Splatoon 3 Review (Nintendo Switch OLED)

by Jim Smale · Published September 23, 2022 · Updated September 23, 2024

For our Splatoon 3 Review, we visited Splatsville, the city of chaos, the adrenaline-fueled heart of the dusty Splatlands. The folks who live here are a little rowdier than what you might find in far-away Inkopolis.

Splatoon 3 Review Pros:

Gorgeous graphics.
5.4GB download size.
Import Splatoon 2 save (optional) to get Golden Sheldon tickets, early access to a game mode and settings, and online rankings.
A character creator for you and your little sidekick.
Opening tutorial section.
Full gyroscope controls (optional).
3rd person shooter gameplay.
In-game cutscenes.
Exceptional soundtrack.
Familiar controls.
Splatsville is your hub town where you can freely roam the streets, enter and use the shops, do deals, read and write messages with others and do some online play.
Controls can be inverted with sensitivity sliders. Handheld and big screen have seperate menus.
Amiibo support.
Color the floor with your ink color, transform into a squid and travel faster in the ink and replenish your ammo.
You can use the ink to climb walls, jump over obstacles and go through fences.
Multiplayer stages are cycled in and out with two being in rotation at a time.
Booting up the game will give you a brief rundown on any updates, events, and stages available from the studio team.
An online hub that is a seperate place where you can practice, choose game modes and buy new gear.
All gear has stat changes on them.
You are free to roam the online lobby whilst the game match makes.
Splashtags are player cards you can customize and show off in-game.
Earn EXP and level up to earn cash and new gear.
Lobby terminals allow you to view replays, Battle logs, replay codes, edit your splash tag, change nickname, change region, and get stuff.
Matches are automatically saved and can then be viewed and uploaded.
Fast travel between the shops and locations.
Photo mode.
Emotes can be used.
Level up gear and weapons by using them to make them better
Sheldon passes are needed to buy gear and come in Silver and Gold versions.
Test weapons before buying them.
Friend list avatars will appear in the online lobby and clicking on them will show up stats.
Medals are awarded in multiplayer for things like most splats covered the most ground etc.
Fast matchmaking.
In Single-player, you are collecting power eggs and using them to clear out the ooze in the hub areas which in turn opens up new stages and Collectibles.
You can replay levels.
Hidden Collectibles and rewards.
Slight puzzle elements.
The Crater area is basically the tutorial.
Alterna is the new hub world you explore.
Sardium is collected and used to unlock new upgrades.
Six sites within the single player, are basically six areas containing levels.
Splat enemies and fund collectibles to get upgrade points.
Stages are big with a lot in them.
Constant checkpoints.
The catalog is where you earn catalog points as you play and rank up for rewards, you spend your points on unique gear.
The kicker is your personal space to buy and hang up rewards and items.
Weapons and gear unlock to buy as you level up.
The salmon run is back with optional tutorials. For the unknowing, this is a team-based Co-op event against Ai where you collect eggs, fight bosses, and deposit eggs into baskets.
The salmon run has its own set of maps in rotation like the multiplayer maps.
The salmon run has its own leveling system and rank rewards.
Salmon run rewards are – work suits, decorations, stickers, and banners.
Earn multiplayer rewards in the single player.
When the maps change whilst you are in the shops or world, it’s a pop-up whereas before it would do the whole cutscenes thing.
The Shoal is where you go to do local wireless play.
Shell out machine is a capsule mini-game with random rewards.
Food and drink need tickets to buy things but they grant exp boosts, cash boosts, etc.
You can view other players’ lockers.
Auto saves regularly.
Matchmaking can be done solo or by grouping up with friends, joining friends from your list, etc.
You can post messages/drawings you make with the in-game ink pad.
Earn upgrade points in the hubs by painting the walls and floors.
Stages have more to them now, puzzle elements, racing, unique usage of weapons, etc.
The Salmon run is available all the time whereas last time it was time sensitive.