Splatoon 2

Splatoon 2 just like its predecessor is extremely addictive. The first thing you'll notice is the vibrant colours and zany soundtrack that accompanies the game. The Splatoon series is not your average shooter with the main objective being to cover the playing area with ink from your weapon. I've been playing the game for just under two weeks and have already clocked up over 25 hours of game play, while also managing to work and attend university. This game has taken control of my life and I have found myself constantly going back to it to work on my ranking in multiplayer matches.

The first thing I noticed when I booted up the game was how good the graphics looked compared to the first game. Everything just seemed to pop a little more, especially the ink which appeared to have more shimmer and shine. 

Many people will compare Splatoon 2 to its previous Wii U iteration and say that it is a carbon copy with little to no improvements. And those people aren't wrong, the game is very similar to the first Splatoon but that is what makes it so great. 

The story mode is a good place to start if you need to brush up on basic game play mechanics before jumping into multiplayer action and the plot of the story itself is quite engaging, especially for those who played the first game. 

But lets be honest here, multiplayer is where Splatoon 2 really kicks its goals. There are a wide variety of game modes featured including, tower control, rainmaker, splat zones and my personal favourite turf war. Games on the hold are very easy to get into and there isn't a lot of waiting around in between matches. I have had a few connectivity issues here and there, but nothing that has impacted on the experience. The multiplayer stages are varied and each one offers many different tactics and strategies to get the upper hand on your opponents. Ranked matches is where I've found myself playing most frequently after unlocking it at level 10. I really enjoy the ranking system and how you can loose your rank if you don't perform well enough in matches. It raises the stakes when playing and adds an even more competitive element to the game. One complaint I have with ranked matches is the exclusion of the turf war mode, which you can only play in regular matches. Personally, it's my favourite game mode so it would be nice to see it included in a future update. Another gripe I have is that the stages and modes matches are played on is rotated on a schedule. This can be quite annoying if you have a favourite stage or game mode or have a rank in a particular mode that you need to improve on. 

Splatoon 2's biggest new inclusion would have to be its new co-op mode Salmon Run. I think this mode has the potential to be fun and really enjoyable but at this stage I have found it to be quite lackluster. For starters, you can only play Salmon Run during certain time periods and not at your own leisure. This is a very odd choice that the developers have made and I believe it would be much more enjoyable if you were able to play it at anytime. Another issue I have is the game play being far too easy. In all the matches I've played my team and I have very easily gotten through the waves of enemies. It needs to be more challenging if it's going to keep me interested. And just the way in which the game play is structured seems odd. You and your team tackle three waves and then that's it, the match is over. When Salmon Run was first announced I thought it was going to be similar to Call of Duty Zombies but with fish. So it was a bit deflating that this was not the case. Hopefully future updates will improve upon the mode.

Alongside Splatoon 2 Nintendo released a mobile phone app to allow for voice chat. I personally haven't used it but believe it is very disappointing that you can only use voice chat with your friends and not random people you play against. And the fact that you can only use the voice chat in the game lobby in between games totally defeats the purpose of having voice chat in the first place. Voice chat should be there so you can strategise with your team mates in game. Nintendo really need to pick up their game with regards to this. The app also lets you look over your ranking, buy special clothes which you claim in game and also see the schedule for multiplayer stages. Looking at this schedule was really the only thing I used the app for. 

Overall, Spatoon 2 is a very engaging and fun game and I think the thing that keeps me coming back to it so often is it ease of play ability. The Nintendo Switch console enables the game to be booted up extremely quickly and have me in a match in less than a minute. And the portability of the console means that I don't have to be awkwardly sitting on the end of my bed for hours on end playing. I can lie in bed, sit on the couch or outside to play which is very encouraging. I never thought I'd get so caught up in a game which revolves around spraying ink everywhere but Splatoon 2 has managed to achieve that. There are still improvements to be made on the game to make it even better, but at this stage I can't see myself putting it down anytime soon.

5/5

#VideoGames #Splatoon2 #Review #Nintendo