Splatoon 2

This adorable third-person shooter takes place after the first game Splatoon in the same watery future without humanity. In these titles, instead of humans, you play as Inklings and Octolings as they battle for domination in inky combat. Join your friends in some super fun multiplayer action in Splatoon 2 by Nintendo EPD.

Gameplay

With the games multiple game modes, the ethos behind the game is pretty straight forward. Fight your way through the enemies while using your ink to control the land. The more ink you have on the land the better you can traverse the battlefield. With multiple ink weapons, and now with the introduction of ability improving gear, you can take the ink to the enemy with greater ease than ever before.

It handles mostly like a third-person action shooter would but the movement mechanics are really quite brilliant. Very fluid and fun to play.

Game Modes

There are a few modes present in this title:

• Story Mode. Taking place 2 years after the final Splatfest even in the first game, it follows a simple and easy to follow story about attempting to return a stolen item back to where it belongs and stop a potential genocide from occurring. Brainwashing, battles and a lot of ink is involved in this story but its bright and light-hearted message to players is still engaging for anyone who gives it the time of day.

• Online. You can play against members of the online community but this is reserved for specific times and days. The online is great fun with the fact you can’t just play it whenever you want is something of heartbreak.

• Horde. On this mode, your objective is to fight off the constant onslaught of enemies all while collecting gold eggs. The wave bosses are unique and distinct and they provide a lot of challenge alongside being clearly marked with how to defeat them, allowing you the best chance of success. It’s a nice way of the game feeling like it’s not taking advantage of the confusion to trick you into a loss.

Art Style

I cannot give the art of this game enough praise, it’s very cute and well designed. All the characters have a glossy and rubbery sheen which fits the aesthetic beautifully. I find the gameplay and visuals to complement each other brilliantly; vibrant and joyous. The game manages to put you in a good mood long before the challenges get started.

Also, I personally loved seeing aspects of human society, now long since lost to time, appear throughout the game and story. It depicts a darker side to the world the characters inhabit, something just under the surface that is never quite outright said.

I feel it shares a lot of its energy with other Nintendo games like Super Mario Odyssey, there’s this pleasant ‘soft’ look to everything that allows it all to feel harmless and safe. It adds a lot for its target demographic.

Pros

• Colourful and vibrant
• Great gameplay

Cons

• Online multiplayer needs a serious update
• Greater race variety may have been interesting