Splatoon 3 Preview | GamersGlobal.de

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For the third time, Nintendo sends you into battle with the Inklings. In Frankfurt we were able to lend a hand for the first time and experienced the holy three colors: story, turf war and salmon run.

All screenshots and video scenes are from GamersGlobal

Let’s not fool ourselves: shooters are often very uncreative when it comes to their setting. World War II, modern warfare, future fictional wars. This martial approach may appeal to the broad target group and be able to inspire them, but real conflicts fit Nintendo as well as a complete shave does Mario. And so the Japanese company has come up with an alternative suggestion as to what a family-friendly third-person shootout could look like. The answer to this question appeared in 2015 and was called splatoon (in the test, grade: 7.5). The Inklings were set against each other in turf wars with automatic weapons, melee clubs and other tools. Doesn’t sound like anything different than the genre competition, but there is one crucial difference: instead of projectiles, you use ink here.

Even though the unusual title was released for the not exactly popular WiiU, enough units were sold to justify a successor. splatoon 2 (in the test, rating: 8.0) was released for the Nintendo Switch in 2017 and was very popular with fans thanks to a number of innovations. Now, with Splatoon 3, the next part is in the starting pot, it will be released on September 9, 2022. According to the recently broadcast Nintendo Direct, the developers seem to be reluctant to make major innovations, instead they probably want to further expand the proven formula. But presentations can be deceptive, and I was able to get a first impression of the game’s holy three colors during an on-site appointment at Nintendo in Frankfurt: Story, Salmon Run and Turf War. Is it really just “more of the same”?

Once thrown, Salmini helps activate this sepia duct and thus overcome the abyss.

Story with skill focus

In total, I was able to see three tutorials and three story missions from Splatoon 3. The introductions are particularly helpful for newcomers, but even if it’s been a while since you last saw the series, you should refresh your knowledge. Of course, I could only see a little of the actual story, Nintendo itself describes the story as follows: “In the story mode of Splatoon 3, you go as No. 3 in the fight against the evil Octarian army alongside the new Aquamarines. Discover the mysteries of Alterna, the fluffy plasma, and its connection to ‘Return of the Mammalian’!”

What I could already see, on the other hand, are the creative ideas in the level structure. As with the two predecessors, in the campaign you will not only smash opponents into your individual color particles, but also have to complete numerous skill passages. Because as a reminder: Your Inkling moves particularly quickly when he or she is under ink that you have previously distributed with your blaster or another weapon.

The hopping passages can certainly require some powers of observation, skill and timing. For example, at one point I had to jump numerous ramps, but at a certain point I kept falling down. Then, after a few crashes, I happened to see the real solution to the situation out of the corner of my eye: a brick wall that I had to color in order to swim up. Elsewhere I had to throw little Salmini over a chasm so he could activate a sepiaduct conduit which I ended up swimming down. Many other level elements such as ink-triggered fountains, roll-out bridges or fans provided a lot of fun in my first few minutes with Splatoon 3’s story mode.

The Tri-Stinger leaves behind three projectiles that detonate after a short time when you charge your shot.

Turf wars: a lot of the tried and tested

In the competitive multiplayer area, I was able to try out the typical Splatoon mode, the turf wars. In those, the goal is not to get as many frags as possible – even if they help you, of course. Instead, it is important to paint the arena in your team color as extensively as possible in the given time. The team that has claimed the higher percentage of surfaces at the end of the game wins.

In my three rounds it all felt very familiar, Nintendo really didn’t dare to experiment in the turf war. Even the two new weapons that I was able to play fitted very well and almost unobtrusively. The Splatana is a kind of sword with which you can shoot a stream of ink even at short distances. The Tri-Striker bow, on the other hand, shoots three projectiles vertically or horizontally, which even explode when charged. Ideal as a small trap for unsuspecting opponents!

In addition to the two new weapons, I was also able to try out two of the four fresh maps: the Searing Chasm and the Striped Eel Road. Unfortunately, I haven’t spent enough time on the cards to really say anything grounded. But my first impression is that both are set up sensibly and also offer enough corners in which you can hide in order to surprise your opponents at the right moment. Splatoon 3 is said to have a total of twelve cards when it is released, but the range will be expanded over time. We can only hope that the map rotation will also improve compared to Splatoon 2 and that you won’t always go into battle in the same two areas.

The new crab shell is a powerful special weapon, but it must first be charged.

Salmon Run: Cooperative and familiar

The third mode I was able to play in Frankfurt was Salmon Run. It’s already known from Splatoon 2, here you face waves of enemies and have to collect golden fish eggs that drop bosses. We went in a team of four, each on an OLED switch, which immediately showed me something else: Splatoon 3’s bright ink colors look really great on the display in handheld mode!

Salmon Run itself hasn’t changed much, but that’s nothing negative. It’s still a lot of fun trying out tactics and figuring out how to defeat each boss. Because they need their own tactics, for example, you can only kill one by killing the helmsman at the back so that all the elements of the caterpillar-like creature gradually burst. What’s also new is that you can now throw the eggs, which can definitely be an advantage – but it also costs ink, so you have to weigh up. And as I was already able to learn, Salmon Run is no picnic on higher difficulty levels and will demand a lot from you.

If you’ve now got the desire to play Splatoon 3 yourself, then you have the chance to do so this coming weekend. On Saturday, August 27, 2022, the world premiere of the new 3-Team Splatfest will take place. From 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. you can join either Team Scissors, Team Rock or Team Paper and collect points for your team in a four-way turf war. Halfway through the event, things turn around and the team in the lead has to defend against the other two. The preload is possible from August 25, 2022.

Author: Dennis Hilla (GamersGlobal)

Opinion: Dennis Hilla

Sometimes it’s really a cross with the play dates. Too little time for too much content or an informed statement about the expected quality of the game viewed. At least I was able to play two of the four new arenas, plus the same number of fresh weapons. But they don’t really turn the Splatoon gaming experience upside down and in general that’s a bit my overall assessment: Nintendo is unusually playing it safe and doesn’t really leave the safe ink with the third part. According to all previous knowledge, the changes are more in the details. You can find that stupid now, but for my part I have no problem with it.

Because the two predecessors were already very successful shooters, which brought a breath of fresh air to the dusty genre with their paint splash mechanics. Splatoon 3 skilfully builds on this foundation and adds smaller additions to it. Splatfests where three teams now compete, new movement options, more customization options. All of this is nice without being really exciting. But in the end I don’t care either, because when I secretly, quietly dive through the ink, patiently ambush my opponents and then dissect them into their colored particles with the new crab shell special weapon, then it’s just fun. Point.

Splatoon 3