádný PvP multiplayer.

Co-op multiplayer byl samozřejmě důležitým prvkem her  Nioh  a  Wo Long: Fallen Dynasty , takže jeho zařazení fanoušky počinů studia určitě potěší.

Ve stejném FAQ Sony a Team Ninja také odhalili, že  Rise of the Ronin  bude mít při spuštění tři režimy obtížnosti.

Rise of the Ronin vychází 22. března pro PS5.

Článek Rise of the Ronin má tvůrce postav a nabízí kooperaci pro 4 hráče se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Společnosti Koei Tecmo a Team Ninja odhalily nové podrobnosti o boji ve hře Rise of the Ronin, od různých stylů, které mohou hráči používat, až po důležitost Ki během soubojů.

Většina z nich by měla být hráčům Nioh 1 a 2 důvěrně známá, ale k dispozici budou i možnosti změny obtížnosti.

Jak bylo odhaleno na oficiální stránce hry pro PlayStation, k dispozici budou tři režimy – Dawn (snadný), Dusk (normální) a Twilight (těžký). Změnit je můžete kdykoli, přičemž režim Úsvit nabízí možnosti zvýšení obnovy zdraví z léků a snížení množství ztracených Ki z útoků. Ty by měly pomoci těm, kteří si chtějí užít příběh nebo prozkoumávat svět, zatímco hráči zaměření na boj mají větší výzvu.

Zda bude Rise of the Ronin obsahovat různé Paths jako série Nioh, které slouží jako New Game Plus playthrough a přidávají nový obsah, se teprve uvidí. Hra vychází 22. března pro PS5.

Článek Rise of the Ronin obsahuje tři režimy obtížnosti se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Důvodů, proč se na Rise of the Ronin těšit, není málo, ale skutečnost, že se jedná o první pokus vývojářského studia Team Ninja o hru s otevřeným světem, musí být na seznamu přání na prvním místě.

To, co bylo z akčního RPG dosud ukázáno, vykreslilo jeho otevřený svět ve velmi slibném světle a společnost Sony nyní vydala další nový trailer, který v tom pokračuje.

Trailer „World Vignette“ začíná tím, že si posvítí na svižné mechanismy traverzování ve hře Rise of the Ronin, které hráčům umožní volně přecházet od šplhání po střechách přes vznášení se vzduchem pomocí zařízení známého jako Avicula až po přistání přímo na koni a rychlý cval.

Ve hře je také zdůrazněno Japonsko Bakumatsu – konkrétně tři hlavní města, která budou sloužit jako velká ústřední místa mapy, a to Edo, Kjóto a Jokohama. Trailer končí několika pohledy na nepovinný obsah a vedlejší aktivity, které bude otevřený svět obsahovat a které, jak si asi dokážete představit, budou zahrnovat spoustu stealthu a boje.

Trailer si můžete prohlédnout níže.

Hra Rise of the Ronin vychází 22. března pro systém PS5.

Článek Trailer na hru Rise of the Ronin přibližuje průchod hrou, prostředí a další informace se nejdříve objevil na GAME PRESS.

Team Ninja's PlayStation 5 exclusive Rise of the Ronin will feature up to four player co-op online.

The upcoming action-RPG is set during the Bakamatsu era of Japan, and will see players play as a Ronin who navigates their way through different political factions as they help to shape the course of history.

Co-op has now been confirmed for Rise of the Ronin via the game's FAQ section (spotted by Okami13_ on X), which states players can join up to three others in online co-op. The FAQs also confirm there will be no PvP in Rise of the Ronin.

Read more

Since the mid-90s, the developers at Team Ninja have earned consistent praise for their precise, satisfying combat. Look no further than the Dead or Alive franchise’s dynamic fighting system or Ninja Gaiden’s lightning-fast combat for prime examples. The developer aims to continue and expand that legacy of satisfying melee mechanics in Rise of the Ronin.

