Nostalgia. Old brands. Familiar faces. It's no lie to admit that this medium of entertainment and art is no stranger to its remakes, sister releases and so on, much like the movie industry. Although it is a small disappointment to admit it, but new IPs in recent years have become a rarity, with the majority coming from smaller companies or indie developers. One of those more recent titles was Splatoon.to simplify its premise; humanity has been reduced to Squid Kids, people with squid (and octopus) like features that can, surprise, turn into squids. With the use of neon coloured ink shot and spread from a variety of weapons, they can travel through this ink with speed and attack their fellows in a high energy shootouts. Its charm, fun nature and lightheartedness made it an icon and cult classic, and helped bolster the sales of the struggling Wii U.
Two years on, Splatoon 2 had released to the world and so far in its early released, has already launched half a million copies in Japan alone. But how does this game stand against those of us new to the series (much like myself)? In full honestly, I'm pleasantly surprised.
First and foremost, for those wanting to avoid the online portion of the game, there is a campaign known as Hero Mode. Carrying on shortly after the events of the first game, Marie had discovered that both her cousin and bandmate Callie, along with the Great Zapfish has gone missing. With help from Sheldon (The weapons expert in the game) and newly made member of Squidbreak Splatoon Agent 4 (AKA you), you traverse multiple stages and puzzles recovering the kidnapped Zapfish while searching for the lost pair.
To be frank, considering the game is primarily a multiplayer shooter, I didn't expect too much out of the campaign. The plot itself doesn't truly kick in until halfway and by then, the ending's plot twist wasn't as big a surprise as the game wanted it to be. What did make it better than expected was the map layout of each hub world and mission, the unique bosses of each area and its music. By the end of the game, the swell of music, the gameplay and everything in between felt, in the lack of the a better word, incredible. Perhaps its how the final boss fight reminded me a lot of another cult classic (where players grind on objects shooting paint at enemies - hint hint SEGA), but either way I was truly immersed with Hero Mode at that moment, despite the cliches.
There isn't much I can say about voice acting, as the majority of it are measured blubs and gurgling, but each suit their characters fairly well and work in the universe. Sound effects are clean and very well done; I especially love the attention to detail in inks, and the timing with other variables in scenes (character movement, musical changes, etc).
Gameplay in a word; excellent. Controls are simple and easy to pick up, with differences in weapons barely changing the controls. My one complain would be the motion control options in the game. I cannot speak for all, but personally speaking I couldn't much get them to work with my play style. Handheld mode, joy-cons separated, pro controller, sensitivity changes, none of it worked. A lowered sensitivity with the pro controller did make things easier to ink, but battling enemies still remained a hassle for me.
Multiplayer is what many people will be coming for, and Splatoon 2 definitely delivers. Turf Wars makes a return for players in Regular Battles. Ranked Battles features Splat Zones, Control Tower and Rainmaker, while League Battles allow you to group up with friends in these rotating modes and maps, which change every few hours, with the inclusion of Salmon Run (a sort of horde mode) also available. There are more modes and things to do but I feel its best these things be discovered on your own.
Lastly I want to mention the brilliant customisation in game; instead of a predetermined set like in the previous game, players can customise their weapon choices and clothing. Weapons harder different sub abilities you gain while playing in matches, while clothing contains boost unlocked and chosen at random. Even unaccounting for the smaller things such as the Drawing card, the ability to save sets to Amiibos and so on, this amount of detail is greatly appreciated.
When it comes to writing reviews, I must look at many things with plain eyes, and new IPs are definitely a way to do that. To be fully honest, I expected a standard multiplayer shooter through ink guns, but what I found was a charming game where teamwork and fun are the main basis of winning a match. This is a game your children, nieces and nephews can pick up and play within a few minutes, mastering it with a few minutes more, and for us adults, its a fun and relaxing to enjoy anytime.
Fun, charming and addictive with plenty to enjoy. A great buy for all.
Splatoon 2 - 9/10
