Splatoon is really strange because, in a vacuum, these three games make up what is probably Nintendo's most flatly iterative series. The aesthetic, the design sensibilities, the story, the structure, from top to bottom it's the same; you get some new single-player levels, some new multi-player maps, some new weapons, maybe a new game mode if you're lucky (it's a card game in this one). It makes sense why someone might be disappointed by this, especially considering how novel the first game seemed on release. It may be more of the same, but I think it's a winning formula. 7 years later I still find this both visually and mechanically more interesting than a lot of other big shooters on the market.

Oh this, this is beautiful.

The new movement added, especially squid rolls, make it somehow more fun to move around than before.

The extremely unique weapons, that could probably never exist in a game different to Splatoon, make even shooting a gun interesting. (I main the Heavy Splatling and Explosher).

The only problem I have is, quite literally, a skill issue on my part. I suck at ranked. I want to play the more unique game modes, but my inability to cope with the stress of a ranked gamemode forces me to play only turf war and salmon run. But I completely understand, this is my fault. I just need to suck it up, play ranked, and gradually learn and improve instead of just ignoring it.

Introspective rambling aside, this is game really fun, and absolutely worth everything.

Splatoon 3 is a game that I want to enjoy playing more of, but even despite an "improved" lobby system that makes joining friends not a nightmare anymore and some new weapons to play around with, this "sequel" still plays essentially identically to Splatoon 2 but now with the added wonderful benefits of some of the most insanely grindy progression systems I've seen in any live service game in the last several years along with a FOMO cherry on top. This game doesn't even have microtransactions but still demands that you spend every waking minute of your life playing this game if you want to get some of the maybe neat looking stuff in the catalogs that expire on a seasonal basis, getting just barely enough money to get some clothing items in the shops, maybe one weapon once in a blue moon if you can maintain win streaks (which is not helped by the matchmaking being the worst it's ever been in the series), all in the name of getting gear that's maybe even just a little viable to keep up with players who have spent hundreds upon hundreds of hours playing this game.

There's nothing more discouraging than going up against a team of players who have completely customized gear with maxed out perks for ink saving, maximum speed, ink resistance, etc. that completely obliterates your own team who can't even remotely compare to that setup, and then at the end of a match getting a stupidly measly amount of XP and money because you lost. Somehow this even extends to Salmon Run, which used to be my favorite mode to sit back and enjoy on Splatoon 2; while the dumb time limitations from Splatoon 2 have thankfully been removed here, Salmon Run is so insanely overtuned to such a ridiculous degree that unless you're playing with a full team of 4 friends who can coordinate at their best at all times, you're just going to be in for a bad time with very low chances of success and with progression punishments being even more harsh than Splatoon 2 was. Even then, there's a level of RNG to Salmon Run here that makes it so that even the times that you do succeed, they're a coin flip on how much they really feel earned because of your team playing their best or just because the game didn't spawn 6 different boss enemies at the same time that round.

This isn't worth the $60 asking price, and frankly even the $40 I paid for a used copy feels like too much. Everyone says this is essentially a glorified patch with a new campaign attached and I absolutely agree with the sentiment. It's enough of a mess that any future entry in this series I'm going to be extremely hesitant about picking up after playing this one, especially if they don't do something about how atrocious the perk system and progression have become, and if they keep up the insane FOMO crap. Splatoon desperately needs a big step up, some kind of overhaul to its core gameplay and systems for me to keep caring. A couple new ranked modes and another campaign with floating island run-and-gun or puzzle/gimmick stages can't cut it anymore.

It makes sense the story mode is supposed to be a side mode and the multiplayer is the main focus of the game

The campaign alone was boring, the first game was trying something new and was basic as expected, 2 expanded story mode and added fun gimmicks and more interesting level design, but it seems like after 2 they ran out of good ideas and had to still add things in since it's a sequel.

So nearly all the new gameplay ideas in three's campaign are either boring or tedious, and overall it's a bit padded reusing ideas, the bosses are extremely simple. I had to force myself to clear it, this review isn't coming out until a year later because I kept dropping the story mode and just going back to ranked.

The story didn't impress, it was neat lore but I didn't get invested in it, 2's expansion spoiled me on this, the final levels were really minimal and not challenging at all.

I don't have the DLC so it might be a lot better now for single-player, I haven't looked into it.

The other modes however are much better, despite connection issues the balancing, map design, new weapons and gear, and modes are better than they ever have been.

For once getting into S+ didn't make me want to snap the game cart into tiny pieces, the game is punishing but nowhere near 1 or 2 while still requiring mastery to get into S+

Salmon run is chaotic unfair but fun nonetheless, just way too grindy to get anything good out of it but I can't stop playing it.

I'm really not into online multiplayer focused games, I don't get any satisfaction form competitive matches or PvP, co-op monser hunting, ect. I become disinterested quickly and drop these kinds of games quickly.
The core gameplay is so engaging and intuitive that I can enjoy it despite really not liking multiplayer focused games.

They pulled off something noteworthy with this game, and considering I still want to go back to it this is one of the best online games this company has made.

I'd skip the story mode, everything else though was great.

(added a year later)
They keep making the balancing worse, the new maps aren't fun to play and don't have good strategy or depth in multiplayer, salmon run keeps getting new maps but they still feel the same, Splatfests are fun on paper, but when I actually go to play I get disconnected and horrible lag that ruins the experience.

creating or joining lobbies and linking up with friends in needlessly complicated and un-intuitive and by the time we get it figured out I don't want to play anymore.
It's still addicting, but maybe not in a good way personally speaking. I spend so much time on this game but in the back of my mind I know it amounts to nothing. the only person that will care about your rank or win ratio is yourself, there's nothing to gain competitively long-term.

this game is just that one emotional chart where it constantly goes from "it's so over" to "we're so back", I don't think a single game has ever made me as frustrated one sitting and ecstatic the next but my god when a weapon finally clicks and you start controlling entire matches it feels so damn good

the single player is also great but the octo expansion is better

if you're gonna have all the music from all three games be playable in the lobby please let me play them in matches too, thanks Nogambi

This is an amazing follow up to Splatoon 2 with TONS of content to sink your teeth into and tons of fun modes to play online, especially with friends. That campaign, Return of the Mammalians, is one of the best story modes I've ever beaten and shows that there's so much freaking lore in this game!!

Wish I could give it 5 stars but what stops it however is online connectivity is absolutely rough at best and it's always frustrating to randomly disconnect from an online match. One solution I can think of is if you use a LAN cable on your OLED switch, it does help quite a bit compared to wireless. But still, I hate that part about the game.

Overall, I'm still playing this game and I'm glad that it launched in a mostly polished and solid state. I love Splatoon so much and will never stop loving it for as long as I live. This is one of the games I recommend getting on the Switch.

maybe I'm just spla-tired-out of splatoon but this just feels the same as the last one. splatoon 2 felt maybe a little different from 1 but this just feels like splatoon 2 but now I'm less familiar with the ults and some weapons. the gameplay is still just the same. none of the new ults shake up how i played or what I did. it's still just splatoon 2 with a new coat of paint but nonetheless its still fun. just not "got a brand-new game and its like nothing I've played before" or "thrilling sequel" but more of "this maybe could have been a huge update to the previous entry"