Rise of the Ronin allows players to battle through a storyline set in the final days of the Tokugawa Shogunate in Japan, known as Bakumatsu, where they can enjoy an accessible but deep combat system using different play styles combining melee weapons and firearms. This involves draining enemies’ Ki, mastering Martial Skills, and becoming proficient with multiple fighting styles. Mix and match to find your approach on PlayStation 5 on March 22. 

To help players get ready to battle through historic Japan, Team Ninja shares a new behind-the-scenes developer diary diving into the combat of Rise of the Ronin.

Play Video

Ki-depleting battle actions

In Rise of the Ronin, Team Ninja combines its signature combat action with Katanas, spears, other melee weapons, and ranged weapons like foreign firearms. As a Ronin, you will battle foes utilizing these two types of weapons. 

The basic combat strategy involves performing melee attacks with Square, defending yourself from foes’ attacks with L1 to guard and Circle to dodge. When your foe’s Ki is completely depleted, they will become vulnerable and incapacitated, making it easier to deal massive damage with critical hits.

Similarly, when your Ki is exhausted, you temporarily won’t be able to attack or run, so pay attention to your Ki as you battle.

Using Counterspark and Martial Skills to damage Ki

When facing formidable foes, effectively parrying with the Counterspark action and utilizing Martial Skills can lower their maximum Ki, making it easier to defeat them.

Counterspark is an action that parries enemy attacks. To Counterspark, press Triangle to rotate the melee weapon in a large arc to counter the foe’s attack. When you use Counterspark to evade damage from attacks that you cannot guard yourself against, your foe’s Ki reduces, and they will be stunned briefly. This can create a window to deal even more damage to reduce their maximum Ki.

Martial skills (holding down R1 while pressing Square/Triangle) inflict more significant damage. They are also highly effective against strong foes.

Know your foes, weapons, and combat styles 

Each Japanese and Western weapon—Katana, spears, dual blades, bayonets, and sabers—has its own capabilities and attack actions. As you build bonds with characters you meet, you will acquire new combat styles and further evolve their capabilities to enhance your battle experience.

As you battle your foes, knowing which one of the three combat styles, Ten (Sky), Chi (Earth), and Jin (Human), is advantageous against their weapons and can help you gain the upper hand in battle—and parrying them with the proper combat style will knock them back significantly.

Main combat styles

Mumyo Style

Originating in the Kurosu Clan from an unknown master, it is a versatile martial art combat style performed in pairs. Those who mastered the style were called Veiled Edge.

Hokushin Itto Style

This style of swordsmanship, founded by Shusaku Chiba in the early 19th century, is used to overwhelm foes with a series of attacks. Their teaching is rational, emphasizing the mastery of techniques through training performed by an attacker and a defender. Their dojo, established in 1822 in Edo (today’s Tokyo), remains operational today. 

Yagyu Shinkage Style

The renowned military instructor of the Tokugawa clan founded this swordsmanship style. Starting with Tokugawa Ieyasu, the first shogun, generations of shoguns and the Tokugawa clan are known to have studied this swordsmanship.

Nine weapons will be available for battling enemies, including dual blades, Oxtail Swords, great swords, and Odachi.

Long-ranged weapons

Bows and firearms require careful aiming to attack from a distance. Leveraging silent weapons like bows, you can perform a stealth takedown on unaware foes. While firearms are powerful, the gunfire will give away your attack to your enemies. 

The timed firing of a handgun will stun foes for a prolonged period. It can be used as an attack opportunity to reduce the foe’s Ki cap limit.

Fire Pipes blow powerful flames. You can use this long-range weapon to set a group of enemies ablaze or ignite a gunpowder barrel to explode.

Ingenious grappling rope actions

You can throw the grappling rope at a latching point to gain leverage in a flash. You can also wield it to pull distant enemies in during combat. Keep the grappling rope in mind to take control of the battlefield from afar.

You can hold down R2 to wield a grappling rope to grab a nearby gunpowder barrel and throw it at enemies. The barrel will explode, setting the enemies on fire and inflicting epic damage.

There is no right or wrong way to approach combat with the multitude of options in your arsenal. Experiment with gear and master the many styles Rise of the Ronin has to offer on March 22.