Splatoon 2 review: I’m a big squid now

There’s a joke about a fresh coat of paint here somewhere, but I’ll skip it: Splatoon 2 is everything I loved about Splatoon, with caviar on top.

Developer: Nintendo
Publisher: Nintendo
Platform: Nintendo Switch
Release Date: July 21, 2017

If you’ve been following Splatoon 2 at all since its announcement, you likely already know just about everything that’s available to do in the game. Aside from the brief campaign, which I covered in my preview (and won’t reiterate here), the game holds few secrets that Nintendo hasn’t yet revealed, nor are many elements significantly different from the game’s Wii U predecessor. Even so, I glower at the disapproving non-fans clucking their tongues at how this is an “enhanced edition” and not a true sequel.

There’s more novelty here than just a fresh coat of ink, and that newness allows the IP to put its best tentacle forward as it prepares for the console audience it deserved the first time around.

Of course, Splatoon 2 is nothing without its staple Turf War, back in splendor with a roster of new maps and light tweaks to old favorites Moray Towers and Port Mackeral. While there are no surprises in how the game mode functions, Turf War (and its Ranked and League compatriots) benefit from a better weapon progression system that offers a wider variety of weapon types sooner, with more nuances versions featuring different perks waiting in the wings for later levels. The improved variety keeps Turf Wars and Ranked matches fresher than ever, and we’re sure to see even greater transformations as more weapons are rolled out. I’ve got my eye on that Brella!

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Some familiar staples have seen slight improvements, such as the vertical strike on the roller and saved charges on the charge shot. These balance adjustments breathe new life into weapons that didn’t see nearly enough play in the first game, and while I’m not in a good position to comment on the meta, my initial impression was that most load-outs felt fun to play, especially when paired with new sub weapon types. Less impressive were some of the new special moves, which seem to have eclipsed favorites such as the Ink Strike in the earlier levels. Some, like Ink Armor and Tenta Missiles, felt grossly underpowered for a “finisher” move, though others, like the Ink Jet, were stupidly fun.

Though I skipped the gyro controls with the heavy GamePad in the first game, I cannot recommend them enough in Splatoon 2 whether you’re playing with a Pro Controller (the best thing) or the Joy Cons with the Grip (I do not recommend Joy Cons by themselves, at all). In both cases, the lighter weight and tight gyro capabilities allow for far better aim than you can get with the sticks, and even if you’re playing in portable mode, the weight does not grow burdensome unless you’re playing for long, long periods. And while we’re talking about it, Splatoon 2 in portable mode is easily one of my favorite games to pick up and play for short periods of time on the go. Just make sure your internet connection is stable.

Notably missing from all this is still a split-screen multiplayer, a function Nintendo could easily dub “splat-screen” and make us all happy. I did not get the chance to test the new local multiplayer that requires multiple Switch consoles and copies of the game, though it strikes me as redundant for fewer than four players since you need an internet connection to play online regardless. The added feature is certainly a welcome one, but it’s still frustrating not to be able to play couch co-op, even just with two people in something like Turf War.

Splatoon 2 may not offer any sensational surprises, but why should it have to?

The most dramatic and enjoyable addition to Splatoon 2 is the co-op Salmon Run mode. Though only available with others online at certain times of day, Salmon Run is absolutely worth taking a Kraken at. Even at its lower levels, teaming up with three others to take on wave after wave of salmon bosses is no easy task, especially when you’re given a weapon you may not be comfortable with. Team coordination is spotty at best when all you have are “Booyah!” and “This way!” to convey your intentions, so that voice chat app (which was not available for the review period) will be essential…or something like it.

My only concern with Salmon Run is that the lack of boss variety might cause quick atrophy–not due to the runs being too easy (far from it), but rather due to stagnation. Dedicated teams will push for the highest levels, that’s a given. But your average player is there for the rewards and the fun with friends, and if they’re stuck looping on the same few bosses, again and again, they might lose interest quickly. But looking at the steady stream of updates Nintendo provided for the first game, I wouldn’t be surprised if we saw new salmonids show up for a splattin’ in good time.

With any online game, there are questions of server stability, and unfortunately, I don’t have a good answer for how that’s going to go. In a week-long review period (in which I probably got in at least 50 matches, probably more), I had matches disconnect on me at random twice for no special reason–all during a period of very low server stress, as it was just reviewers playing. On the contrary, I experienced zero issues during the four hours of the Splatfest last weekend, though others have reported disconnects. Based on this, I imagine the game will experience some minor issues in its opening weekend (just as Splatoon did), but Nintendo’s good track record for stable online servers has me optimistic that we’ll all be able to play with minimal frustration.

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I loved the first Splatoon. And I never felt it got a true splattershot at greatness, bogged down as it was in the dying breaths of an unpopular console. Splatoon 2 may not offer any sensational surprises, but why should it have to? The simple act of putting Splatoon in the hands of a larger audience over a longer period of time, slight balance and quality tweaks, and the promise of two years worth of new, free content is more than enough for one of the only truly brilliant new IPs to come out of Nintendo in years. Splatoon 2 is everything Splatoon could have been, given enough time and a better platform, and that’s more than good enough for this squid kid.

A copy of this game was provided to App Trigger for the purpose of this review. All scores are ranked out of 10, with .5 increments. Click here to learn more about our Review Policy.