Splatoon 3 is the culmination of all the improvements Nintendo has made to the formula since the original game, and especially on the improved foundation of the sequel. This third entry has pretty much everything going for it. Sure, as many have said, it is "more of the same," but the "same" has been refined to a point where it's pretty much damn near perfect. While there are things that I would like to have seen improved, Splatoon 3 makes a case for being the best online multiplayer game that Nintendo has created to date.
Let's start with the single player. I know most everyone just wants to get right into the multiplayer with this game, but Splatoon has a very interesting history with its single-player campaigns. The campaigns in 1 & 2 were serviceable fun, though weren't very memorable outside of some killer boss fights. Octo Expansion improved on the campaign experience in pretty much every way, though it was, of course, shorter than a full campaign, it provided an incredible amount of creativity and fun. Thats the foundation that Splatoon 3's campaign is built on. It's an incredibly fun and creative romp through Splatoon's world.
It all starts with these beginner missions that set you up for more of the same. Going through levels, inking octolings, and saving the small zapfish in order to find The Great Zapfish for the city. But then, the game has a turn, and it becomes something else entirely. It gives you this great overworld to navigate through, opening up paths to other sections of the world so you can unlock more levels and collectibles. The game gives you so much lore and backstory in these collectibles, which was so needed to make the world of Splatoon feel more alive and interesting. The levels themselves are the finest of any base campaign. It is debatable if it matches the overall quality of Octo Expansion, but damn if I didn't have a blast playing through these missions. Each mission felt unique and gave the player lots of room for experimenting with different weapons, ways of taking down enemies, and many different objectives and conditions to make you feel challenged. The boss fights were also spectacular, as they usually are in Splatoon. Though I wasn't a big fan of the final boss' visual design, but thats more of a nitpick. Splatoon 3's campaign didn't feel like a general afterthought like previous entries; it felt like a focus.
Okay okay, now onto the real meat of the game: the multiplayer. While there have been the occasional server issues, I have had a pretty positive experience with the multiplayer aspects of the game. I feel that (most) weapons are fairly balanced and are somewhat viable depending on your particular playstyle. It may take some time for you to figure out what weapon works best for you, but once you find some weapons that you really enjoy using, it becomes so much damn fun. Turf War is my usual go-to mode, and its as much of a blast as ever. Ranked battle is also very well done here. I love all the modes included, but even more so than the modes, I love how the game tracks progression. Yes, winning matters, but the game also takes into account your individual performance way more than just the team performance. This is absolutely huge for me. Nothing frustrates me more than a competitive team-based game where all they track is how your team does. Splatoon 3 says to you, "Oh, your teammates sucked, but you got a ton of gold medals? You're moving up, good job." It makes you feel accomplished even if you are on a losing streak.
Salmon Run has also been improved, but I feel that it is the less noticeable of the three. The biggest change is that you can play the mode whenever you want now. Which, I don't think was asking too much from the get-go? But, its nice to always have the option now. There are only 3 maps, but I know that more will be added in future free updates, so it's fine for now. It's a fun mode, but I would argue it's the least fun of the three that we get in this package. While I've had some fun with it, Salmon Run gets repetitive really fast, and just isn't always my cup of tea.
All of these modes nail their progression in different ways, albeit they are the same as we all remember from previous entries. And while Splatoon 3 doesn't make the biggest changes in the world (outside of all the improvements seen in the campaign), I'm okay with that. This feels like the definitive Splatoon title, the one that everyone should play at some point in their lives.
However, there is STILL one thing in Splatoon 3 that irks me, and it's been present in every other entry thus far: map rotation. Why, in 2022, do we STILL need to only have 2 maps available for an hour before they switch? I simply don't understand it. Sure, it can help with the servers, and lord knows Nintendo needs all the help they can get when it comes to online stability, but this feels ridiculous. Splatoon 3's maps are excellent, but when I can only play for 1-2 hours a day at times, it gets boring just seeing the exact same 2-4 maps. It boggles me why this is still the way Nintendo chooses to design Splatoon, but at this point, I feel that it is the way it is going to be from here on out.
