Splatoon 3 puts online play, fashion, and hair front and center

Image: Nintendo

Despite feeling uncannily similar to previous installments, Splatoon 3 is packed with smart changes and updates that will likely lead to people keeping the game in rotation for a long time. I played over an hour of the game's various modes, including just a few levels of the main story, a few rounds of Salmon Run, and a horde mode.

Quality-of-life will change when you start it. Each time you restart the game, you will be able to click the left stick to listen to the dispatch as you do other activities, instead of having to sit through an introduction presentation of the latest announcements.

Most of the game's biggest changes are easy to spot if you've played other modern games. The Salmon Run mode, which allows four online players to survive as long as possible against waves of enemies, can now be started at any time. The mode was only available at certain times in the game. Since it is inconvenient to schedule your life around when a feature is available, you would be forgiven for not trying it before.

Image: Nintendo

One of the features that I am most excited about is the fact that you can land in a shooting range right before you start Salmon Run or Turf War. As the game works out, you can try out weapons at the shooting range. The way in which all of the players are sent to the island in the Battle Bus is similar to the way in which all of them are dumped into a free-for-all lobby. It is a small change, but it keeps me busy while the game is playing.

I was struck by all of the familiar trappings of modern games when I entered my first match. Splashtags are small cards that allow you to personalize the background, title, and badges in the game. You can add more personality to your character with unlocks. Nintendo says it will release free seasonal catalogs full of new clothes, accessories, and more.

Image: Nintendo

I was able to use the game's new moves with relative ease because the action felt as frenetic as before. There is a mode called the "Squid Roll" where you can reverse on a dime when in squid mode. The squid surge lets you super-charge a jump while on a wall to surprise an opponent.

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The game has a different way of handling custom points. You can start a new game with either motion controls or an analogue stick if you want to. You can use the map to find your teammate. The game can record replays of matches, let you zoom in to the action to make clips, and you can jump into Turf War with friends and remain on the same team.

I was able to check out some of the story levels of the game. They are short and sweet, as always, and you are aided this time with a small fish on your back. Smallfry can be thrown to chip away at enemies health and then called back with a click of a button. It was similar to God of War's ax recall, but cuter.

Image: Nintendo

My time with the story was limited and very much on-rails to avoid plot details, but I am fascinated by the game's worlds that you see in between levels, which were rampant with hair-covered Octarian enemies. The hair can cause death. If you touch it, it will die in a funny way.

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There was a lot that I didn't get to see when I played the game. I wasn't able to freely roam around the overworld that allows you to shop for cosmetics and interact with characters, because Nintendo skipped me around to different single-player zones. From what I've seen of the game, it seems like it's the most complete version of the game yet.

On September 9th, there will be a release for the Nintendo Switch.