Splatoon Reviews
Overall, I think Splatoon is a much needed shot in the arm or tentacle for a genre that could really use some new blood. With its fresh core mechanic, a solid campaign and an addicting and buttery online mode, Splatoon delivers a new and wonderful experience while adding Nintendo's trademark gameplay to the shooting formula. I give two thumbs — and nearly eight tentacles — up.
Splatoon is a brilliant and unique shooter sorely lacking in maps and modes, and it desperately needs a refill.
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.
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.
Splatoon is a wonderful game with a premise that's genuinely incredible. It's simply short on content, though that will be remedied.
Although it may sound like an oxymoron, "Splatoon" is a family shooter done right.
Splatoon is vibrant, fun, and shaping up to be an enjoyable shooter the Wii U sorely need with all of its updates.
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.
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.
Many fans wanted Splatoon to be Nintendo's answer to Halo or Call of Duty, and I don't know if that is fair. If you are expecting that, Splatoon might not be the game for you. Splatoon is to shooters what Mario Kart was to racers: it emphasizes pick up and play fun. It's a fun and lighthearted game with some great mechanics and focus on elements of the shooting genre that have never been looked at the same way before. The world is alive with color and paint and is a treat for the eyes. While the initial amount of maps and modes may be deterring, the sheer fun of the game manages to outshine any strong negative feelings I had. It's not a perfect game, but it's fun: plain and simple.
Splatoon is not trying to corral unearned cool points with obscenity. Splatoon does not push us to accept its weirdness. Splatoon merely opens its suction-cupped palms to the sky and says, "Here," and we graciously accept, parched by the years of dusty, war-torn, bone-dry purveyors of damage masquerading as games. Each waterfall was in fact an oasis. Instead, Splatoon showers us with a heavy goop that feels amniotic. We emerge, new and refreshed. We are all squids now.
Splatoon is a novel title that is a blast to play. My biggest concern is longevity. With certain modes and features locked behind players reaching a certain level, I wonder how long its legs truly are. I want it to catch on, but with the paltry Wii U user base, and a quirky new IP at the helm, my fears are that no one will care about Splatoon in a month's time.
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.
All good fun. Nothing really to complain about. There are some downfalls with lack of levels. On the other hand, the variations in weapons along with new levels coming keep Splatoon with its fresh, new take.
Splatoon is a game that isn't afraid to get messy, and in this case, messy is absolutely a good thing.
Splatoon is a lively, vibrant, clever game that turns the shooter genre on its ear, and in the early going it's a blast to play. But unless Nintendo can quickly adapt to the fluid nature of these sorts of games and ensure it remains fun for all types of players, it might not find the long-term audience it deserves. Like a beautiful coat of paint on a wall that wasn't properly primed, the cracks are already beginning to show.
In some ways, Splatoon's online component is disappointing, and the lack of so many features will likely push other shooter fans away. But most of those shortcomings can be forgiven in my mind because of how damn fun it is. As a shooter it's refreshing, and as a 3D platformer it's up there with some of Nintendo's greatest creations. You'll quickly forget about the fact that you're playing Turf War over and over as you squid down an alley, leap across a gap, and shoot enemies in the air as you fall. All Nintendo needs to do is keep supporting Splatoon, because the foundation is fantastic.
There are a few drawbacks and limitations, but Splatoon's frantic and addicting gameplay is a blast. This is Nintendo's best new IP in years.
If this is Nintendo's idea of what a multiplayer shooter should be, then I'm not about to argue with them.
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…