Splatoon 3 continues its iterative approach – and it’s awesome

Nintendo has a reputation for significantly changing things with sequels. Major new Mario games often feature new gimmicks and mechanics, and we’re always waiting years between Zelda games, though Nintendo could pull them out of Assassin’s Creed style if they wanted to. Some franchises are dormant, in part because developers are struggling to come up with an idea that’s fresh and fresh enough. But Splatoon isn’t F-Zero — it thrives in a different, arguably more traditional approach.

Nintendo’s habits changed in Splatoon 3, which continued its two predecessors in gentler iterations than Nintendo’s canon. It’s a slightly different approach to most Nintendo sequels — this will be the third Splatoon in seven years, and it’s pretty quick for a Nintendo franchise — but it fits the Splatoon’s character.

Specifically, it fits well with the game’s emergence as a competitive powerhouse and the success of online multiplayer. In a way, it might feel a little dated — other online shooters are getting free-to-play battle passes and DLC — and Splatoon is offering yet another sequel. At the same time, however, this release comes with fun: you know what’s in your box or downloaded, and you know it’s going to be well supported by events and updates in a solid time-release, Just like the first and second games of the series.

So, what’s new? Well – pretty much everything you would expect. There are new weapons, stages, gear, and styles – the latter offering enough breadth to satisfy Splatoon’s focused fashion scene. Elsewhere, Splatoon 2’s philosophy of cosmic expansion continues with things like new online lobbies, more salmon run challenges, and new single-player missions that are strung together into a loose story mode.

As part of the practice, I experienced three levels of this story mode. Each level is reached from a central hub, which itself is accessible via a manhole in Splatsville Square, an urban area that serves as the main menu for Splatoon 3. In the center of the story mode, Mario Sunshine’s glossy paint barrier will keep you from getting too cluttered, but in this hands-on at least I have access to a few different missions at any given time, which means you can at least start with Partially open-ended way of doing things.

The three story missions I played were from the early days of the adventure, but it’s clear why Nintendo wanted us to play them: they demonstrate the purpose of single-player as a training tool, helping less experienced players master Splatoon 3’s moves. For example, I The first game played has hardly any combat – instead, it’s about traversing a level in mini-platformer puzzles that force you to use every basic paint-spreading tool to collect keys and advance.

As I progressed through the three levels provided, each contained more complex elements – mastering special moves, grenades, and using certain weapon types with paint splashes to damage fast-moving or armored enemies. This is the best tutorial, I mean it’s not like a tutorial at all. This is a winner for Nintendo, a company that is sometimes too focused on handhelds.

Elsewhere, it’s pretty far, so Splatoon, you know? I played a few turf battle matches (sadly not any three-way matches, which is new to this game) and Salmon Run matches, let me see Splatoon’s version of the classic multiplayer shooter action and “horde” mode – Both are great, but both have the same basic feel as in Splatoon 2. There may be more changes in this game than I imagined, new weapons and other minor tweaks will make a huge difference in online metadata. Importantly, however, everything about this title feels as good, if not better, than its predecessor.

The very nature of Splatoon 3 makes previewing the game a bit difficult. have nothing to say. Do you like Splatoon? If you do, this is definitely more Splatoon, well made and sure to satisfy. If you’re new to the series, Splatoon 3 will prove to be an ideal starting point, with smart tutorials in the form of a new story mode, weapons that are easier to understand and understand, and more customization than ever before.

Fans want more; Nintendo is giving them. Crucially, not every release requires reinventing the wheel – I’m more than happy to get a more compact Splatoon experience that delivers exciting online action. This is what this third outing looks like – I’m looking forward to seeing how it stacks up in the final version.

Splatoon 3 is set to release on September 9, 2022. If you can’t wait until then, you can download the Splatfest world premiere to experience some tutorials and online competitions during the 12-hour demo on August 27.