Splatoon 3 hands-on: Nintendo Switch sequel is a lot more of a good thing

Splatoon 3 will pack in more of what fans have loved about Nintendo’s ink-’em-up series since its debut on Wii U seven years ago: more weapons, more stages, more stylish gear, more Splatfests, and more cooperative action in the game’s Salmon Run mode. Inklings, Octolings, and stages will once again be sprayed with goo by the game’s multiplayer modes. Splatoon 3A new story mode will be added to the game, and players can unravel the mysteries behind Fuzzy Ooze.

However, will this be enough to bring the Splatoon loyal back? Nintendo certainly seems to think so, and is banking on years’ worth of extra content and an already announced “large-scale paid DLC” offering to keep things fresh in the months to come.

Even the new and improved Salmon Run, which I played for a few rounds at a hands-on event in New York City last week, is a “mountain of content,” Nintendo’s Nate Bihldorff told me in a Zoom call.

“I sometimes need a break from from going at it with other live players,” Bihldorff said when asked about his favorite new addition in Splatoon 3. “I really love teaming up with my friends and taking on waves and waves of AI. I loved Salmon Run in Splatoon II and the way that they’ve beefed it up in Splatoon 3, just I’m just looking up this this giant mountain of content that I know I’m going to be climbing for the next couple of years.”

Image: Nintendo

Enjoying my time Splatoon 3’s enhanced Salmon Run mode was chaotic and fun, even at a modest level of intensity. I realized how unprepared it was when I increased the intensity. Splatoon 3’s take on Horde Mode mechanics, which Bihldorff said even veteran players will face some challenges in.

“They’ve added a whole bunch of new boss Salmonids that all need to be learned,” he said. “I feel like I was just mastering the ones from the last game […]But mastering the newer ones takes real skill. You might also find a King Salmonid on occasion. […]That adds an entirely new level to the sport’s intensity. However, the truth is that [Salmon Run is] playable at all times means that it’s quite accessible and is easier to put put crews together to play [with].”

Newcomers to Splatoon, which is a group I’m part of, are able to brush up on basic mechanics of being an squid-kid in the much less intense single-player storymode. The Crater was an introductory part of the Return of the Mammalians storyline. Players will fight the Octarian Army. I played through the levels. In single-player mode, I got reacquainted with Splatoon’s implementation of gyro-based aiming — which feels great, despite my general aversion to motion controls — and the multifaceted movement required to be a squid kid.

Image: Nintendo

I began to become more familiar with the language. Splatoon 3’s new moves, the Squid Surge, where I can quickly swim up inked walls, and the Squid Roll, which makes it possible to jump out of ink and quickly turn around, all while temporarily protected with a coat of liquid armor.

“It’s the combination of those two elements, that super armor and the rapid change of direction, that I think is going to really change the strategy [in multiplayer],” Nintendo’s Bill Trinen told me during a Zoom call. “I like to rush into the action, but what’s really tantalizing for me about the Squid Roll is this ability to rush into where there’s a group of the other team, drop a sub-weapon, [and] take a couple of them out as I’m doing a Squid Roll backward to be able to defend against their attempts to try to get at me.

“But in my head, the strategy that I’m hoping I’ll be able to perfect is sort of inking a wall in advance, popping out from behind a wall using Squid Roll to get back behind the wall using Squid Surge, just rocketing up the wall so that when the enemy comes around the corner to come after me, I’m actually coming down from above, and splatting them from where they’re least expecting it. Of course, now that I’ve told you that everybody’s gonna know this strategy.”

Trinen quickly admitted, “I haven’t actually pulled this off yet. This is sort of my dream scenario in my head.”

I was a competitive photographer during my time. Splatoon 3Multiplayer, there were very few scenarios that I could create. However, I had a lot of fun with new weapons such as the Splatana wiper (a sword inspired by windshield wipers) and the Tri-Stinger (3-pronged bowlike weapon). The Tri-Stinger fires both a horizontal and vertical splat when it is fired normaly and while you jump. (It’s difficult to convey WhyIt feels great to land a long splatter shot when you jump with the Tri-Stringer.

Image: Nintendo

Splatoon veteran and newcomers alike will find plenty of opportunities to explore the game. Splatoon 3’s vast arsenal. A variety of launchers, ink guns and paint buckets are available to you. You also have the option to purchase new weaponry like the Reefslider which is a weaponized pool slider, or the Tacticooler that can dispense power-up beverages to your colleagues.

Multiplayer, whether it is cooperative or competitive, has been a clear draw for the long-term. Splatoon 3Single-player Story Mode seems to be as inventive and polished as other Nintendo games. While I spent some time on the initial levels in The Crater’s first level, platforming was a great feature.

“Oftentimes in Splatoon, I think the single-player mode gets overshadowed by just all of the everything that’s going on in the multiplayer side of the game,” Trinen said. “And that mode is one that’s seen quite a bit of evolution as well, particularly in between the levels. I think a lot of people kind of see it as a bit of maybe an enhanced tutorial — which in some ways it is — but it’s still also just incredibly packed with what is I think a Nintendo strength, which is just really great platforming level design. As they get into the game and begin to explore all that it has to offer, people will be able to really dig in to that mode. Splatoon 3, are going to be I think pleasantly surprised because it’s just a ton of fun. It’s got some great boss battles in there [and] the overall creativity within the platforming is top notch.”

Nintendo Switch owners can enjoy a sampling of Splatoon 3’s updated offerings this week, with the Splatfest World Premiere demo. This demo, which will be available for a limited time, includes a glimpse at Tricolor Turf Wars. Three teams will compete in an online Splatfest contest in which they will battle it out in 2v4v2. Demo players can try out a variety of weapons and new gameplay techniques for this weekend’s big battle, which will pit Team Rock, Team Paper, and Team Scissors against each other on Aug. 27.

Splatoon 3Nintendo Switch will launch the full version of this game on September 9, 2018.