[REVIEW] Splatoon 2 (Switch)

Splatoon 2
Played on: Switch
Genre: Third-person shooter
Developer / Publisher: Nintendo

In 2015, Nintendo struck gold when it decided to put its quirky spin on the online shooter genre. The result was Splatoon, which is bound to go down in history as one of the company's main victories in the underappreciated Wii U console. A couple years later, we get a sequel on Switch that manages to one-up the original by pretty much every metric (one which, thankfully, isn't called Spla2n, no matter what kids these days think they want).

Splatoon 2's real meat is in its online play. In a nutshell, players gather in teams of four to duke it out by shooting ink at each other, with the objective of covering most of the stage's ground in their gooey substance (well, mostly; there are additional modes geared at the more competitive players). Aside from shooting, characters are able to transform into squids and swim through ink of their color, aiding with quick movement and refilling the ink tank in one fell swoop. This is, for me, one of two genius ideas at the heart of the franchise, as it helps tie the whole gameplay together while offering opportunity for players to move up walls and through grates.

The weapon selection is vast, and it's gradually unlocked as you gain levels. It includes traditional weapons like quick revolvers and gatling guns, but also stuff like rollers, brushes, and umbrellas, offering a wide array of playing styles. The fact that the main objective is covering the ground in ink is the second genius idea, as it means even players who aren't good at (or dislike) the precision of aiming at opponents can help by devising smart ways to cover large swaths of ground.

New to Splatoon 2 is a horde mode, called Salmon Run. It can be an absolutely exhillarating experience, as you team up with three others to kill invaders and collect salmon eggs for a hungry bear. The one caveat is that you don't get to choose which weapons you wield, relying instead on a randomized selection. This can be pretty annoying, as sometimes you'll just dislike how a specific weapon plays (hey there, splat charger!).

Like the first game, there is sadly no option for split-screen play, but this is where the Switch's portability is a godsend. I never went to the trouble of taking my entire Wii U (with a television to boot!) with me to play online modes together with a local friend, but I have already in many occasions taken my Switch with me for that purpose.

The single-player mode was also extended and improved, thanks to the addition of weapon selection instead of the small gun-only approach of the original. Stages are insanely well-designed linear platforming-and-shooting romps, with the exception of one open-ended but self-contained stage in each of the game's five worlds.

The one glaring omission from the first game is a minigame to distract yourself while waiting for enough players to join a match. The one available in the original Splatoon was just the kind of arcade fun I need to make the waiting, which is one of my biggest qualms with online multiplayer, more tolerable.

TL;DR:

Splatoon is the most important new Nintendo IP in many years, and this sequel improves over almost every aspect of the excellent original. Shooting your ink around is as fun as before, and the new horde mode makes things even more varied for online players. Offline has also got a big improvement, as the level design remains incredible while weapon selection was significantly increased. As such, Splatoon 2 is a more than worthy sequel, and one that thoroughly deserves to continue the series' success.