Splatoon 3 review: Polished as ever, but lacking in ambition

Nintendo made a rare move seven years ago: its developers created a new IP that featured dozens of original characters. SplatoonIt is about stylish teenagers who can transform into squids, and then melt into smooth, painted terrain. The series, which started as a niche shooter, has since gone on to become a staple of Nintendo’s catalog, developing a dedicated fan base along the way. There is still one big question: Where will Splatoon take us from here?

Get in touch Splatoon 3.The latest installment of the series will be made available on Nintendo Switch in September. As I enter the game, I’m greeted by the sounds of an echoing, dripping liquid. As I gaze out at the sun, I see the city of Splatsville. Overheard neon signs are seen decorating the shops. As I walk around, I’m treated to a soundscape of subway trains and the competing music of various vendors. The city is a hub of activity. Splatoon 3.’s hub, which connects activities like competitive online play, the solo campaign, and gear shops.

From the get-go, the game leans into the self awareness that there’s a pressure to do something new. “Oh, uh, hi… Did we do this once before?” Cap’n Cuttlefish, an old, bushy-bearded man says to me. This is the humor of the situation. bitOn the nose, I feel the ground give way under my feet. I fall into Alterna an arctic archipelago. Turns out, my Octoling ended up in some sort of facility under the land itself, á la Take a journey to the Center of the Earth, and it’s up to us to find our lost friend Cuttlefish, who has been kidnapped and is stuck somewhere in this mysterious place.

an image of an inkling sitting on the snow as they look onto the scenery of Alterna in Splatoon 3

In single-player missions, you will need Power Eggs that look like caviar to do this. These eggs allow me to clear a deadly fuzz from the surface of the world, thereby revealing even more places to explore: Sometimes it’s a giant, lopsided Moai statue resting steps from stacked metal shipping containers. Other times it’s an Inkrail that allows me to cruise to the top of a metal factory tower via a stream of ink.

At times, the “assorted junk” motif feels like an afterthought of an aesthetic choice, but clearing the world of its fuzz to reveal intermittent secrets is zen-like nonetheless. It didn’t feel like a sad, barren postapocalyptic world —more just a weird place whose mystery I couldn’t help but dive into. I can even collect pages for a digital lore book that teaches me about Alterna’s history. I’ll let you uncover the details, but as is often the case in postapocalyptic fiction, the heedless advance of human technology didn’t do the world much good after all.

There is intrigue everywhere Splatoon 3.’s larger world is a particularly welcome addition, especially because, in every other way, the game isn’t bringing much new to the Splatoon formula. Most levels feature not only similar layouts as the previous entries, but similar design conceits as well — filling sponges with paint, traveling up slick paint-filled slides, and filling up explosive paint balloons for use as grenades, to name a few.

What Splatoon 3.It lacks major improvements, but it makes up for this with some quality-of life tweaks. There’s a multiplayer lobby in which I can take part in target practice between rounds, and lockers that I can decorate with items like oil barrels or stuffed animals. While this seems like a small change, it’s a marked improvement over the previous entries’ glorified loading screens.

an image of the loading lobby you can play around in splatoon 3

While I had only been able to experience the multiplayer elements as part of a trial, the Turf War instantly reminded of my earlier gaming experiences. I felt the competition mode was very similar to my experience with the game. Even though there were some additional weapons and specials, it was easy to get back in the action. My old strategies worked just as well and the mechanics and gameplay are exactly the same. In less than a minute I was able to combat the scattering ink while also joining in with the fast pace.

Splatoon is like going back into your old home. One hand, developers have smoothed some of those rough edges that have been a part of Splatoon’s history. The overall experience has been improved by adding new weapons and courses as well as more advanced online functionality.

On the other hand, the game still feels like it’s treading water. At this stage, the game might not be enough. It has been given two chances to improve and still be an outstanding series for Nintendo’s younger fans. But it’s only taken baby steps, when it needed to take leaps. Splatoon 3.’s script and characters suggest that it’s been keeping up with the times since it burst onto the scene seven years ago. However, its stalled design pillars indicate otherwise. The result is a game that reaches for the excitement of the original, but can’t quite grasp it.

Splatoon 3. Nintendo Switch releases the game Sept. 9. Nintendo provided a prerelease code for the game’s review. Vox Media also has affiliate relationships. They do not affect editorial content. However, Vox Media might earn commissions for products bought via affiliate links. Find out more. additional information about Polygon’s ethics policy here.