Even with that big complaint, I still feel like Splatoon 3 is one of the best titles to come out this year. It is the definitive version of Nintendo's surprise-hit online shooter, and the one that every Switch owner should play from here-on out. With an overhauled campaign, refined multiplayer, and decently fun Salmon Run, Splatoon 3 is an absolutely fantastic entry in this franchise.
Let's start with the single player. I know most everyone just wants to get right into the multiplayer with this game, but Splatoon has a very interesting history with its single-player campaigns. The campaigns in 1 & 2 were serviceable fun, though weren't very memorable outside of some killer boss fights. Octo Expansion improved on the campaign experience in pretty much every way, though it was, of course, shorter than a full campaign, it provided an incredible amount of creativity and fun. Thats the foundation that Splatoon 3's campaign is built on. It's an incredibly fun and creative romp through Splatoon's world.
It all starts with these beginner missions that set you up for more of the same. Going through levels, inking octolings, and saving the small zapfish in order to find The Great Zapfish for the city. But then, the game has a turn, and it becomes something else entirely. It gives you this great overworld to navigate through, opening up paths to other sections of the world so you can unlock more levels and collectibles. The game gives you so much lore and backstory in these collectibles, which was so needed to make the world of Splatoon feel more alive and interesting. The levels themselves are the finest of any base campaign. It is debatable if it matches the overall quality of Octo Expansion, but damn if I didn't have a blast playing through these missions. Each mission felt unique and gave the player lots of room for experimenting with different weapons, ways of taking down enemies, and many different objectives and conditions to make you feel challenged. The boss fights were also spectacular, as they usually are in Splatoon. Though I wasn't a big fan of the final boss' visual design, but thats more of a nitpick. Splatoon 3's campaign didn't feel like a general afterthought like previous entries; it felt like a focus.
Okay okay, now onto the real meat of the game: the multiplayer. While there have been the occasional server issues, I have had a pretty positive experience with the multiplayer aspects of the game. I feel that (most) weapons are fairly balanced and are somewhat viable depending on your particular playstyle. It may take some time for you to figure out what weapon works best for you, but once you find some weapons that you really enjoy using, it becomes so much damn fun. Turf War is my usual go-to mode, and its as much of a blast as ever. Ranked battle is also very well done here. I love all the modes included, but even more so than the modes, I love how the game tracks progression. Yes, winning matters, but the game also takes into account your individual performance way more than just the team performance. This is absolutely huge for me. Nothing frustrates me more than a competitive team-based game where all they track is how your team does. Splatoon 3 says to you, "Oh, your teammates sucked, but you got a ton of gold medals? You're moving up, good job." It makes you feel accomplished even if you are on a losing streak.
Salmon Run has also been improved, but I feel that it is the less noticeable of the three. The biggest change is that you can play the mode whenever you want now. Which, I don't think was asking too much from the get-go? But, its nice to always have the option now. There are only 3 maps, but I know that more will be added in future free updates, so it's fine for now. It's a fun mode, but I would argue it's the least fun of the three that we get in this package. While I've had some fun with it, Salmon Run gets repetitive really fast, and just isn't always my cup of tea.
All of these modes nail their progression in different ways, albeit they are the same as we all remember from previous entries. And while Splatoon 3 doesn't make the biggest changes in the world (outside of all the improvements seen in the campaign), I'm okay with that. This feels like the definitive Splatoon title, the one that everyone should play at some point in their lives.
However, there is STILL one thing in Splatoon 3 that irks me, and it's been present in every other entry thus far: map rotation. Why, in 2022, do we STILL need to only have 2 maps available for an hour before they switch? I simply don't understand it. Sure, it can help with the servers, and lord knows Nintendo needs all the help they can get when it comes to online stability, but this feels ridiculous. Splatoon 3's maps are excellent, but when I can only play for 1-2 hours a day at times, it gets boring just seeing the exact same 2-4 maps. It boggles me why this is still the way Nintendo chooses to design Splatoon, but at this point, I feel that it is the way it is going to be from here on out.
Even with that big complaint, I still feel like Splatoon 3 is one of the best titles to come out this year. It is the definitive version of Nintendo's surprise-hit online shooter, and the one that every Switch owner should play from here-on out. With an overhauled campaign, refined multiplayer, and decently fun Salmon Run, Splatoon 3 is an absolutely fantastic entry in this franchise.