8.5 / 10 - Very, Very Good
Balance between multiplayer and single-player content
Disconnects in hub, no custom loadouts
Release Date
June 21, 2025
Developed By
Nintendo EPD
Available On
Nintendo Switch
Reviewed On
Disclaimer: A code was provided by the publisher for the purpose of this review.
During the twilight years of the Wii U when releases were few and far between, I spent a lot of time playingSplatoonbecause its multiplayer focus was so anti-typical for Nintendo at the time. Having few friends that actually owned a Wii U, it was all the more satisfying watching many of them discover the sequel when it released on Switch a couple of years later. I was able to say ‘I was there’ for the series' humble beginnings, and seeing Splatoon 3 launch in an explosion of color and new vibrancy makes me proud to see how far it’s come.
For all the improvements that I’m going to cover, at its core the Splatoon 3 experience is very much as it has been in the past, and that’s no bad thing.
Turf War headlines again as the main multiplayer mode, where two teams of four players take each other on with the goal of finishing the match with a higher percentage of the map covered in their color of ink. This is done using a variety of different weapons, starting off with the very basic Splattershot Jr. and branching out into a myriad of weapon types that suit your playstyle. These include weapon classes such as shooters, dualies, blasters, chargers, and rollers among many other options.
RELATED:Every Turf War Map Ranked In Splatoon 3.
As you level up, you unlock the ability to purchase even more weapons. I was a fan of the roller type weapons, like the Splat Roller and Carbon Roller that provide quick and efficient ink coverage, while also being very useful in combat.Coming around a corner and splitting three enemies in succession with the roller before they even knew what had happened remains one of my most triumphant moments in the game. Another time, I was using the Tri-Stringer bow and made my way behind enemy lines. I was able to make a path to their base and kept picking off players as they were trying to make their way back to the middle of the map, which allowed my team to really take over and dominate the match. Moments like this are what kept me coming back for more, as well as the lopsided defeats that also had me ready to get some payback.
Strategy comes into play when picking out your go-to weapons, as some are more suited for spraying ink on the stage, while others are more apt for combat against the competition. Some players are going to be better at spreading ink around the stage at a more rapid rate while avoiding as much conflict as possible, while others are going to be combat champions that are more focused on taking down the opposition and clearing the way for their teammates to cover the stage. Finding that role that you are best at, especially if you are playing with a group of friends, is the key to victory when playing Splatoon 3.
Each of the weapons also has a set special ability and a type of sub-weapon that you can activate at certain points, with there being 15 total special abilities to choose from in Splatoon 3. Each weapon has a fixed special ability and sub-weapon, such as the Splatana’s Ultra Stamp special ability and Torpedo sub-weapon. It’s a shame that custom loadouts didn’t make it into the game, as there are weapons like the Splat Roller that I really enjoyed using early in my playthrough, but I was not a fan of the Big Bubbler ability that it had. Having this option could have taken things to the next level customization-wise, though I appreciate the omission for balancing purposes. Fortunately, there are multiple weapons within each class, so you do have plenty of options to choose from as you continue to level up and purchase additional weapons.
For those that do not want to compete directly against other players, Salmon Run is back again in Splatoon 3 as the game’s horde mode. You can team up here with friends or random players online to run through three waves of enemy and boss Salmonids. Even though this can get overwhelming if you are playing with only two players, it did feel a little too easy most of the time when playing with a full team of four players. It is very rare for you to even come close to losing as a full team, which left us wishing for stronger enemies, higher number of wave options, or more difficult completion requirements. Salmon Run is still a lot of fun to play through regardless, but it could still use some tweaking. The massive improvement this time round is that you are not limited on when you can participate in Salmon Run, as it’s now available 24/7.
Related:Splatoon 3: All Salmon Run Next Wave Bosses Ranked
The multiplayer will always be the focus of a Splatoon game, but the single-player campaign is the best in the series to date, taking you to a place called Alterna and casting you as a character called Agent 3. Like in the past, the single-player serves as a tutorial of sorts to help you grasp everything you need to know, but it’s actually a pretty well told and self-contained story this time out.
Your dear old Gramps disappears near the beginning, which causes you to venture deep into Alterna looking for him with the assistance of Agent 1 and Agent 2. Your journey will not be an easy one though, as much of the world is covered in Fuzzy Ooze, which is just as much of a hindrance as the returning Octarian enemies.The goal is to collect Power Eggs that can conteract the ooze, and the best way to earn these is via Kettles, which provide you with mission objectives to complete. The Kettles vary nicely in their objectives and really give you the opportunity to try out the abundance of different weapons and special abilities, priming you for the rigors of multiplayer.
Certain areas of Alterna culminate in a boss battle that actually takes a bit of thinking to figure out across multiple phases. These include battles against the new Deep Cut trio of Frye, Silver, and Big Man along with a couple of others. The Frye battle has her riding inside a giant spinning cube where she summons giant eels for you to take down, including them coming at you from the land and sky in different attacks. On the other hand, the Big Man battle was completely different as you had to destroy the silhouette of various manta rays that almost felt like a callback to one Shine Sprite mission in Super Mario Sunshine.
Having online servers that work well is vital in a game like this. Thankfully, Splatoon 3 so far has been really effective with this during the actual matches, but that was not quite the case for the main hub unfortunately. While hanging around in Splatsville or in the Lobby waiting for a match, more times than not I’d end up getting a communication error message, usually right at the moment when I’d just assembled a solid team of players. Hopefully, this is something that the development team can work on moving forward.
Splatoon 3 builds upon the excellent foundation that was previously laid out by the prior two games, now offering the most balanced experience between its multiplayer and single-player content. Even though it may not be groundbreaking, the numerous improvements and extra content in the game make Splatoon 3 the best entry in the series to date.
