Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate (PS5) Review: Great Roguelike
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 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.
Satisfying combat
Fun boss fights
Co-op and difficulty options
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.
The post Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate (PS5) Review: Great Roguelike appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle.
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4 hours ago
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‘The Last of Us' Video Game Scripts to Be Released in New Book From Creator Naughty Dog, Dark Horse (EXCLUSIVE)
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The Beach Boys' Brian Wilson regretted he wasn't involved with hit song due to ‘weak mental state,' book reveals
John Mason knew that Brian Wilson needed help – but it came at a high price. 'Brian was in a weak mental state,' the entertainment lawyer, who once represented the fragile leader of the Beach Boys, told Fox News Digital. 'Brian often said to me, as sad as it sounds … 'I fried my brain. I took too many drugs.' Brian couldn't get up in the morning without somebody getting him up. He couldn't eat healthily without somebody giving him something healthy to eat.' 'So, the good and bad of Dr. Eugene Landy in Brian's life was that he motivated Brian to become a participant in his own life,' Mason shared. 'But the bad part was that, as time went by and years went by, Dr. Landy expected more and more to replace Brian in the Beach Boys… Brian wasn't allowed to do anything without a Landy handler being with him.' Mason, who has worked with Roy Orbison, Reba McEntire, Shakira and Quincy Jones, among others, has written a new memoir, 'Crazy Lucky.' It explores what it takes to defend the famous during career-defining moments. 8 John Mason, an entertainment lawyer who once represented Brian Wilson of the Beach Boys, discussed one if Wilson's regrets and mental state. FOX NEWS 8 Mason has written a new memoir, 'Crazy Lucky,' exploring what it takes to defend the famous during career-defining moments. The Unnamed Press The book delves into Wilson's relationship with Landy, a psychotherapist accused of holding a Svengali-like power over him. Mason said it led to one of the singer/songwriter's biggest regrets. 'Mike [Love] and Carl [Wilson] came into my office and said to Brian, 'Hey, we have the opportunity to write a song for this movie, [1988's] 'Cocktail,'' said Mason. ''It's going to be starring Tom Cruise. It's really great. We'd love you to join us. And Brian was really excited. He said, 'Oh, I'd love to do that.' But later in the evening, Brian called and said, 'I shouldn't do that. Dr. Landy said I shouldn't do that. Well, that turned out to be 'Kokomo,' the biggest hit the Beach Boys had had probably forever. And Brian felt really badly about not working on 'Kokomo.'' 8 'Mike [Love] and Carl [Wilson] came into my office and said to Brian, 'Hey, we have the opportunity to write a song for this movie, [1988's] 'Cocktail'' with Tom Cruise, said Mason, which Wilson turned down. ©Buena Vista Pictures/courtesy E 8 The project 'turned out to be 'Kokomo,' the biggest hit the Beach Boys had had probably forever. And Brian felt really badly about not working on 'Kokomo,'' Mason said. Getty Images 'When he heard it, and when I heard it, we went, 'Oh my gosh, was that a missed opportunity?'' Mason recalled. Mason wrote that Landy refused to let Wilson participate unless he, too, were listed as a writer on the song. However, Carl and Bruce Johnson, along with Love, refused. They went on to write 'Kokomo' without Wilson's input. It was a decision that Wilson deeply regretted over the years. 'Brian is truly a giant teddy bear and genius who regrets bad decisions and lives for better ones,' wrote Mason. According to Mason's book, Wilson's struggles began in 1968, when he quit performing and devoted himself to songwriting instead. While Wilson was determined 'to make the greatest music,' his mental health began to deteriorate. 8 The Beach Boys in 1964. From left to right: Dennis Wilson, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine and Carl Wilson. Getty Images Mason wrote that Wilson's experiments with drugs, specifically LSD and cocaine, had 'diminished his mental capacity.' He rarely left his bed and, according to reports, would go without brushing his teeth or showering for weeks. 'He eventually became so bizarre that he would sit at the piano in his living room surrounded by actual sand that had been dumped in big piles in a sort of playpen,' Mason wrote. 'He was forsaking his young family — wife Marilyn Rovell, a singer with the group the Honeys, and young kids Carnie and Wendy — for his strange kind of creative peace. Four years passed, and he never left the house. His weight ballooned to 350 pounds from eating entire birthday cakes as a late-night snack.' 