Splatoon 2 Might be Lazy, but it's a Ton of Fun

 You're a Kid Again, You're a Squid Again

I felt incredibly mixed as Splatoon 2 prepared to launch. I couldn’t wait to play, but all signs pointed to Splatoon 2 being more of the same. I was excited to give the game a shot, and find out for myself if that claim was true. Now, I’m quite early in the game; rank 12 and hovering around 10-12 hours with the game. I’ve gotten a good feel for Turf War, Ranked play, and Salmon Run, but I haven't gotten more than a few levels into the single player. Having done that, I can say that Splatoon 2 is a very lazy sequel. However, that doesn't detract from the sheer amount of fun I've had with this title.

The N-Zap was recycled from Splatoon 1, but features a new
sub/special combo. The visor is also a recycled piece

I knew this game recycled some content from the original, but I didn’t expect that Splatoon 2 would borrow as heavily from the first game as it does. With a few key exceptions, at this point, nearly all the weapons are from the first game. The returners do have some modifications, as I touch on later, but it is very underwhelming to use, say a Splattershot Pro again. Similarly, Splatoon 2 doesn’t feature any new modes for ranked play, and Turf War is identical. The gear sets, one of the best parts of Splatoon, feature a mix of returning gear and new pieces, much like the weapons. It’s a shame how much content Splatoon 2 recycles considering the team had two years to come up with new ideas and designs. I played Splatoon 1 from launch day up until this year very regularly. I know that game inside and out, so it is certainly frustrating to re-tread ground from before. Unfortunately, on top of that, several key issues still have not been resolved from the first game.

The Battle Dojo wasn't great, but it was something

Splatoon 1 had a few problems that really hurt the gameplay experience, but they seemed like easy fixes. However, none of these issues were addressed. You still can’t change weapons or gear in-between rounds without leaving to the lobby. There is still a stage rotation that traps you into only two maps every two hours. Perhaps the biggest problem is the local Co-Op situation. The Battle Dojo in Splatoon 1 was universally panned for being far too shallow of a Co-Op experience. Splatoon 2 was the perfect chance to build upon local play, especially with the Switch's mulitplayer heavy message. The developers did take steps to fix this issue in Splatoon 2… by removing local split-screen completely. There is no option for two players in Splatoon 2. This goes against the mentality of Switch. I would have loved to play offline Turf War with my friends, both on my TV and in tabletop mode. Even with those issues though, I’m just having so much fun that I can excuse these flaws to an extent.

The new specials, such as the Ink Storm, are very well designed

Splatoon 2 is incredibly addicting. Even with its problems, the core experience is so refined that I don’t want to play anything else. Jumping into Turf War is still a blast, and I like trying out different gear combinations. They are mostly repeats, but many returning weapons have new sub/special sets, with many subs and all the specials being new to Splatoon 2. That doesn’t make them feel new, but it does help entice me to try out old pieces that I used to death in the original. The new plaza has just a ton to do as well, with new faces and activities to take part in. I like all the new shopkeepers, and Crusty Sean’s food truck seems like a great addition, I just haven’t figured it out quite yet. Those are all incremental changes. Of course, the real star of Splatoon 2 is Salmon Run.

Salmon Run has a strong visual aesthetic 

At its core, Salmon Run is a horde mode. However, it is executed so well, and has such a strong visual identity that it is the highlight of the game. Most of the time, Salmon Run is a juggling act of cleaning out basic Salmonids, and searching for boss Salmonids to accumulate Golden Eggs. The bosses all have fantastic designs and require different strategies to take out. Combine that with the constantly cycling weapons, and there is a lot of replayability in this mode. But perhaps the best part about Salmon Run is how it gives Splatoon 2 a brand new look. It swaps the bright ink and trendy clothing of the main game for dark colors and fisherman’s gear. It helps add some much needed variety to the game.

I was lucky enough to get in a lobby with RogersBase

Splatoon 2 is a really mixed bag. Having played so much of the original, this game just doesn’t have that same charm. That said, the game is just so fun that I really don’t mind. Actually, I haven’t had this much fun with a Switch title since Breath of the Wild. The total lack of local Co-OP is disappointing, but we’ve already seen DLC come to the game, so I wouldn’t be surprised if new modes were patched in. If you’re on the fence about Splatoon 2, I’d say jump in. It’s very flawed, but due to the fun factor alone, I think Splatoon 2 stands as the premier online Switch title so far.