Splatoon 3 Preview – Everything We Learned About Maps, Modes, and Splatfests From The Nintendo Direct

Splatoon 3 is now drip feeding players new information on new weapons and music. There’s even a Switch OLED model, as well as a Pro Controller, that are themed after this highly-anticipated family-friendly shooter. Nintendo has officially launched the floodgates for Splatoon 3 this morning, announcing a Nintendo Direct that provides a lot of details about the ink-covered gunner. 

Splatoon 3 moves to Splatsville from Inkopolis. It is in the Splatlands. Splatsville, a rapidly growing community that is now the most popular place to get ideas and hang out in Splatlands 3, has just become the new hot spot. It is your base of operations as well as the activity center in Splatoon. Deep Cut is a trio of Frye and Shiver that reads the news each day. They also host the Anarchy Splatcast which Splatsville residents listen to while they do other things in the game. Deep Cut goes over the activities available to you when you fire the game up, and it’s a good idea to pay attention because you have plenty of activities to choose from this time around.

Turf War

Turf War

Although this entry offers more options for players to participate in, Turf War is still the main event. The 4v4 format sees two teams compete to fill the arena with their respective colors of ink. Although the basic concept remains unchanged, small changes can be made to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone. 

Turf War can be refreshed in a number of ways, including new traversal-based moves that players have the ability to use. Splatoon’s movements are smooth and enjoyable when you swim through ink as squid. To make gliding feel even smoother, players now have the option to use Squid Surge or Squid Roll. Squid Surge lets you swim up walls with a single burst, while Squid Roll lets you jump out of the ink and pull a 180° turn. Squid Roll’s glow makes it repel ink.

Also, we were able to see several Turf War stages where the inklings of victory and the octolings will be fighting. Scorch Gorge and Eetail Alley are new stages. Several stages from Greater Inkopolis such as Museum D’Alfonsino and Hammerhead Bridge as well as Mahi-Mahi Resort are also available in rotation. There will be twelve stages when the game launches. Additional stages may come in free updates. This is an improvement from the five- and eight-map Splatoon 2 launched with.

Splatfests

Splatfests

Splatoon’s best times are those when the usual chill vibes in the hub city fade to a memory and the music cranks up to 11. It is a time where the Splatfest reigns supreme. As with all previous Splatoon titles players select a team by their preferences to the basic prompt. Players used to have two choices. Splatoon 3 allows players to choose between three different options. These three squads will compete over the duration of the Splatfest. 

Splitting Splatfests into two halves is now possible. First half is 4v4 Turf Wars. The second half has all three teams playing in Tricolor Turf Wars. Three teams compete on the same map, covering it with ink. The first team has four players to defend its position, and the second, third, and fourth place teams each bring two to make it a 4v2v2 match. They are the ones who have the greatest starting point to explore the world, and they need to defend their position against any attacks.

Before the game launches, the first Splatfest begins with the Splatfest World Premiere. This will be available on the eShop. The Splatfest will begin on August 27th. Players can choose between Team Rock or Team Paper to kick off the celebrations. Players can also try the game out by participating in this demo.

Salmon Run

Salmon Run

Splatoon 3 brings back the wave-based Salmon Run game mode, which debuted with Splatoon 2. The co-operative mode lets four players fight off the advancing salmonids, and they can also earn gold eggs for defeating boss salmonids. In this version of the game, we were able to see a few of the bosses. The Slammin’ Lid, a saucer-shaped creature, can protect and create barriers for salmonids. However, if it is too close, it can go on the offensive, slamming down on everyone below it. We also got to see Big Shot, which is a large-sized fish with heavyset that shoots projectiles at the players.

The biggest revelation (literally), came when the Nintendo Direct trailer for Splatoon 3 revealed the mystery monster. This massive monster is called Cohozuna (a king salmonid). The Direct states that king salmonids can sometimes be seen just before you close the session. To stop them from returning, fire golden eggs at them to make them disappear.

The Salmon Run section ended with a teaser trailer that showed a sequence called Big Run. Big Run is a sequence in which salmonids enter the city. There are no additional details on Big Run at the moment.

Story Mode

Story Mode

This time, the single-player story mode is back. It’s perhaps the most neglected aspect of the Splatoon Series. The story mode for this entry is entitled Return of the Mammalians. It’s easy to see why, when you consider how hairy the octarians can be. You play the role of Agent 3 and will battle the octarians. Agent 3 embarks on a quest to uncover the mysteries of Alterna and the Fuzzy Ooze. This is all connected to the title’s main theme.

