this was absolutely wonderful. just a dlc but it could easily pass as a full game. completely different from anything done before in any splatoon game and it's beautiful. the story is amazing, the stages are well thought, the dialogues are funny and well written and the plot twists were wonderful. the gameplay is fun as well, it's long and you have many ways to customize your experience in order to play it however you please, and don't even get me started on the soundtrack..... i also particularly love the dark undertone that the story has and im just happy that this dlc exists (and sad that side order was a letdown)

octo girl... save me..
octo girl
save me octo girl

Peak Splatoon campaign right here.

Splatoon 2 is fine. It's a fun game. Running, gunning, inking, Salmon Run, it's all very fun. The main campaign for Splatoon 2 was... mediocre and short.
Octo Expansion, however, blew my brain out of the back of my skull. It is packed with absolute JAMS, it's fun, it's got an amazing sense of progression, a terrific upgrade system, amazing characters, MORE JAMS, and a truly fucking MAGNIFICENT final scene that had me crying. I didn't play until after Splat 2 had nearly shut down (in preparation for Splatoon 3) so I never got to know Marina and Pearl through their Splatfests and understand how deeply connected they were. Octo Expansion still made me sob. Fucking incredible. Play it whether you like Splatoon 2 or not. Play it after Splatoon 2 goes offline. Play it until the sun burns out. It really is that good.

Peak Splatoon, this is not a full review but just some thoughts that really make it stand out to me as not just the best Splatoon content, but also the best DLC of any game I have ever played. Slight spoilers follow.

Part 1: Worldbuilding
The world of Splatoon is a really neat one. It's just fun to read into and you can tell the devs put a lot of love into it. Octo Expansion blew the doors wide open here. You finally get to see a completely different side to this world; a society existing deep beneath the ocean. And it still boggles my mind just how incredibly, incredibly well portraited that society is simply through the aesthetics and the random NPCs you meet on the subway. These NPCs serve so many purposes at the same time: they exist to liven up the subway, making it feel less lonely. They serve as comedic relief. They allow the designers to go wild and create even more out there, interesting character designs. But most of all, they sell the setting. Through the fact that you can't at all speak to these NPCs, that they exist not for you, not for the story, not for the other NPCs to interact with, but instead for themselves they are perfect. They are just people living in a world you don't fully understand. They don't care about you or your mission to save the world, they're just living their lives, implicitly telling so, so much about the world that simply would not be possible if they acted like other game NPCs and talked to you. You get the feeling they don’t even speak the same language as you, combining this with the general subway aesthetic, creating the image of being on the move, having shit to do, living their own lives independent of the other people here. And all that is just a small part of the worldbuilding Octo Expansion seemingly completely effortlessly is able to pull off. I haven’t even mentioned the liberation of the Octolings, beautifully realized with you finally being able to play as one yourself, thus leaving a permanent mark of your accomplishments on your account and noticeable in the world around you.

Part 2: Aesthetics
I have come to realize that random stuff floating in mid-air is a peak aesthetic choice. It sounds deceptively simple, but all the backdrops of each stage in the Octo Expansion are a marvel to behold. They each feature collages of objects, not randomly thrown together but beautifully crafted to express to the player just the right emotions. Combine that with the best soundtrack in the series and the pure feeling of it all is intense and raw. Add to that the UI, and the level hub: the Deepsea Metro. The UI is clean; easy to read but at the same time has so much style and character. My personal favorite touch is when checking out mem cakes: the game shows a tiny 2D illustration of your manually created Octoling holding the mem cake and looking around. This teeny tiny picture impresses me every time. Of course, for one there is the fact that again, it actually reflects the Octoling you created, not just any random other Octoling. And for two it beautifully illustrates how simple does not equate cheap. These illustrations have a childlike quality to them, with shaky lines and bright colors, but the sheer appeal is immeasurable and that doesn’t just happen by accident. Works of art like these are deceptive in their simplicity, but to get them to feel just right is a massive undertaking. The same applies to the rest of the expansion. I already talked about the extremely strong feelings the subway evokes through its riders, but even without them the mental image it evokes is an insanely strong one. It perfectly carries the overall theme of nostalgia, and I find the exploration of that theme in this DLC to be a really unique one. It neither embellishes, nor decries it. It is content to simply show you these meticulously chosen objects and let you form your own feelings about them. These objects you might have a personal relation to just sort of floating in mid-air, far out of your reach, feels bittersweet. It’s like seeing a picture of an old friend without being able to contact them.

Part 3: Gameplay
Let’s make this one quick: Octo Expansion has the best levels in the series, and a lot of them. I’m not going to spoil anything here, but the buildup to the final battle and the battle itself will forever remain one of if not the single best series highlight. The Octo Expansion also has my absolute favorite boss fight in the series in its secret boss. It’s really obvious why they modeled Splatoon 3’s Hero Mode after the expansion: these levels simply have so much more to them mechanically and difficulty wise than anything prior and frankly, anything since. Splatoon 3’s Hero Mode has good levels, but the overall quality is still better in the Octo Expansion. I also feel the overworld 3 added could have done more for it, but ultimately, I much prefer Octo’s simple grid level selection. The Side Order DLC for Splatoon 3 went in a completely different direction so it’s not really fair to compare it directly to the Octo Expansion, but to put it simple: I still prefer how Octo plays.

Part 4: Conclusion
It’s the best. Simple as. No other single player activity in the series has managed to get as many things so right while being extremely innovative while also still being extremely unique. If you read all of this I honestly just want to say: thank you. Hope you’re enjoying Side Order.

This DLC was fun overall, you can't go wrong with the nice splatoon vibes that come from it, the music is nice, and the gameplay can be really fun at some points. BUT personally I'm not very good at splatoon and that made it kinda hard to get through. Again that's PERSONAL TO ME but its just the truth. But I appreciate that the DLC is hard because it gives those who want a good splatoon campaign with challenge what they want. And hey, again, the games vibes and cool astetics are off the charts as always though.
Overall, fun DLC that was a little to hard for me to fully enjoy, but if your good at splatoon or are just a fan, you should definitely play. (7.7/10)