Revisiting Splatoon 2: Better than Launch?

Lipstick on a Squid

Splatoon was undoubtedly my favorite title on Wii U. Its gameplay was so fast-paced and unique. Just when I thought I’d seen everything that the shooter genre had to offer, Nintendo came in and turned all the conventions on their head. So, needless to say, Splatoon 2 was one of my most anticipated games of 2017. However, as I spoke about in my earlier post, I simply felt like Nintendo didn’t do enough in the sequel to differentiate itself from the original. The game was the textbook definition of play-it-safe. It’s unfortunate, as Splatoon had a chance to become a behemoth on the scale of The Legend of Zelda or Pokemon. But, in my opinion, Splatoon 2 really killed the franchise’s momentum. The Switch has much more positive buzz than the Wii U, but the original title made many more waves. I loved Salmon Run, but it was open during select hours only. The campaign was fun, but it was wholly derivative of the original, so I never finished it. I enjoyed the loot grind, until I realized that most of the gear was recycled from Splatoon 1. The online multiplayer was still a blast, but I fell off of it quickly because it didn’t do anything new.  And so, for many months, Splatoon 2 sat untouched. That is, until last week.

After Nintendo outlined the substantial updates coming to Splatoon 2 in a short video earlier this year, I was actually excited about the game again. However, even after Nintendo rolled out these additions, it took me a few days to give them a try: I suppose my apprehension towards the game reached a subconscious level. But, I finally booted the game up, and I was greeted by Marina and Pearl. I’ve never found these two to be even close to Callie and Marie in terms of personality, so I simply click past their dialogue. I was hoping that Nintendo would’ve tightened up their opening spiel, but it’s still as aggressively mediocre and drawn out as before. Once I was in the game, I went straight to the shops. I immediately noticed that Nintendo made good on their promise, and added a lot of new items into the game. The aesthetic of Splatoon is one of its strongest features, so I’m happy to see that it has been revitalized. The weapon selection has also widened quite a bit: while many of the guns are still remixes from the original game, several new Dualies and Splat Brellas have been added as well. Likewise, a brand new archetype, the Squeezer, has been introduced. These weapons vary the gameplay significantly, and are far more interesting than many of the pre-existing weapons. But, browsing the shops is only so entertaining, so I jumped into a round of Salmon Run.

The new DLC weapons are far more unique than those in the base game

Fortunately, I was playing at the right time, and Salmon Run was available. Unfortunately, Nintendo is upholding this baffling decision to limit when Salmon Run can be played. I really think that with a little more attention Salmon Run could easily be the best feature of Splatoon 2. However, five months after launch, it still remains gated behind time restrictions. Likewise, Nintendo has done little to the mode itself since I played it last. They’ve added new stages, all well designed and a lot of fun, but there is only one stage available at a time, so after a few rounds, even a well designed stage loses its luster. Nintendo also hasn’t added any new boss Salmonid, meaning that Salmon Run is essentially the same experience that it was five months ago. It’s still a blast, and can get quite hectic. Swimming around the map, desperately trying to clean up Salmonids for Golden Eggs while they swarm you and your teammates is a pulse-pumping experience. In short-bursts, it is a ton of fun. However, without substantial updates it feels pretty barebones and hardly worth more than a couple rounds at a time. After my short stint in this mode, I headed over to Turf War.

For what it is, Salmon Run is very enjoyable, but it needs some significant re-tooling

The mode itself is unchanged, as I expected. However, the new crop of stages and music really help make this mode feel fun again. On the whole, a lot of the base Splatoon 2 maps felt pretty basic, and weren’t that much fun to play in. Even the early DLC stages were rather uninspired. But, the new stages such as MakoMart and Manta Marina have strong visual themes and are well-designed with varying altitudes and choke points to fight over. Splatoon 2 has also added in a good chunk of classic Splatoon stages, including one of my favorites, Blackbelly Skatepark. I like seeing these old stages return, but of the sixteen rotating stages, six of them are barely enhanced versions of Wii U levels: levels I’ve been playing since 2015. As the game continues to improve, I hope the developers spend more time creating brand new stages instead of folding Wii U content into the sequel. What is wholly new though, is the music. Again, I felt that the base game had a very derivative soundtrack. In contrast, the new music is fun and fresh. The new vocal songs are alright, but what really stands out are the new instrumental numbers. They are all infused with various real-world genres and sound very unique. These compositions add a certain flair to the gameplay, and keep the energy high throughout the match. It is a small addition, but one that I really appreciated. Yet, I use Turf War essentially as a warm-up before playing ranked. So, after a couple rounds, I jumped into the brand new mode, Clam Blitz.

