Splatoon 3 is a Return to Colorful Chaotic Form

Splatoon 3 marks another long-awaited installment with the Splatoon series. Being mostly renowned as a competitive third-person shooter, Splatoon is also no stranger to implementing a story mode. In this third entry, events pick up roughly two years after its predecessor. The setting will be taking place in a new city called Splatsville, which is a far cry from the previous setting of Inkopolis. Evidently, the plot will revolve around “the return of mammals” and much of the action will take place at a new region of Alterna. This new geographical change-up will come with snowy landscapes and deserts that will be covered with a mysterious ooze. A slew of characters will return along with Octopods and other types of Octarians. As zany as this story sounds, fans of this series would expect nothing less. The Splatoon games aren’t really revered for weaving an epic yarn, rather for the online multiplayer aspect. Which, by the way, this sequel will have in spades.

With that said, the gameplay appears to be fundamentally the same as the other two installments. Players will choose between controlling either the “Octolings” or “Inklings.” There will be a slew of crazy weapons that will fire multi-colored ink that will smear all over the arena. Developer Nintendo has always excelled at making colorful and strange worlds that appeal to people worldwide. Even with this third entry to the Splatoon games, they are planning to hold onto the core aspects that it is best known for. Nintendo tends to keep their IPs close to their vest by introducing new features to their beloved games while not straying too far away from established gameplay. Splatoon 3 will be no different in this regard.

Think With Ink

Starting off, players will be able to fully customize their avatar to their liking. It is a very elaborate feature that is showcased in the announcement trailer. Things can be changed down to the most minute detail. Plus, there will be a myriad of different weapons to brandish in Splatoon 3. Naturally, every weapon comes with different types of “splash damage” with a varying radius of splattering the surface. Pistols may shoot ink at a rapid rate, but it can take forever to cover the surfaces of the arena. Luckily, there is more effective weaponry called “Rollers” which are basically “paint rollers” that can coat the floors and walls in no time. Additionally, rollers can also be used as melee weapons if an opponent decides to get too close. Other weapons like the “Splatlings” are kind of like a grenade launcher that tosses gobs of ink in random directions to cover a massive amount of space. Thus, “Brellas” can be used to drill into enemies while spewing ink all over the place.

Naturally, the ammunition for this ink-fueled weaponry is limited and they will need to be replenished from time to time. The way that players will be able to fill up their weapons quickly is by morphing into “Squid Form.”  It is possible to reload guns while in default form, however, it can take a little time. Turning into a squid has several advantages. Not only does it add more ink into the guns, but it also enables players to traverse the arena quickly while it’s covered in ink. It is possible to run around the arena in default mode, yes. However, players will be severely slowed down and they won’t be able to climb the walls. While in Squid Form, players can climb all over the place and swim through pools of ink like a torpedo. Thusly, turning into a squid can also help with a quick escape while stuck in a tight spot.

Squidding Around

One popular multi-player mode that will be making a comeback for Splatoon 3 will be “Turf War.” This mode is basically like “King of the Hill” in many ways. It consists of two teams that have four players each. The goal of this mode is to slather the entire arena in ink that is associated with the assigned team. Players can cover over each other’s ink in order to reclaim their turf. It is very much like a tug-of-war between the two competing teams. Thusly, the ink is a little more treacherous in this mode. Not only will it slow down the opposing team, but it will also erode their HP. On top of that, players won’t be able to morph into squids while sloshing their way across the other team’s ink. The weapons will also give damage other players. If they get hit enough times, they will be fragged and will need to start over at their spawn point.

Of course, Splatoon 3 will introduce new moves and features to spice things up. There will be a new “bow and arrow” weapon that can sling projectiles across vast distances, for instance. In addendum to that, new dodging moves will also be implemented into the gameplay to help players become hard targets among the mayhem. Special moves will be returning, of course. A new crab-bot can be deployed and slinked around the arena at a player’s whim. A “Trizooka” is a new special that launches three distinct blobs of ink all over the area. Lastly, there is also a laser beam weapon called the “Killer Wail 5.1” which can be used to trip up the other players. Even though this installment is keeping the foundational gameplay intact, there is still enough new elements to keep things fresh.

Splatter Matters

There is a lot to look forward to with Splatoon 3. Even if someone hasn’t really given this game a go, this installment is a good place to jump in. Nintendo has not really stipulated exactly when this game is going to be released. What was established, however, is that it is scheduled to drop sometime this year. Hopefully, this indicates that maybe it will release either in the first or second quarter of this year. In any case, Splatoon 3 has been a long time coming and many fans are excited to jump back into all of its inky fun. Hopefully, the wait won’t be much further down the road.