I feel weird rating this one because I feel extremely different between the single-player campaign and the multiplayer, so I'll start off by saying:
Single-player: 9/10
Multiplayer: 4/10
The Splatoon 3 single-player campaign is everything I was hoping for and more. It greatly expands the story potential for Splatoon in a way that was unprecedented considering how bare bones it was in the first two games. The Octo Expansion in Splatoon 2 was also amazing for this reason. Splatoon 3 manages to incorporate all of the best parts of the Octo Expansion into its own campaign while also staying fresh and interesting. It's awesome exploring Alterna and unlocking all the levels with Little Buddy, the levels are some of the best in all of the Splatoon games with some serious challenges, the boss fights are a joy, all of the music is great, and everything comes together in the final sequence which ends up being one of the best experiences I have ever had the pleasure of playing through in a video game.
Multiplayer is uh... a different beast. To be blunt, I do not like it. Right off the bat the online connectivity is a major downgrade from the first two games, and this is a series that is already known for its shoddy online connectivity. Half of the time I get splatted I never even see what hit me, and half of the time I shoot somebody enough to splat them, they stay standing. I've been playing these games since the release of the first one in 2015, and I'll reiterate, it has definitely never been perfect, but it also has never been as bad as it is in this entry.
The new stages are not especially interesting, and the stages that were fun in 1&2 have been redesigned beyond recognition. They basically remove as much verticality as possible, and make stages smaller. Flounder Heights was my favorite stage in Splatoon 1 and when playing it in Splatoon 3 I forget I'm even there. The buildings are half the size and it feels like there are only two viable paths between the bases. Another horror story is the sad state of Hammerhead Bridge. In Splatoon 1 the entire appeal of that stage was how there were two levels, upper and lower. The lower level was the main part of the stage where all the ink coverage occurred, and the upper level was a catwalk you could access that made you vulnerable, but was worth using because it allowed you to sneak past enemy players and flank them if you were skilled enough. In Splatoon 3 the entire stage is just a single path with no catwalk to speak of. I understand that the lore explanation for this is that the bridge construction is complete (as it was under construction in Splatoon 1), but that doesn't make it more fun to play on.
Splatoon 3 by far has the worst specials of the three games. Most of the specials worth using are either reused from 2 or are watered down versions of specials from 1. The Triple Inkstrike is nice but it pales in comparison to the war-ending nuke that is the original Inkstrike. The Killer Wail 5.1 doesn't instill the deep primal fear that the original Killer Wail does when you see the outline of its path manifesting around you. The Tenta Missiles and Ink Storm are reused and unchanged from Splatoon 2, you get the point. Of the specials introduced in this game, the only two I can really think of that are genuinely great are the Zipcaster and the Crab Tank.
A few more minor points:
- Multiplayer music is good, but it does feel a bit repetitive a lot of the time because there isn't a huge selection. Splatoon 1 still has my favorite multiplayer soundtrack but I don't hold that against this game.
- Matchmaking still takes way too long but it's a Splatoon game so what else is new.
- Locker customization is really fun and the amount of freedom you are given is quite surprising. I love that adding physical objects such as weapons and clothing is physics based, makes it feel more tangible. I also enjoy being able to see the lockers of other players, especially friends.
- Name tag customization is also really nice and I especially like the titles you can give yourself.
- I think having seasons is the right move considering it's what every other major multiplayer game is doing. Feels nice to know that there are updates being released on a consistent schedule and it's not up in the air like it was in 1&2.
- I have mixed feelings about Splatfest. There being three teams is a fun idea that works with the theme of the game but Shiver wins literally every single time even when it seems obvious she shouldn't. I think Big Man has won maybe twice and I cannot recall Frye winning more than once.
- Tricolor Turf War during Splatfests is fun but very difficult to win as an attacking team.
- Salmon Run is very fun still, and is greatly improved. The addition of King Salmonids seems like a no-brainer and I love how dire the tone is when they appear. It's exhilarating fighting them but admittedly I have yet to actually defeat one (skill issue).
- Big Run is another awesome addition that is fun to play, and again I love the tone that is set with it being presented as a legitimate emergency. Worth mentioning it is quite noticeable how much the game struggles to maintain 60fps with so many Salmonids running around on the larger maps, but at this point in time that is a problem with the Switch hardware, not the game itself.
- I have no issues with the general gameplay or the weapons/sub weapons. Inkling movement, shooting, throwing sub weapons, swimming, jumping, etc. all feel the same as they always have but a bit more refined, which is all good.
Splatoon 1 is tied with Mirror's Edge as my favorite game of all time so I say all of this out of love. I adore this series and I want to see it continue and flourish even though this particular entry is not the best as I see it.