The new DLC stages have very strong visual identities

Initially, I was unimpressed by Clam Blitz. It looked, well, fine. If anything, it seemed like a riff off of Rainmaker. I have to be honest though, in practice, Clam Blitz is a real barn-burner.This is perhaps the single best mode in ranked, and arguably the most unique aspect of this game. It is essentially a football match, except with clams. The goal is to accrue ten clams, which will give you a "clamball". This "clamball" has the power to smash the barrier guarding the enemy’s net. At which point, your teammates can throw any remaining clams they have into the unguarded basket to score points. However, all the clams you have are dragged behind you. The more clams you have, the more points you can score for your team, but the bigger target you are for your enemy. This is really something only Nintendo could come up with. This mode is frantic fun, encouraging clever platforming and teamwork. The dynamic of protecting your teammate with the most clams as they fight to the basket, and then holding off the enemy to allow your team members to score is really unlike any other mode in the game. I was pleasantly surprised by this addition, and I really hope that Nintendo exhibits this level of creativity in future DLC offerings.

Clam Blitz is frenetic and fun, but also requires much more teamwork than other modes

The difference between the launch version of Splatoon 2 and the current version of Splatoon 2 is drastic. Whereas the base game was as basic as a sequel could be, the new content is fun and unique. Nintendo is trending in the right direction with this game. I’ve sunk many hours into this game since revisiting it, and I’ve really enjoyed my time with the game. However, I can’t help but lament the systemic issues that still plague Splatoon 2. The developers finally got around to addressing weapon swapping within lobbies, which is fantastic. But, while I can change my weapon, I still can’t leave a lobby before it’s full. That is one change that just needs to happen. Matchmaking is improving, but it still has a long way to go.

Similarly, the developers refuse to address the map rotation that continues to stagnate the game. I love the new stages, but when I get stuck playing the same map five times in a row, well, it begins to lose its appeal. I played the original Splatoon pretty competitively with my friend, and we would 100% select our weapons and gear based on the maps… for ranked. This is a situation where the developers have their cake and eat it too: why not implement a Mario Kart 8 Deluxe-esque voting system for Turf War, but lock the maps for ranked? Turf War is a fun, but far more relaxed way to play Splatoon. So, why not allow a greater stage variety in the casual mode? It seems to make perfect sense, and still allows the truly competitive players to outfit themselves based on the situation. However, considering that it hasn’t been changed at this point, I find it highly unlikely that it will be changed in the future. Yet, it wouldn't be that difficult of a change, so I still think there is a chance that this issue will be rectified; unlike my biggest issue still plaguing the game.

Playing the same map over and over isn't fun and needs to be fixed

Running much deeper than my issue with the map rotation, is the lack of local multiplayer content. The fact that local multiplayer is still non-existent in Splatoon 2 is a big disappointment. From Call of Duty, to Star Wars Battlefront, to the original Splatoon, shooters have local multiplayer. Battle Dojo in the original Splatoon wasn't a particularly strong mode, but it allowed me to play in the same room with my friend. The mode was so limited though, that it seemed obvious that the sequel would expand on this element. However, Splatoon 2 just forgoes the mode entirely. This would be my biggest wish for future DLC. Especially on the Switch, a system that promotes and celebrates local multiplayer, Splatoon 2’s lack of it is a big detriment to my enjoyment of the game. A simple offline Turf War mode would’ve been plenty for me, and it wouldn't have been that hard to do. I would get easily twice the enjoyment out of this game if I could play it with my sister, but I can’t. I’m hoping against hope that this gets added down the line.

Battle Dojo wasn't very good, but it was better than nothing

If you were like me, and fell off of Splatoon 2 near launch, give it another shot. Odds are, you’ll be pleasantly surprised. Post-December update, Splatoon 2 feels much fresher. However, its underlying issues can’t be fixed with a new map, and so I can’t help but be disappointed in this game regardless. I’m really conflicted about Splatoon 2: on one hand, it has been given an, albeit temporary, second wind by the sheer creativity within its recent updates, but on the other, it just needs so much more work. For as much fun as I’m having, in the back of my mind, I can’t help but frustrate over the problems that still weigh the game down. I’m not sure I’ll ever swing completely one way or the other. All I know is that the original Splatoon was so good, that the sequel should’ve been a decisive win for Nintendo, but in my eyes, it just isn’t.