I have a big SIF shaped hole in my heart and the recent news of SIF 2 being ported to global servers in March just for the service to be terminated in May really got to me. This was a part of life taken away from me. The events at 3 AM, the brutal rates, the simplicity of it all ...

In truth, Bushiroad really tried to milk this game for years. I don't think it was meant to be as successful as it was and by the time it hit the fifth anniversary, it was supposed to be over, yet it limped its way into the 2020s, when the idol mania had cooled off. For what it was, School Idol Festival had a good run, I saw the anime because of this game and I think idols in general got popular in the west because of this game, a first of sorts. First in gacha mechanics, first in monetization, some people forget this game came out in 2013. So, let's say goodbye to history, goodbye to my Umi Sonoda cards, but let's not forget what it was and what it brought to the table.

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.