Although we didn’t have a lot of information about this story mode it is the final chapter of the Splatoon series. Nintendo may also know that most players will skip this story mode. Although the Direct argues it is a great way for you to get familiar with movement and weapons, those who played the original three campaigns (Splatoon 1 & 2, Octo Expansion) know the series’ story modes to be far better than any tutorial.

There are other modes

There are other modes

The three main pillars are Turf War, Salmon Run and Story Mode. However, the lobby in Splatsville has many more options. After you are in the game you have the option to choose Anarchy Battles for ranking, as well as the returning modes of Tower Control, Tower Control Tower Control, Clam Blitz, Clam Blitz, Tower Control Tower Control or Splat Zones. Private battles can be entered using your own rules.

Nintendo teased a tablet-based competitive mode, Tableturf Battle. This deck-based duels is a spin off of Turf War. You can ink different shapes by using the cards you have in your hand. The cards can be collected by players, who then have the ability to charge their power up and launch special attacks against their opponent. Nintendo claims that every player gets an in-game starter pack. It doesn’t provide any details on the game, or how they can obtain additional cards. The good news is that this mode has more than 150 cards.

You can also use the Test Range to try weapons and warm up for competitive play. Ghosts are virtual holograms that you can interact with online. There, you can see what your friends are up to, drop into their in-progress activities, or invite them to join you – seemingly a huge upgrade over the group-up system from past games.

It is possible to view old matches either from your viewpoint or those of the other participants. You also have the option of uploading the footage. Mailbox, which allows you to upload illustrations, is the perfect place for those who miss Miiverse. You can also activate photo mode and snap photos, or go into Recon Mode to walk through the stages, allowing you to get to know them without having to fight anyone.

The locker room is open after matches. You can view the lockers and customize yours. You will find the next section.

Individualization

You can customize your gear and weapons

In the anime, customization will play an important role. It’s all about personalizing your characters. You can customize your character in a variety of shops around Splatsville. Ammo Knights allows you to use Sheldon Licenses for weapons purchases, while Naut Couture (Man-o’Wardrobe), and Crush Station let you purchase tops, footwear and headgear. Each piece of gear has its own benefits. You can save several outfits to presets, and then swap them around as needed. Murch, a Splatsville resident, can alter the gear’s benefits if it doesn’t look right. After unlocking a piece or weapon, you can put it in your game locker. Hotlantis also offers locker stickers and signage. 

Splashtags are another customization that players have the option to make. These splashtags can be displayed during battle. When you are entering a match, your splashtag will be displayed proudly with your title, banner, and badge. You can earn season gear through the game catalog and unlock victory emotes. You can also buy drink that gives you a boost in your matches.

Like previous Splatoons, there are a wide variety of weapons available to suit your play style. You can choose from all the weapons from past games, along with new options like the Bow-like Stringers or Splatanas that allow you to either attack close up or throw ink at distance. You can also find special weapons such as the Booyah Bomb (ink storm), Tenta Missiles (tenta missiles), and new additions like the Tacticooler (a refrigerator that gives beverage-based power-ups), Wave Breaker(a device that creates waves in an area that marks and damages opponents), the Reefslider (“a vehicle that explodes with splats)). Special weapons operate with a gauge-based cooldown. This cooldown fills up when you ink the turf. You can also pair special weapons with your main weapon. 

After-Launch Planning

After-Launch Planning

Splatoon 3’s launch offering may be stronger than the other Splatoon titles, however, in line with its trademark, the game will get lots of content free after launch. Nintendo actually committed to updating the game’s in-game merchandise catalog every three months, for a period of two years. Splatoon 3 will also get new weapons at the same time that catalog updates are made. 

Splatoon 3 will get two new modes after launch: X Battle (for more competitive flair) and League Battle (for greater efficiency). With the Octo Expansion for Splatoon 2, Nintendo demonstrated that it saw value in paying large amounts of DLC. It also announced that it would continue to do so (and possibly more) for Splatoon 3.

Amiibo

Amiibo Figures

We were also able to see the Amiibos of Splatoon 3, which we found last but not least. Nintendo today announced the Amiibo figure. Amiibo figurines in Splatoon 3 allow you to save and add gear to your stock. 

At $16 per piece, the Blue Octoling Amiibo, Yellow Inkling and Smallfry Amiibo will be sold at selected retailers. Nintendo is also re-releasing some Splatoon 2 Amiibo figures: The Callie and Marie Two-Pack and the Pearl & Marina Two-Pack will be restocked at a suggested price of $25 each.

Splatoon 3, coming to Switch September 9 The game will arrive on Switch September 9.