If for generations Nintendo has been able to sculpt real videogame icons in the hearts and minds of millions of players, this has not prevented Great N to introduce new IPs and new characters able to break through the collective imagination and sit next to monuments such as Super Mario e Zelda. The era Nintendo Switch, which saw the return of historical series such as The Legend of Zelda and all the titles dedicated to the characters of the Mushroom Kingdom, has in fact wisely brought fresh and innovative titles to the screen, always keeping faith with the philosophy of Nintendo that puts the fun before anything else. Obviously, the reference is to that title - or rather, that series - which in a very short time has climbed the sales charts, earning the right success among gamers and carving out a large slice of the market linked to eSports: Splatoon. A colorful and fun series ready to expand with a new and very fresh third chapter, coming in the next few weeks and that we have had the pleasure of previewing. Without getting lost in further talk, therefore, let's launch ourselves to discover the game, in our preview of Splatoon 3!
Return of the Inklings
The first two Splatoon, thanks to a playful formula very well packaged, managed to appear fresh and innovative, but above all fun. A title multiplayer extremely intuitive that, first with the original chapter on Nintendo Wii U and later on Nintendo Switch, quickly approached many players. What really got fans of the series thrilled, however, was definitely the DLC by Splatoon 2, Octo Expansion, which anticipated a great novelty of this third chapter.
If the idea of playing a very fun multiplayer could already in itself satisfy a large slice of the public, the introduction of the story mode will be able to convince not only those gamers who are passionate about adventures single player, but also those who couldn't wait to try their hand at discovering the extraordinary characters and the colorful game world of the Nintendo title. In Splatoon 3, the single player mode is therefore enhanced by one brand new story mode, which will surely make all those players who were clamoring for it happy.
To get to the heart of Splatoon 3, however, you must obviously delve into the various modes multiplayer. In fact, during our test, we were able to focus on two modes well known by fans. This is, of course, the classic Mollusca mix and the irresistible salmon run, introduced in the series with the last chapter.
In Mollusca Scrum, as most players will remember, two teams they face each other with paint, trying to cover the largest possible area with the color of their team. Obviously, there is no lack of the possibility of eliminating one's opponents, between one brushstroke and another. Between a quantity of weaponry exaggerated, each with its own peculiarities, and the possibility of transforming itself into squid to move faster (and refill ink), Molluscs are fun just as we remembered them!
It is clear that the winning playful formula that we had appreciated in previous chapters has not been turned upside down, and that's okay. In terms of pure gameplay, the work of the developers has not in fact focused on excessively enriching the play sector, but on limarne features as much as possible refine e improving where possible a gameplay which was already optimally packaged. Pad in hand, we are not in fact faced with any big news, but we realize how everything is even more fun. Small technicalities, especially at the level of movements, as in the case of the introduction of a reversal in squid form, which allow those who know the system best to file their own style of play.
Never change a winning team!
The second multiplayer mode we tested, Salmon Run, is instead a horde PvE mode, where a team of four players work together to tackle an incredible amount and variety of enemiesin an attempt to retrieve the required number of eggs. Here too, the quality level remains extremely high and, although there are no major changes in terms of gameplay, it was certainly the great variety of enemies that can be tackled, all extremely inspired in terms of design and all with their own characteristics and abilities. The general level of challenge also seemed anything but low, with a sense of increasing difficulty for all the rounds we faced.
In general, for Splatoon 3, the sacrosanct “team that wins doesn't change” rule applies, with fun and intuitive gameplay we've been used to so far. The real ones novelty of this third chapter seem to be above all from a content point of view, with a flood of new ways and small introductions, which really seem to have managed to make the title make a qualitative leap (despite the fact that the previous chapters were already very high).
Obviously this preview test does nothing but intrigue us and we can't wait to get our hands on the full game, in the hope of being able to reconfirm all the very good impressions left by this first meeting with the title. We give you an appointment at ours review complete and, before leaving, we would like to remind you that Splatoon 3, the third installment of the beloved Nintendo series, will be available on Nintendo Switch starting from 9 September 2022.
