Splatoon 2 players wanted chaos. Splatoon 3 delivers it

digitaltrends.com:

Over the last seven years, Splatoon has quietly evolved into one of Nintendo’s top-tier franchises. Starting with a surprise hit on the Wii U, the series quickly found devoted fans on both the casual and competitive sides. Splatoon 2 pushed that momentum, but it was seen as more of a “Splatoon 1.5” at the time — a slightly updated version of the first game for the Switch’s much larger install base. Despite the series’ success, it’s still been waiting for that true breakout moment.

Splatoon 3 just might be it.

At a press event, I went hands-on with the threequel, playing a snippet of its single-player campaigns, the newly retooled Salmon Run mode, and a few rounds of Turf War. While it’s largely the same game (in a good way), Nintendo has focused on small tweaks that should go a long way. New weapons, ingenious abilities, and tweaked movement seem like they’ll crack the series open for the competitive scene.

Considering the much-needed quality of life changes coming alongside the new content, I walked away from my play session convinced Splatoon 3 will be the Switch’s next must-own multiplayer game, right next to Super Smash Bros. Ultimate and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe.

At a glance, Splatoon 3 doesn’t seem much different than its predecessor. Take its story campaign for instance. As part of my preview, I played three quick levels, which felt very similar in structure to Splatoon 2’s Octo Expansion. When I hopped into a mission, I’d have to pick a weapon for the job and pay a little bit of currency to enter a short gauntlet that would test my platforming and inking skills. One level had me collecting three keys by reintroducing me to Splatoon staples like a rubbery path that rolls forward when I shoot ink at it.

The lore only