Nintendo have been known for their Mario and Zelda games, but it is about time that they move on to something new and fresh. Splatoon could be the game that we have all been waiting for. Is it game of the year, or the greatest Wii U game to date? Not really, but it will suffice as we really have no say in the situation given the state of the Wii U’s software library at the moment, so we will take anything right now.
Splatoon is a really easy game to get into, it does not require much skill, nor does it expect much from you. It will guide you into the game slowly and while you are playing through the single-player missions you will learn everything you need to know.
Splatoon’s focus is on multiplayer, you start out playing a quick tutorial that guides you through the basic mechanics of the game. You are an inkling, a squid-like human hybrid that can transform into a squid and swim through the same coloured ink as your colour. Armed with an ink gun, you can shoot ink and paint the town red, well not red really, any other colour.
Starting off the game you get to choose your gender, skin colour, and eye colour. Once that is done you have free reign to go anywhere in the plaza. The plaza is a portal to everything you need in the game. Clothing shops, shoe shops, weapons shops, and even the co-op shop that allows you to play with another player locally, given you have the right equipment. Everything can be accessed from this main town square plaza.
The game is divided into two sections; single player and multiplayer. The single player mode has a simple story. The Zapfish has been stolen and you need to get it back. You play through a 27 levels, the levels stay true to the game’s ink splatting name as you traverse them, splatting enemies and collecting hidden Sunken Scrolls at the same time. Each area has a boss fight that sees you using everything you have learned from the levels to try take it down. These boss fights are fun, think of Super Mario Galaxy styled bosses, but with zero difficulty, yes, they are very easy.
Although you cannot purchase any new gear for the story mode in Octo Valley, other than a few variations of grenades, you can collect orange orbs that can be used to purchase upgrades for your existing equipment. These upgrades increase fire rate, grenade cost reduction etc.
Multiplayer sees you go head to head with a team of four against another team of four Inklings. The objective of Turf War is to cover the most ground with your colour ink. You are armed with different weapons. Each Inkling has three weapons; a main, used to shoot ink at the ground, covering it and A Sub weapon: these are grenades and throw-able weapons, these also explode paint in the area and deal damage to enemy inklings. Lastly you get special weapons, these power up over time and only after you have covered enough ground will you be able to use them.
Matches last 3 minutes and you have to cover more ground than your opposition to win the match. You run out of ink the more you shoot it so diving under ink is vital during the match. You cannot dive under opponent’s ink at all, rather you take damage if you stand in it. Running around splatting ink all over the place is really fun. Splatting enemies is even more fun, there is really no better feeling then running up behind an enemy with a paint roller and squashing them. Even shooting an enemy deals enough damage to kill them. Opponents cannot see you if you are under ink, so diving under and hiding in a corner waiting for them to pass to jump out and splat them is pretty sneaky.
If you happen to get splattered by an enemy you will then respawn at your base. You can then fast travel to any other team member on the map at the risk of giving your position away. You just need to ink more ground cover than your opponent, that is it. How you do it is up to you and what weapons you wield while doing it is completely up to your play style.
Maps rotate every hour and there two that are playable during this time. Maps are small and don’t feel too overwhelming, it is just enough space you need to play a match. The size keeps the battle intense at all times. The only issue I had with them is that the maps feel unattractive, there is really is not much happening to tell them apart from each other, and none of them feel memorable.
After every match the amount of ground inked will be tallied up and a winning team will be decided. The winning team will be rewarded bonus P and money. You character levels after certain amount of points has been rewarded and money is used to purchase new equipment. You earn XP during the match too by covering ground and splatting enemies, so don’t worry about having to win to level up.
Shops sell equipment that changes the way you approach a match. Different weapons have a various stats like range, damage, and fire rate. Some weapons are wielded differently, the paint roller for example does not shoot, rather you push it along the ground and it covers the path you walk on. There are high-powered ink guns that act like a sniper rifle, taking out enemies from afar. Depending on what gun you have purchased will depend on what throw able weapon you have too.
Hats, shoes, and shirts all cost money too. These all have their own specific ability boosts like ink up, allowing to shoot more ink before your container needs refilling, run speed, swim speed, and more. Earning XP will level these items up, unlocking an additional ability.
Once you have purchased an item it stays with you and you can change it back in the main plaza. The only issue I had was you had to exit out of the multiplayer lobby to change equipment. This is frustrating given that you could just want to switch to a different weapon and would have to go back and forth to the plaza every time.
After a few dozen matches I couldn’t help but play more. Although the maps are boring, the gameplay is fun and you can’t wait to level up to buy a new gun or a piece of gear. You will splat through the single player in a few hours, and the multiplayer is addictive and rewarding, keeping you wanting more. Splatoon is messy and utterly splatisfying, it really is a bold move for Nintendo as they have not had a new IP in a while. If this is the direction in which they are going in, I want to be on board that train!
So rad
• Great splatting
• Multiplayer feels fresh
Makes us sad
• Short Story
• Terrible multiplayer lobby
Disclaimer: This Splatoon review was conducted on a review copy that was sent to Tech Girl
