Splatoon 3

 Be thy yonder Kideth or mayhaps a Squide?

Well I've finally gotten around to talking about it, the new golden goose of the Nintendo line-up. Actually, we're literally on the third iteration now, to call Splatoon new seems like a giant misnomer; but in my defence it just feels that way compared to everything else that  the old famed company is renowned for putting out. Almost all of Nintendo's flagship games of today, Zelda, Mario, Pokemon, are legacy series that span back almost all of their console generations, whilst Splatoon stands almost alone in being a new Nintendo created franchise that's lasted beyond a single entry. That's rather stark in the grand scheme of things, rather worth the celebration, wouldn't you say? It's a series that stands as proof, if ever we needed it, that even old dinosaurs like Nintendo are capable of pulling themselves up by the bootstraps and innovating, to some small degree at least. The only question I have is whether or not the Splatoon franchise is big enough to survive being serialised to the degree of it's elder series' or if it'll run out of steam eventually.

For the sake of introductions, Splatoon was a new multiplayer series released for the Nintendo Wii U all the way back in 2015. And yes, being released on the Wii U certainly had its effect on the potential userbase of this game back when it launched. However, despite the limitations Splatoon really took to the audience on that console and soon become a must have item for the Wii U library. Whereas a good many other titles would get lost to the sands of time, Splatoon is a brand which everyone heard about for just being such a robust and unique competitive experience. An experience all about winning 'turf' by paining the stage the colour of your team whilst stopping your enemy from painting first or overwriting your territory. Simple in concept but quiet sublime in execution, such to the point where the game secured a rather avid fanbase. The next title introduced some single player elements to the franchise, nothing crazy but enough to add a little value to the package, and it came out on a console that actually sold which only heightened the popularity of the franchise.

And now we sit on the cusp of a third entry, due our way in 2022, with the question now being how will this new entry justify it's own existence; especially as it looks to be releasing on the exact same system as 2. For that point in particular we actually have precious little ammo to draw as despite giving quite a lot of time to the Splatoon 3 announcement, Nintendo spent most of that time faffing around showing off the new world-space environment; likely falling back on the whole "Everyone knows what the game is so we don't actually have to really sell it" formula that they love so much. Honestly, after that trailer most people were expecting some sort of post-apocalyptic kind of title in place of the Splatoon game that we got. Although, I guess now the two concepts aren't exactly mutually exclusive anymore now are they? This game does, afterall, take place in Splatsville, a vibrant city in the middle of The Splatlands, and arid wasteland. (So is this Splatoon meets Fallout or Splatoon meets Borderlands?)

What this trailer did manage to show off despite itself, however, was the striking visual eye that this series still manages to maintain. In fact, it probably only stands out to me today for the way in which it has expanded upon itself for this entry to match and grandeur and scope of this, no longer fledgling, franchise. In the three minute reveal we got to enjoy sweeping vistas of the desert badlands that boasted the sort of grand visual eye and rendering power that I didn't really know the Switch was capable of. Then we contrast that against the vibrant stylings of the almost neo-cyberpunkian Splasville to showcase their eye for artistic range. I wonder if all of this focus on raw visual power is an indication that perhaps this game is being geared for the, still rumoured and as-of-yet unannounced, Switch Pro. (A console said to have a small number of exclusives coming it's way.)  

As for new content making it's way to the Splatoon universe, details are fairly sparse and most of it written info only. We know that there's a brand new bow weapon being added to the arsenal, doubling down on range painting, and some new movement abilities to help the character's feel more mobile. The latter of which certainly grabs my attention as one of my biggest issues with this series in general is that it seems to be a very fast paced game with stiff feeling characters. (At least in kid form) And, as strange as it is to say, that's about the high and low of it. That's everything Nintendo has deigned to give us for a game that has about one major Nintendo event left between now and release. (And that event has already been designated to be a Zelda stream) I mean there's some fluff about new customisations items but- duh, there's going to be more customisation! No one buys the next entry for new customisations items!

Call me a cynic, for that's what I absolutely am, but what I'm curious about is really the way in which Splatoon 3 is going to sustain itself after launch. Because coming from the wider world of video gaming, (specifically the world that didn't only just discover what DLC is) I recognise that most online title nowadays are an investment into the future, and that is surely something that Nintendo are going to need to start catering towards in the new age. Splatoon 2 was a step in the direction of sustainability, with a DLC introduced and everything, but it still clearly wasn't a commitment to the modern model of constant updates, otherwise we wouldn't be looking at Splatoon 3 right now at all. Other Nintendo franchises, such as Smash Bros, has embraced this sort of formula and kept themselves alive and kicking consequently. I'd be extremely surprised if Splatoon could avoid the same path come 2022.

And then there's the question of Nintendo Online and wider changes that need to come it's way to support a multiplayer game. Of course, I'm projecting and collating a bit beyond my station by equating this issue to Splatoon directly, but we are looking at a potential blockbuster franchise returning to a system which has only gotten more popular since 2 launched. Will Nintendo really commit to launching a AAA online multiplayer game on such a rough online infrastructure? Splatoon 2 has it's issues, which were worked through, but this is a problem that only seems to mount every year. Nintendo Online is clearly not up to the standards of the rest of the industry, and there's no real excuse for it not to be. Does that mean there needs to be a substantial overhaul before Splatoon 3 to fix the drop-outs and lag spikes and unsyncing and hand-shake failures? Well, that's for Nintendo and their famous quality assurance teams to decide.

Being fully upfront and honest with you all; Splatoon 3 is not the sort of game that appeals to me or even one I would consider picking up; but that doesn't make me any less interested in observing the title. I find something fascinating in the genesis of a relatively new Nintendo pillar, almost like a documentarian would observe the birth of a new subspecies. With all these studios tearing out hair trying their hardest to be the 'next big thing', from your Avengers to your Outriders; it's refreshing to see that one game which stamps itself into the common zeitgeist with almost natural flair and ease. Of course, that's merely the perception, and one need but look to see the real growing pains of even the most successful of brands like this one. Thus I'll pay the utmost attention in this little title for the months to come, to see first-hand if she rises or sinks.