8 Brian Wilson and Mike Love of The Beach Boys perform onstage at the 54th Annual GRAMMY Awards held at Staples Center on February 12, 2012 in Los Angeles, California. Getty Images In 1975, a 'devastated' Marilyn brought in Landy, a psychologist known for his unconventional 24-hour treatment of celebrities. Wilson, who reportedly feared being committed to a psychiatric hospital, completely surrendered. Their first session took place in Wilson's bedroom closet, where the artist felt safe, the Los Angeles Times reported. Landy was successful. He padlocked Wilson's fridge, put the star on a diet and shooed away drug-enabling pals, The Telegraph reported. 'Dr. Eugene Landy [helped] Brian overcome his fears of everything,' Mason told Fox News Digital. 'I would call it an agoraphobia. . . . He feared going outside. . . . And he needed outside help.' 8 Mason's book explores the nature of the relationship between Wilson and Dr. Eugene Landy, accused of holding a Svengali-like power over the singer. Mark Sullivan Landy's strict methods worked. But in 1976, Landy was fired over a dispute involving fees, the Los Angeles Times reported. When Wilson was regressing into drugs and obesity, Landy was rehired six years later, the outlet shared. The 24-hour therapy resumed from 1983 to 1986. Landy said he was paid $35,000 a month. And as Wilson began recording and playing live again, Landy was a constant shadow looming over him. Manager Tom Hulett, who knew that Mason was friendly with the Beach Boys, suggested that he could be 'a strong, independent balance.' In 1984, Mason was hired. 'I was asked . . . if I would be Brian's lawyer, and I agreed,' said Mason. 'At that time, Brian was, I think, doing better, but he had a lot of issues. . . . Brian came to my office at least once a week. We started having Beach Boys meetings at my office once a month, and we all insisted that Brian come to those meetings without Landy.' 'Brian was my client. . . . [But] Brian did check in with Landy after our meetings, after our phone calls. Too often I would get a call back from Brian saying, 'I know I said that, but I have to change my mind.'' Mason wrote that Landy was eager to insert himself into every part of Wilson's life. Wilson was controlled by both prescription drugs and the 'Landy handlers' who 'secretly or openly recorded everything Brian and anyone else said' for the doctor. No decision was made without Landy's approval, leaving Mason bewildered and frustrated. 'Ultimately, it led me to say to Brian, 'I can't work with you if Dr. Landy is in a position to change your mind or to second-guess me,'' said Mason. 'And he said, 'I understand that.' But then, Dr. Landy called me and said, 'You told Brian that he can't work with me … so you are fired.' 'That's a shame, but that is the kind of control Dr. Landy had over Brian Wilson,' said Mason. After Mason was fired in 1990, Landy continued to tighten his grip. At one point, he was co-credited as a songwriter on several tracks. Wilson was 'an obsession' to Landy, Mason wrote. 8 Wilson died in June of this year at the age of 82. Getty Images But in 1991, the Wilson family took legal action to appoint an independent conservatorship. The goal was to stop Landy from further influencing Wilson both personally and financially, the Los Angeles Times reported. In 1992, Landy was barred by court order from contacting Wilson. 'The court ordered Landy to disassociate from Brian,' said Mason. 'Ultimately, Landy's license to practice psychotherapy in the state of California was revoked. And Brian's second wife, Melinda, was able to keep Brian motivated to perform.' 'He did a lot of shows,' said Mason. 'He wrote songs, he did a lot of work. His health seemed to be pretty good. I saw Brian a number of times after I wasn't his lawyer, and he looked good. He felt good. He was in a good mental state.' Landy passed away in 2006 at age 71. Wilson died in June of this year. He was 82. In his lifetime, Wilson admitted he didn't entirely regret his association with Landy. Mason doesn't either. 'I have to say that, in Brian's case, I don't think there was a better outcome,' Mason explained. 'Had Landy not become involved, Brian would have become an ineffective vegetable. He was taking too many drugs and couldn't find focus.' 'I don't think that, at that point, back when Landy came in, either Brian's ex-wife Marilyn or his daughters were able to motivate him to be independent. Drugs and alcohol have led to the demise of too many people. Many people we see end up dead from the process.' 'Saving Brian's life probably necessitated a Eugene Landy who could come in and force him to take control of himself,' Mason continued. 'I think they were the best years of his health, but the worst of his years with Dr. Landy.'
