Splatoon Reviews

Splatoon is ranked in the 86th percentile of games scored on OpenCritic.
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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4 / 5.0
Jun 2, 2015

Splatoon is all about staying fresh, and despite its lack of content somehow manages to remain just as appealing after twenty hours as it was in its first. Its core gameplay is so unwaveringly solid that it's bound to only become better as more maps, weapons and modes are released in the months after launch, but even now Splatoon might just be Wii U's long-awaited killer app.

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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 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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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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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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8 / 10.0
May 29, 2015

Despite the lack of content at launch, the title is incredibly fun. Even if there are only two modes available so far, the gameplay is so unique that a purchase is worthwhile. I do believe it could have more potential if it included voice chat or an extra mode or two at launch, but past that, Splatoon has the kind of longevity that will keep me playing for a long time.

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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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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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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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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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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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May 26, 2015

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

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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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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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8 / 10.0
May 29, 2015

Splatoon is different, inventive, and the most fun I've had with a Nintendo-developed game since the Wii U launched

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8 / 10
May 27, 2015

In almost all respects, Splatoon is a satisfying game. It's an online game which is incredibly fun to play, and one which runs really smoothly despite tracking a lot of endlessly changing information. It's backed up by a really enjoyable single player portion, and from here you can see how people can pour countless hours into this game. It's all about covering the environment in coloured ink, and yet it's also so much more than that. It shows, if anything, that even a departure from their main cast can't stop the streak Nintendo are on right now when it comes to high-quality games.

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May 26, 2015

Overall, Splatoon isn't a perfect game, but it's fun. Really, really fun. It's the start of a promising IP for Nintendo, and it's something unique for Wii U as an action-packed shooter that's also still capable of retaining its family-friendly image. It's the '90s paintball craze meets Call of Duty and it's totally da bomb and funky fresh.

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May 26, 2015

Nintendo takes a chance with this odd, risky rethink of the arena shooter. Splatoon moves away from guns and grit, offering a shooter anyone of any age can enjoy. The game's single-player is an absolutely amazing puzzle platformer that deserves some expansion. Multiplayer is a bit light on content at launch, but Nintendo is already promising more this summer.

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May 31, 2015

It's squid kids and ink blasting abound in Nintendo's exceptionally fun new online shooter.

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