Single-player: 9/10
Multiplayer: 4/10
The Splatoon 3 single-player campaign is everything I was hoping for and more. It greatly expands the story potential for Splatoon in a way that was unprecedented considering how bare bones it was in the first two games. The Octo Expansion in Splatoon 2 was also amazing for this reason. Splatoon 3 manages to incorporate all of the best parts of the Octo Expansion into its own campaign while also staying fresh and interesting. It's awesome exploring Alterna and unlocking all the levels with Little Buddy, the levels are some of the best in all of the Splatoon games with some serious challenges, the boss fights are a joy, all of the music is great, and everything comes together in the final sequence which ends up being one of the best experiences I have ever had the pleasure of playing through in a video game.
Multiplayer is uh... a different beast. To be blunt, I do not like it. Right off the bat the online connectivity is a major downgrade from the first two games, and this is a series that is already known for its shoddy online connectivity. Half of the time I get splatted I never even see what hit me, and half of the time I shoot somebody enough to splat them, they stay standing. I've been playing these games since the release of the first one in 2015, and I'll reiterate, it has definitely never been perfect, but it also has never been as bad as it is in this entry.
The new stages are not especially interesting, and the stages that were fun in 1&2 have been redesigned beyond recognition. They basically remove as much verticality as possible, and make stages smaller. Flounder Heights was my favorite stage in Splatoon 1 and when playing it in Splatoon 3 I forget I'm even there. The buildings are half the size and it feels like there are only two viable paths between the bases. Another horror story is the sad state of Hammerhead Bridge. In Splatoon 1 the entire appeal of that stage was how there were two levels, upper and lower. The lower level was the main part of the stage where all the ink coverage occurred, and the upper level was a catwalk you could access that made you vulnerable, but was worth using because it allowed you to sneak past enemy players and flank them if you were skilled enough. In Splatoon 3 the entire stage is just a single path with no catwalk to speak of. I understand that the lore explanation for this is that the bridge construction is complete (as it was under construction in Splatoon 1), but that doesn't make it more fun to play on.
Splatoon 3 by far has the worst specials of the three games. Most of the specials worth using are either reused from 2 or are watered down versions of specials from 1. The Triple Inkstrike is nice but it pales in comparison to the war-ending nuke that is the original Inkstrike. The Killer Wail 5.1 doesn't instill the deep primal fear that the original Killer Wail does when you see the outline of its path manifesting around you. The Tenta Missiles and Ink Storm are reused and unchanged from Splatoon 2, you get the point. Of the specials introduced in this game, the only two I can really think of that are genuinely great are the Zipcaster and the Crab Tank.
A few more minor points:
- Multiplayer music is good, but it does feel a bit repetitive a lot of the time because there isn't a huge selection. Splatoon 1 still has my favorite multiplayer soundtrack but I don't hold that against this game.
- Matchmaking still takes way too long but it's a Splatoon game so what else is new.
- Locker customization is really fun and the amount of freedom you are given is quite surprising. I love that adding physical objects such as weapons and clothing is physics based, makes it feel more tangible. I also enjoy being able to see the lockers of other players, especially friends.
- Name tag customization is also really nice and I especially like the titles you can give yourself.
- I think having seasons is the right move considering it's what every other major multiplayer game is doing. Feels nice to know that there are updates being released on a consistent schedule and it's not up in the air like it was in 1&2.
- I have mixed feelings about Splatfest. There being three teams is a fun idea that works with the theme of the game but Shiver wins literally every single time even when it seems obvious she shouldn't. I think Big Man has won maybe twice and I cannot recall Frye winning more than once.
- Tricolor Turf War during Splatfests is fun but very difficult to win as an attacking team.
- Salmon Run is very fun still, and is greatly improved. The addition of King Salmonids seems like a no-brainer and I love how dire the tone is when they appear. It's exhilarating fighting them but admittedly I have yet to actually defeat one (skill issue).
- Big Run is another awesome addition that is fun to play, and again I love the tone that is set with it being presented as a legitimate emergency. Worth mentioning it is quite noticeable how much the game struggles to maintain 60fps with so many Salmonids running around on the larger maps, but at this point in time that is a problem with the Switch hardware, not the game itself.
- I have no issues with the general gameplay or the weapons/sub weapons. Inkling movement, shooting, throwing sub weapons, swimming, jumping, etc. all feel the same as they always have but a bit more refined, which is all good.
Splatoon 1 is tied with Mirror's Edge as my favorite game of all time so I say all of this out of love. I adore this series and I want to see it continue and flourish even though this particular entry is not the best as I see it.