Nintendo is having a strong year, with the release of several big titles such as Xenoblade 3 and Kirby and the Forgotten Land to name a few.
Even after gifting players with great selections of new games, Nintendo has announced a few upcoming gems like the new Bayonetta and Pokemon.
But before then Nintendo is gearing up for the release of another highly anticipated title, Splatoon 3.
Splatoon 3 is the newest entry in Nintendo's competitive third-person shooter series, set in a new location and features many new weapons.
The biggest addition is the new single-player campaign called Return of the Mammalians, where players will take the role of another agent donning a Hero suit.
Octarians will once again be the main antagonist but they have been infected with a strange phenomenon giving them brown fur and purple eyes.
It's another charming story that is full of humour, familiar faces and action-packed moments with a few surprises that will excite fans of the previous campaigns.
Nintendo’s latest crop of games have been visually stunning and Splatoon is no exception.
The style is synonymous with Nintendo’s punchy colorful aesthetic that has been seen in past games.
The character models are fun and flamboyant with the extensive customisation allowing them to stand out from each other.
Stage designs are just as vibrant and complex as they were in Splatoon 2. That being said, Splatoon 3 has a wider range of locations that really shows off the diversity of the Splatlands.
It’s refreshing to see the developers situate the entire game in a new location allowing for a new but familiar visual experience.
Splatoon 3 is a stunning-looking game that runs amazingly in docked and undocked mode.
It’s really well suited for the Switch OLED, which allows the dazzling colour scheme to really stand out from other games on the system.
The game ran smoothly and I rarely experienced any frame drops or lag even during the busier moments.
Splatoon 3 returns with a lot of the modes from its predecessor, but they are now set in Splatlands.
Players will be able to access these different modes from the new hub city, Splatsville.
This hub feels less compact than Inkopolis Square with all the shops being sparsely separated so players can explore the city.
The single-player campaign Return of the Mammalians takes place in the mysterious Alterna where players will have to complete challenges on different sites.
Each site is set in a different theme location where players will have to use their weapons and platforming skills to progress until a showdown with a boss.
Each stage in Return of the Mammalians is surprisingly challenging, filled with complex puzzles, clever enemies and fun platforming segments.
The mission objectives aren’t as bold, but this mode is more about the journey than the end.
The game does a great job at scaling each stage's difficulty allowing new players to jump right in.
This mode also serves as a great introduction to weapons and how best to utilise them. Players will be impressed by the diverse range of enemies in the game who offer various levels of competition due to their unique attack patterns.
Return of the Mammalians is a tad short but the developers have packed in a lot of action with some of the best boss battles the series has to offer.
The complex design of each level will see players return to get the best times and search for the secrets.
Splatoon 3 returns with its usual online modes Turf war, Salmon Run and a new version of the Ranked matches called Anarchy Battles.
Turf War has the same objectives as the previous game but the new weapons really increase the stakes making this the most frantic iteration yet.
Ranked battles come in the form of Anarchy Battles, which will once again feature the four different modes including Splat Zone, Clam Blitz, Rainmaker, and Tower Control.
Anarchy Battles come in two versions, Open and Series, which will dictate whether players play solo or with friends.
Salmon Run is where players will have to defeat waves of salmon while retrieving golden eggs.
This updated version introduces new types of Boss Salmonids and King Salmonids that come fully equipped with new attack patterns not seen in the previous game.
Salmon Run can feel slightly repetitive at times as I feel that there could be more types of Salmonids especially amongst the weaker grunts.
Splatoon 3 features a new mode called Tableturf Battle which is a competitive card game version of the Turf war, where player battle with the decks.
Tableturf Battle appears to be very simple but it can become rather complex as players get to grips with the gameplay and 150 different cards.
Splatoon 3 brings back all original weapons while introducing ones that are native to Splatlands such as the Tri-Stringer or Splatana.
The game also introduces a slew of new special weapons including the Crab Tank or Triple Inkstrike which are devastating.
Each weapon has been well crafted and adds another level of strategy to the gameplay which in turn allows for border strategic options.
These clever additions help to even the playing field for newcomers as fans of the previous games won’t be able to dominate even with the prior experience.
Splatoon 3 has extensive customisation that not only allows players to change the look of their character but enhances their ability in battle.
Customisation can be a bit daunting at first as there are so many different types of abilities and gear to choose from, however players will be able to mould characters to suit their playstyle.
Verdict 4 / 5
Splatoon 3 is another great entry in the series that takes the best elements from its predecessors and greatly enhances them.
This is the most accessible game in the series as the new stages and weapons put new and seasoned players on an even playing field.
The story campaign is pretty short but by no means underwhelming, it just needed to be bolstered with a few more levels.
Splatoon 3 is out on 9 September for the Nintendo Switch
