Super Evil Megacorp’s decision to add a new character, area, and co-op content is what makes Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam a stellar example of a DLC done right. Existing Splintered Fate owners – this expansion should be a priority if you’re wanting to play against harder enemies with your pals. If this expansion is a signal that more DLC is on the way, I am quite excited for the future of Splintered Fate.
My return to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Splintered Fate was a positive one. Last summer, I spent a good eight hours playing Splintered Fate for my original review of the Nintendo Switch version, with a handful of additional hours spent playing it on planes, trains, and automobiles when traveling for work. It grew on me, convoluted upgrade/currency systems and all, especially once I had managed to invest enough time to feel stronger to not only reach the end game, but handle the post-game content.
Since my review, Splintered Fate has made its way to PC. It’s also surprised players with its first DLC expansion: Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam.
Let’s cut to the chase: Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam feels like the Splintered Fate I wish I could have been playing all along. Not only does it add a new character, new enemies, new bosses, and an entirely new world, but it adds several post-game Dragon Powers to level and relics to unlock.
Casey Jones is the star of the show. The silly, gutsy, and beefy hockey player vigilante joins the fray as Splintered Fate’s first ranged attacker. Casey is slightly slower than the Turtles, but he hits hard. I struggled in mastering Casey’s moveset and animations because of how I would often commit to a chain of attacks when I should have attacked once or twice and then dashed away. Once I got the hang of his slower, but broader, attacks, it was very easy to get him to the end of a run to face The Shredder.
Casey’s special move is a hockey puck ranged attack that bounces between enemies and breaks their shield. The shield-break status effect is an excellent way of chunking enemies’ health bars. Casey’s tool is “Juice,” which gives him a few seconds of bonus damage and quickly recharges his hockey puck special, but the tool has a long cooldown. There are several masteries that can be encountered during a run that extends the Juice duration, let the hockey puck hit additional enemies, and more.
Casey hits insanely hard, especially when paired with Turtle Powers that add elemental effects to last-hitting or critical strikes. When I managed to build Casey as a beefy tank with bonus health, bonus attack damage that scaled with my maximum health, and high crit chance, he could easily clear rooms in a matter of seconds. His hockey puck special felt especially satisfying when I was up against groups of nimble foes, too.
It’s clear that Super Evil Megacorp wanted to change the gameplay flow of Splintered Fate with the addition of Casey Jones. I also appreciate Casey being fully voiced, bantering with the Turtles in their Lair while also making comments toward the big baddies and when I selected rewards after clearing a room. He feels fully realized and truly silly.
Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam offers a new set of levels that can be accessed after defeating Karai. Once I had bested her, I could choose to continue my run on the Streets, or I could jump to the Junkyard and face new enemies. The decision to branch away from the otherwise-set-in-stone path was smart here, as it gave me a choice to test my might against new enemies or proceed ahead on the path I’ve become accustomed to over the past several months. Roguelike developers, take note: Adding new content in the form of a branching path helps add good variety to the base game’s gameplay loop.
My one real complaint about Gigi is that, when compared to the rest of the bosses of Splintered Fate, she feels overwhelming and inconsistent to fight against. Her clearly communicated attack indicators don’t always match up to where else she attacks. For instance, when Gigi reared up for her buzzsaw ground attack, she would occasionally pivot in a different direction from what the visual indicator previewed. I’m sure that this would be filled in a future update and is not a larger issue in a co-op run, but attempting to read her attacks was slightly frustrating.
Don’t worry if you want to play co-op with your friends who don’t yet own Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam. If you (or the main host) has the DLC, everyone in the party can join in and test their might against Gigi and the Junkinator. I wish that more co-op games with DLC were this generous with sharing the love – it lets friends continue to play together.
For a $7 (USD) expansion, Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam is a steal of a deal. I spent well over seven hours playing as Casey during this week’s review period, and I’m jonesing to play more once I’ve finished everything else on my work/life plate. If you’re the kind of person who thinks about hours spent in-game being equivalent to the price of a game, then this DLC will assuredly bring you well over 7 hours of fun with your friends.
Super Evil Megacorp’s decision to add a new character, area, and co-op content is what makes Casey Jones & The Junkyard Jam a stellar example of a DLC done right. Existing Splintered Fate owners – this expansion should be a priority if you’re wanting to play against harder enemies with your pals. If this expansion is a signal that more DLC is on the way, I am quite excited for the future of Splintered Fate.
