First experiences with Splatoon 3’s multiplayer

We’ve already talked about the excellent single-player experience that Splatoon 3 has to offer — and we might return to that if any interesting revelations come up as I play further into it — but it’s time to turn our attention to what is, for many people, the main attraction: the multiplayer.

For context, I’m not a big multiplayer guy, particularly not in games where the emphasis tends to be in playing competitive games against random people. I don’t like voice chatting with strangers due to social anxiety and a general distaste for anything even vaguely like talking on the telephone. And I’m not a big fan of trash talk in general, since everyone has to start somewhere, and it really sucks to be a newbie at something and have experienced people yelling at you.

All of these considerations have always made Splatoon multiplayer absolutely ideal for me, because there’s no voice chat, the emphasis is far more on the casual-play “Turf War” mode than the competitive modes, and the nature of the Switch platform means that there’s no direct means for people to send abuse your way either during or post-match. And, as such, it should be no surprise to learn that Splatoon 3’s core multiplayer offering is rather appealing to me also.

There are some people who dislike the distinctive way in which Splatoon does things, which is to have just two maps on offer at any given time, with the picks rotating at regular intervals, and new maps being thrown into the overall pool as part of major game updates. But, again, this is something I’ve always been fond of; rather than being thrown into a huge number of different maps with little opportunity to get to know them, you are instead encouraged to familiarise yourself intimately with the various maps before moving on to something else.

This way, everyone is more likely to be on a level playing field in terms of game knowledge — that just leaves skill as a means of dividing people. And the nice thing about that is that Splatoon has such a broad offering of weapons and other equipment that you can always find a loadout that fits your particular playstyle. Again, though, you’re encouraged to experiment and try a variety of ways to play until you figure out something that works for you — and it’s worth bearing in mind that in most of Splatoon’s game modes, being able to pull off an accurate headshot is not the be-all and end-all of gameplay.

In Turf War, for example, it’s much more important to have a good sense of situational awareness and a willingness to be a team player. For sure, it’s exciting and fun to try and push the front line and ink the enemy base, but the most reliable means of earning points and doing well in Turf War is to take care of the fundamentals: ensure you ink your own base, and ensure that said base remains suitably defended for the duration of the match.

In other words, if you have someone hanging back taking care of the base while others are pushing at the front, you have a good setup for success — and this also means the game caters to both assertive, confident players and those who are unsure of themselves. Unsurprisingly, I fall into the latter category — and yet I can still have a good time and even do well at Splatoon, because the game acknowledges that players like me exist, and provides me with the tools I need to take the best advantage of my particular play style.

Rather pleasingly, a new addition to Splatoon 3 is post-match medals, which highlight particular contributions you made to the team effort — including things like being the one who inked the base the most, spent most time on defence or found themselves the most frequent respawn point for other team members.

I’m particularly fond of some of the new weapons introduced in Splatoon 3 — especially those which seem especially set up with an emphasis on ink coverage rather than splatting power.

The bow and arrow-like Stringer weapon, for example, fires three shots in a broad horizontal spread when standing on the ground, or three in a vertical arrangement when jumping or falling. It can also be charged up to fire an explosive shot over a larger distance, which means it can be used for long-range splatting in a pinch — but its primary use is clearly quick, efficient coverage, making it great for those who prefer playing more of a “supporting” role in battle.

With Splatoon 3 being the third installment in the series, it would have been easy for everyone to forget that this may well be some people’s first foray into competitive multiplayer gaming. Thankfully, Nintendo have set the game up in such a way that there’s a nice gentle introduction to the game’s features for newcomers as you fight your initial battles — but at the same time, the ability to import Splatoon 2 save data means that veterans can get up and running with a wider variety of things to do right away.

And of course, as we’ve already talked about, the game’s single-player mode does a great job of placing you in a variety of situations that will help you familiarise yourself with the various weapons available to you, and how to deal with various tactical circumstances. It may not quite be the same as playing against the often unpredictable behaviour of fellow humans, but it at least provides a safe, private means of developing your skills.

And on top of that, there’s the constant feeling that everyone in Splatoon is just out to have a good time. The new Lobby that you can hang out in while waiting for your next match feels like the entrance hall to something like a cinema or a theme park ride, helping to build a sense of anticipation and excitement. The ability to buy and find items to decorate your locker lets you feel like you’re a part of the game’s world. And, of course, the game’s ability to let you express yourself through a huge variety of clothing, shoes, headgear, weapons and hand-drawn images is present and correct.

This latter aspect is, I must say, one of the things about Splatoon 3 that makes me smile the most frequently. Because while there are a fair few people posting predictable, tedious, tired and frankly irritating memes, there are also people expressing genuine excitement for the game, posting relevant jokes about the current Splatfest — and I even found someone recommending an indie game that I thought no-one else had ever heard of earlier. (Kamiko by Skipmore, if you were wondering — it’s a great hack-and-slash speedrunning title.)

In a world where the Internet feels like an increasingly toxic place on a daily basis, Splatoon 3 is a real oasis. It’s a place where people can come together and have fun, and you get the distinct impression that those out to behave like a little shit are not only not welcome, they’re actively silenced. And, to be perfectly honest, these days I am all for that.

Splatoon 3 is out now for Nintendo Switch both physically and digitally.

^{Disclosure: Some links in this article may be affiliate links, which means we may earn a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on them. This is at no additional cost to you and helps support Rice Digital!}

• Author
• Recent Posts

Pete Davison

Pete is Rice Digital's editor, and a proud champion of any and all games involving pretty girls hanging out, saving the world or both. His first waifu was Rit from Rod Land.

Latest posts by Pete Davison (see all)

• Letter from the Editor: passing the torch - June 30, 2023
• Super Woden GP 2 is looking promising - June 30, 2023
• Inti Creates is making a 32 bit-style Love Live action platformer - June 26, 2023