Review: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate – Casey Jones and the Junkyard Jam DLC

The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles had a big year in 2024. They featured in two brand-new games and a new animated show. Not content to rest on their shells, the heroes are back in action with the first DLC for the roguelike title: Splintered Fate. Let’s check out Casey Jones and the Junkyard Jam.

Splintered Fate is the first roguelike outing for the turtles. Your goal is to work your way through randomized rooms of enemies and boss fights on your way to face Shredder and rescue Master Splinter. Each room provides a neat reward as you power up in true roguelike style. 

You can play as any one of the four heroes, each wielding a unique combination of moves to help you on your run. The first thing this DLC pack does is add a new playable character to the mix. Welcome, Casey Jones!

This tough guy has been part of the turtles lore since almost the beginning. He first appeared in the original comic series way back in 1985. He was also a main character in the 1990 TMNT movie and has continued to feature alongside the crew ever since. Although he is unlockable in the terrific TMNT outing, Shredder’s Revenge, this Splintered Fate DLC marks one of the few games in which Casey is playable.

Casey is a long-time friend to the teenage heroes. He’s renowned for being a sports enthusiast, preferring to rely on weapons like hockey sticks over swords. Casey makes a welcome addition to Splintered Fate, bringing a powerful ally to the fore. He brings his own special moves along with new artefacts and tools. These are a welcome addition to the game, giving players more pathways to master. 

One of the elements I love most about Splintered Fate is the narrative. Between rooms, the characters interact via audio and on-screen banter, and Casey is now part of that journey. It’s seamless, too, allowing players who were previously working their way through the game to continue where they left off. Simply jump straight back in and begin a new run. 

The Casey Jones DLC brings with it a completely fresh chapter. It’s not immediately obvious where to find it, but here’s how it works. You begin your run in the sewers as usual. Completing that chapter continues you on to the docks—again, as before. When you defeat the boss of this chapter (Karai), you’re presented with a branching pathway for chapter three. You can now choose to take to the streets, as per the original game, or deviate through the new junkyard area.

The junkyard provides a completely fresh set of rooms to explore. It also features new enemies, including a group of mutants known as the Punk Frogs. This gang has been known to align with the turtles, but not in this adventure. They’re unhappy about their lair being used as a shortcut to Shredder. There’s plenty of fun banter along the way, including poor Casey Jones’ car being used as scrap metal. It’s an entertaining and fresh way to breathe life into this title. 

Overall, Casey Jones and the Junkyard Jam breathes new life into Splintered Fate. The new content—along with a new character, story, and voice acting—adds a lot to the game. It’s still tough as nails, but Casey Jones is a welcome addition to the turtles’ first roguelike outing.