Review Bites: Splatoon 3
Appetizer: Historical and Personal Context
Splatoon made it's debut on the Wii U in 2015. In a time when Nintendo seemed to be pushing out releases of old franchises and barely branching out to anything new, Splatoon came to freshen things up. Despite releasing on a console that was struggling hard, Splatoon ended up being a massive success. It even became the best selling Wii U title in Japan, (Source: Game Data Library) and the 6th best selling WiiU game overall! (Source: Nintendo.co) The game was a up and coming star in an era of downward trajectory for Nintendo.
This alone was impressive, but not enough to solidify its place in Nintendo's pantheon of top games. Splatoon got the chance to prove itself when the Nintendo Switch released. After a few months of the switch being on the market, Splatoon 2 took flight. It sold a whopping 13.3 million copies by march 2022(Nintendo end of fiscal year sales pg17) and showed that this series was one that Nintendo couldn't ignore.
My own personal history with this series spans as long as it's been alive. I was there day 1 to pick up and play Splatoon on the Wii U. Splatoon was the first online competitive shooter that I fell in love with. The competitive shooter genre is one I am not particularly attached to since it normally plays against my taste in games. However, Splatoon offered a uniquely Nintendo take on the genre and I was hooked.
Similarly to Splatoon 1, I picked up the sequel as soon as it released and loved it just as much. The novelty had worn off a bit but it was just as much of a fun time as the original. However, the sequel also ran into the issue of feeling a lot like Splatoon 1.5. I didn't end up playing it as much as the original since it seemed like mostly more of the same.
My story doesn't end there, when Splatoon 3 was announced I was a little confused why they made another one when 2 was on the same console. I was under the impression that one per console was gonna be the standard moving forward. With the announcement of 3 I got the itch to go back to 2 and try the ranked modes. From there I learned just how different 2 was from the original and how much the balance changes and new weapons made 2 feel like a proper sequel. With the new competitive context for 2 under my belt, Splatoon 3 became a game I was super hyped for. I wondered how the new moves and special attacks would effect how the game feels, what new weapons they would add over time, and how the story mode would expand on the previous games.
Let me tell you how it turned out, lets dive in to Splatoon 3!
Main Course: Review
Splatoon 3 starts pretty similarly to the first two games. You create your character, go through a tutorial of the basic controls, and are let loose into Splatsville, the main hub of the game. From there you can choose a plethora of modes ranging from a single player adventure to a variety of ranked modes, and so much more.
Right away, Splatsville is wayyyy bigger than the hubs of the previous games. The previous games hubs took place in city squares and had everything you needed within a short walk. Splatsville excels in making this area feel like a part of a huge city. There are nooks and alleys all throughout and learning the best way to navigate it is satisfying. However, it also has the drawback of being harder to navigate than the first 2 games. I found myself using the menu to warp to shops more in this entry which means I don’t engage with such a big space. It’s a trade off of convenience for atmosphere. Ultimately I like Splatsville a lot and think it was worth the trade.
The main modes most people play are turf war and the different ranked modes now known as anarchy battle. Right away, one of the best improvements to the game is how the developers combined the lobby and the training area. It’s a great way to practice while you wait to get qued up for a match.
The main modes are as solid as ever. The main differences you’ll feel in this game will be the maps and weapon selection. The maps in 3 are amazing. They shifted from the smaller Splatoon 2 maps to a focus on different elevations. The maps in 3 tend to have high and low levels for the main areas and I think this focus makes matches more dynamic. It gives players more options to approach center and mix up their strategies. The downside is that with this focus on elevation the maps tend to be a bit more narrow with less flanking routes which gives backline/sniping weapons a huge advantage. (I'm not complaining though, I main Hydra and E-Liter)
All of the weapons and sub weapons from the previous games have made their return. However, a lot of weapons play very different thanks to the new combinations of sub weapon and specials. Most of the special moves have been replaced as well. This had me trying new weapon types I hadn't before because they had subs or specials I enjoyed previously. I really liked playing around with each weapon since as of right now they are all super unique.
