Splatoon 3: Why you shouldn’t miss the hit shooter for Nintendo Switch

Today comes the next big hit for Nintendo Switch with the shooter Splatoon 3.

Splatoon 3 is the next big Nintendo Switch exclusive coming today. In the wacky third person shooter, which combines single player, co-op and competitive online multiplayer, you can once again immerse the game world in bright colors. If you buy directly from Nintendo eShop by September 30th, you can now Gold points worth 10 percent of the purchase price dust off and save a lot on your next purchase:

Buy Splatoon 3 now for €59.99 from the Nintendo eShop

In this article we explain what makes the Splatoon series so special and why you shouldn’t miss Splatoon 3 in particular.

Show your colors: Why Splatoon 3 isn’t just a shooter

A success-story: Even the first Splatoon, which was released for Wii U in 2015, brought a breath of fresh air to the shooter genre with its creative concept and colorful look. Released in 2017, Splatoon 2 consistently continued the ideas of the first part, introduced popular new modes and became one of the first big hits on Nintendo Switch. To date, it has sold more than 13 million copies.

Of Children and Squids: Splatoon 3 stays true to its predecessors at its core. This means that you once again slip into the role of the Inklings, who either shoot color cannons in their child-like form or slide particularly quickly through their own color and hide in their squid form. The fact that we always have to use the advantages of both characters wisely sets the Splatoon series apart from other shooters. But the aim of the game is also different, because simply shooting down opponents is usually not enough.

Color matters: In standard mode, the goal is rather to paint the arena in your own color. But even in modes with other tasks, you should always keep an eye on the color of the environment, otherwise you will lose the decisive advantage of your squid form’s abilities. This adds an additional tactical element to combat in the Splatoon series, as arena control is at least as important as kills.

Buy Splatoon 3 now for €59.99 from the Nintendo eShop

The modes: Alone, in a team and against each other

The Solo Campaign: Fighting the Octarians

Like its two predecessors, Splatoon 3 again has a single-player campaign, this time titled “Return of the Mammalian”. As Agent No. 3 you try to prevent the invasion by the Octarians by solving the mysteries surrounding the location of Alterna and the mysterious substance that causes strange hair growth. Through a manhole cover in Splatsville you enter the realm of the Octarians, where you have to prove your skills not only in fights but also in puzzles and acrobatic skill tests in many varied levels. You will become familiar with all the important skills and weapons of Splatoon 3.

Co-op mode: Salmon Run returns

Splatoon 3: New trailer shows the co-op mode Salmon Run

The very popular co-op mode Salmon Run, introduced in Splatoon 2, is also back. In “Salmon Run: The Next Wave” you and up to three other players have to defend yourself against a huge swarm of attacking salmon and collect as many of the valuable golden eggs as possible. As long as you’re only dealing with small fish, this may still seem quite easy, but at the latest in the fights against the spectacular bosses you have to work well together if you want to have a chance. Splatoon 3 introduces new bosses, such as Kanonya, who will blast you with heavy artillery from afar, or Deckler, who will swoop down from the air and try to flatten you.

Competitive online multiplayer: plenty to choose from

Turf wars are also standard in Splatoon 3, but there are other modes as well.

The standard in competitive multiplayer is still turf wars, in which the aim is to paint as large an area of ​​the arena as possible in the color of your own team. In addition, there are also the anarchy modes known from Splatoon 2: In “Reign” you have to control different zones and in “Tower Command” you have to bring a tower into the enemy base. In “Shell Chaos” you collect shells and put them in a big basket and in “Operation Goldfish” you fight over a goldfish cannon with which you try to capture the enemy base. So there is plenty of variety in the multiplayer battles.

Revierdecks: The new trading card game

Splatoon 3 introduces a fun new trading card game to the series.

New to Splatoon 3 is the collectible card game, Revierdecks, which pits you against both the locals of Splatsville and your friends. Through the cards you use different fighters in the duels, who help you to dip the rectangular game board in your own color. So the idea is basically the same as in the Turf War multiplayer mode, only here it is implemented as a turn-based card game. In total you can collect more than 150 different cards.

 

On the way in the booming city: Trading cards are by no means the only new thing about Splatoon 3. So this time you’re in a completely new area: From the metropolis of Inkopolis, where the first two parts took place, you’ve ended up in Splatsville. It’s a fast-growing city full of Inkling fun. Here you will find, among other things, shops where you can equip yourself with weapons and a large selection of clothing. The latter not only look chic, but can also give you various bonuses and make you run faster, for example. You’ll also find the Lobby here, where you can choose your next battle or practice on the Training Grounds.

desert landscapeHAfting & Excursions to Inkopolis: The area around Splatsville, with its deserts and canyons, makes a lonely, lifeless impression that is reminiscent of the arid regions of the American Midwest or even post-apocalyptic scenarios in the style of Mad Max. As is their nature, the Inklings are quick to bring color to this desolate area. By the way, you don’t have to say goodbye to Inkopolis completely: Among the twelve arenas available for the release there are also some that are located there.

New Splatsville weapons

In addition to many well-known weapons, Splatoon 3 also brings some crazy new weapons.

Default Weapons: Splatoon 3 contains all standard weapons already known from the predecessors. In addition, the new region also brings some specific new weapons, such as the bow-like Stringer and the Splatanas, which can be thought of as paint-slinging swords.

Special Weapons: With the special weapons, the use of which you first have to earn by coloring the environment, for example the shower wave is new, whose circular waves not only damage opponents, but also mark them. The Shark Hammer shoots at enemies and causes an explosion of color, while the potion tank supplies your team with drinks that grant bonuses. Well-known special weapons such as the swarm rockets or the ink shower are of course also included again.

The Future of Splatoon 3: Splatfests & Content Updates

New Content & Events: Like its predecessors, Splatoon 3 will continue to be expanded and improved with content updates long after release, making it worth sticking with the shooter for years to come. For example, new arenas will be added, and there should also be a catalog with new items every three months. Of course, tournaments and events will also provide variety. Above all, you should not miss the so-called Splatfests.

Splatfest: In the Splatfest, three teams compete against each other to clarify the important questions of human and Inkling history, for example whether scissors, rock or paper is better. You first vote for one of the sides and then take part in the competition, which extends over several event phases. While the warm-up phase is about collecting so-called conchs in battles, the first phase of the main event is a classic turf war. In the second half, three unequal teams compete against each other, with the leading team having to defend itself against the other two. At the end, the points for all performances are added up and the winning team is chosen.

You can find more information about the Splatfests and other content of Splatoon 3 directly in the Nintendo eShop: