Splatoon Reviews

Splatoon is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
8 / 10.0
May 26, 2015

Splatoon may not offer much "content" out of the box, but it does offer enough reason to keep coming back to it, hungry for more. Despite a simple idea and a handful of maps, this eccentric shooter does – as the game's irritating in-universe TV hosts declare – "stay fresh."

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May 26, 2015

Splatoon is a beautiful new twist on the shooting genre, but lacks team chat and other modern norms.

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Guardian
Top Critic
May 27, 2015

Splatoon is a breath of fresh air – or more accurately "splodge of fresh ink" – for those who like to shoot stuff, but have grown tired of the endless bloody churn of gritty, realistic shooters. It is the coolest game on the market.

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May 26, 2015

Nintendo's quirky online shooter is an ink-stant classic, spoiled slightly by a lack of options.

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May 26, 2015

While Splatoon isn't quite the revelation some were hoping for, it's stupidly fun. The only concern is longevity, with the brief single-player and only two main modes to play online. Whether it retains an audience will depend on the success of post-release support from Nintendo. For now it's a colourful distraction from the grey and brown battlefields of more traditional shooters.

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Will Greenwald
Top Critic
Aug 19, 2015

Splatoon is a unique new shooter from Nintendo that throws away any sense of violence and replaces it with colorful fun.

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8 / 10.0
May 27, 2015

Nintendo's newest cast of characters leaves their mark on the third-person shooter genre in Splatoon, one of the freshest and most exciting competitive multiplayer experiences so far this year. It's just a shame that we'll need to wait a few more months for some of the game's basic functions to be fully implemented.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 4, 2015

Remarkably fun and boasting a bold, lively and completely mad style, Splatoon is an unbridled joy. Another gem for Nintendo's Wii U.

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May 27, 2015

Splatoon is the best online game to come from Nintendo. It's an innovative take on the third-person shooter genre, and a game that Wii U owners will have a blast with this summer. The multiplayer is pure fun, and the single-player is entertaining. It may be lacking in game modes and maps at launch, but new content will be coming soon. As it stands, there is a lot to love from this splatastic game and things can only get better. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some Splatoon to play.

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May 27, 2015

A few design decisions aside, Splatoon stands not only as an excellent addition to the Wii U library, but one of the best online experiences in recent memory.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 1, 2015

Pure, joyous, unbridled fun. Nintendo's Splatoon is missing content, but what's here will keep you coming back again and again. "Just ONE more match!"

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GameZone
Top Critic
8 / 10.0
May 27, 2015

Splatoon is vibrant, fun, and shaping up to be an enjoyable shooter the Wii U sorely need with all of its updates.

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8 / 10.0
Jun 4, 2015

The title may not be perfect, but the core gameplay is exactly why I keep coming back for more.

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Jun 3, 2015

Splatoon offers little, and yet the melding of color, punk rock, and nostalgia create a winner.

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Cubed3
Top Critic
8 / 10
May 27, 2015

Nintendo have taken a risk with a new and original concept, particularly within a difficult market to crack. Effortlessly charming, compelling and a solid start to what may well become one of the company's regular franchises. There are niggles with the game's control and lack of offline content, but there is certainly plenty of potential for Splatoon going forward, particularly through download content. Whether a shooting fan or not, Splatoon offers a refreshing, intriguing multiplayer experience that deserves a go or two, or three, or four…

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May 28, 2015

Splatoon blows third-person shooting wide open with its wildly unique mechanics and uninhibited sense of fun. Approachable for newcomers and enjoyable for old hands, it's an impressive Wii U exclusive, though we'll have to take Nintendo's promises of free DLC and updates on trust.

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Jul 23, 2017

"Colourful and constantly updating shooter."

Review in Finnish | Read full review

7.9 / 10.0
May 27, 2015

Splatoon is a vibrant, colourful and innovative competitive multiplayer shooter that's beautiful, addictive and undoubtedly fun - but a lack of maps and modes could hurts its lasting appeal.

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7.8 / 10.0
May 29, 2015

An enjoyable experience, but it needs more content and some streamlined design

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78 / 100
May 27, 2015

Splatoon is a game that isn't afraid to get messy, and in this case, messy is absolutely a good thing.

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