One thing that helped me get going right away was the golden weapon tickets that let you get weapons early if you have Splatoon 2 save data on your switch. With it I got the Bloblobber, Nautilus 47, and Hydra Splatling early so I had a good selection of weapons early on. The way you get weapons normally is that as you level up you get silver Sheldon Tickets to exchange for new weapons. Weapons become cheaper as you level up so it is encouraged to try what you already have before getting more. I like the system but I also think it takes a bit too long to get a decent variety of weapons. I like being able to switch up my strategy if I'm not doing great with a certain weapon.
There is a great way to get that variety pretty early on in Splatoon 3 with the returning Salmon Run mode. This is a hoard mode where you and a team of 3 other people kill salmonids and collect as many golden eggs as possible. This mode has been vastly improved over the Splatoon 2 version with small changes.
The biggest change to the mode is that Salmon Run is always available. In 2 there were periods of time where the mode wasn't able to be played since Nintendo wanted to emulate salmon's migration patterns. However as time went on the mode was put offline less and less as people ended up loving it and wanted more. I think it was a little silly in 2 so I'm happy that I don't have to worry about whether Grizzco is open or not.
The actual mode itself is pretty similar to Splatoon 2 with one key difference, you can toss golden eggs. This single change makes the entire mode feel faster and more dynamic since you have to spend less time traveling to the egg basket and can do cool team plays where you relay eggs from one person to another. It's really fun!
The new bosses also add a lot to the dynamic feel of the game. The Lid is a fun one since you can use it against its allies and squish enemies (it's especially satisfying if you squish a Flyfish, those guys are the worst). Big Shots are another enemy that can be used to your benefit as they leave canons when they are killed which can be used to shoot eggs near the basket. Overall Salmon Run is a great improvement from Splatoon 2 and I had a lot of fun getting to Eggsecutive VP.
There are a couple other modes I wanna give brief mention to here. I spent a lot of time with Splatoon 3's story mode and I can safely say it is my second favorite story mode only behind the Octo Expansion DLC from Splatoon 2. Splatoon 3's story mode takes some of the best elements of all the previous modes and mixes them together into a thoroughly enjoyable time. I'd recommend the story mode for anyone who wants experience with a variety of weapons, sub weapons, and specials. The bosses of this mode are also a real treat.
Tableturf battle is a new card minigame that emulates a strategic take on turf war. The aim is to have more squares in your color than your opponent. You collect more cards by playing every other mode of Splatoon 3 so you get more variety in your deck as time goes on. It's a fun distraction that really helps Splatoon 3's offline playability.
This is only a quick summary of the beginning of Splatoon 3's life. One of the things that makes Splatoon as a series special is how substantial updates get rolled out over time. Many games have tried and failed to keep players engaged with small free content updates that don't change much. However Splatoon add new weapons, weapon kits, Sub weapons, Special Weapons, Maps, and modes throughout the course of its life. I've already begun to get hooked on this game's ranked modes and hope to get better at the game to eventually get to S+ rank in Anarchy Battle. I'm already excited to see what new weapon kits will spice up the gameplay and can't wait to see the game evolve over time. I think that is a testament to how engaging the base game already is. Many series try this model, but Splatoon succeeds. I'm confident this game is going to be something special moving forward.
(Side note, I got to rank S while drafting this post. I'm so close!!)
Dessert: Conclusion
Overall, I think Splatoon 3 is a wonderful time and a great step up from Splatoon 2. The individual changes are small in comparison to other series' sequels but I believe they add up to make a worthwhile upgrade for those who are fans of Splatoon. If you decide to pick it up, you're gonna have a wonderful time!
Thank you for joining me for this Review Bite! If you'd like to get updates on blog post, follow my Instagram. What do you think of Splatoon 3? What weapons do you like playing? Which Salmon Run boss do you just "love" to see? I love seeing other opinions on the media I love so leave a comment if you wish. Have a wonderful day!
Insta: @StageTaco
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