Splatoon 2 <コ:彡

Traded in (via Amazon) some games I wasn’t playing at all (Bomberman and Arms) for S2. Figured for $20 it can’t be bad even if the aesthetics aren’t really my thing.

I’m not going to get a pro controller I don’t think. Is the packed in controller good enough to at least figure out if I want to spend another $70 bucks?

And any simple newb tips for a Splatoon neophyte?

I just got the Pro Controller this afternoon in the post and it’s a seriously nice pad. It might be my favourite. It’s got two really smooth thumbsticks, a proper d-pad, nicely positioned buttons that feel great and it has ‘reassuring’ heft. The build quality seems top notch. I’m very happy with it!

That said, you should be absolutely fine with the stock JoyCon Grip controller.

Splatoon tips from me:

  • Try and get used to the motion controls. They really help if you can grok them.
  • The starting weapon is excellent so don’t be afraid to jump into Turf War with it.
  • Familiarise yourself with the controls and experiment with the weapons/specials in the test area (accessible via the weapon shop or main menu).
  • Know your objectives and focus on them!
  • The single-player campaign will no doubt be a great primer (I haven’t played it yet but Splatoon’s taught you all sorts whilst being a riot).

Knowing the objective is the number one most important thing, especially when you reach Level 10 and play ranked. Nothing is more frustrating than playing with people who are covering the map in paint during Rainmaker or Tower Control.

@geggis The Tri-Slosher is what you want. The basic one has too narrow a spread and it just doesn’t seem to have the power it did. The Tri-Slosher though is likely to get nerfed. It’s almost a must for one team memeber in Ranked modes. It kills and it coats with impunity.

So this has been a most unexpected surprise. Once I moved back from the screen a bit to combat the horrible motion sickness it was creating I really got into this. Even the whole squid-toon design is growing on me. Just wow.

The motion controls are nice at this point, but I can see them becoming amazing as I get a better handle on them.

Not sure if this is worth the price of admission alone at this early stage of the Switch life-cycle, but so far it’s really the only Switch game that grabbed me.

Thanks DL for pushing it so hard or I would have probably let it slide.

I absolutely love the graphic design of this game. It’s perfectly memorable and like many of Nintendo’s best games it also has music that evokes specific feelings of excitement and familiarity with a part of gameplay. The Salmon Run music is unforgettable and perfectly matches the setting and the gameplay while fitting nicely in the overall soundtrack.

Put on your Turf War gear and it’s upbeat rock and quick action. When the ladies are introducing the levels, you groove to a hip-hop beat. Every piece of music is so enjoyable and creates a memorable whole that’s way outside the Nintendo staples of many years of development.

I think their composers and performers have been at their very best since the Wii era.

I liked each musical piece enough the first couple times I heard them. Now I just play in mute because I was losing my damn mind and there is no way to toggle it off.

To each his own I guess. I whistle that stuff while I’m at work. lol!

I’ve not touched the campaign yet but I’ve got a few thoughts on Splatoon 2 compared to the original.

The music, whilst great and still lodging itself firmly in my head, isn’t really doing it for me as much as the first game’s. I may need more time with it.

The maps are a lot more open now with fewer chokepoints but I don’t think they’ve got the personality of the likes of Arowana, Blackbelly, Saltspray and Kelp Dome.

The specials in particular though feel so uneven. The String Ray is a suicide special unless you’re across the other side of the map. I’ve been using it for a while now as part of the Splatling, which I love, but it’s so situational and weak. The Inkstorm is… I’ve no idea. It’s fire-and-forget-and-hopefully-helps. The Inkjet by contrast is a beast. Splashdown is great. Tenta Missiles are the cheesiest addition I’ve seen to the game and are a pain in the arse when there’s a couple on the enemy team. Great against snipers but so was Inkstrike and Killer Wail, which I sorely miss. I hope they get added! Ink Armor isn’t nearly as clear as Bubbler. I’ve no idea when most folk are using it, including myself.

I am yet to try the Tri-Slosher but my gut feeling is that something changed and now it’s incredibly powerful compared to how I remember it. The normal Slosher is kind of obsolete at present. The Splat Brella feels very tricky to use.

I miss the Rainmaker’s ink tornados! A minor disappointment but I used to love that. I still miss the second screen for quick glances at the map, even though I’m mostly fine with the on-screen one now.

All that said, I welcome gear chunks, ‘Dualie’ weapon combos, and Salmon Run is a fantastic addition. I love Flow and her shop (and music). Pearl and Marina are cool and I’m glad Crusty Sean is still kicking around, this time in a snack shack.

I’m rank B on Tower Control and Splat Zones, I think. Rainmaker I’ve only played a few times so down in C. I’m a Go-Getter on Salmon Run!

Okay, so I didn’t realise that the Sting Ray fires through walls. Yeah, that’s quite a buff if you didn’t know about it! I’m still not convinced it’s powerful enough to stand toe-to-toe with the others but it’s totally changed the way I use it.

I tried making the Splat Brella work last night but that’s a tough nut to crack.

It was a rough evening on Splat Zones. I eventually dropped to C :-(

It leaves users covered in ink even when standing, but the easy tell for other players is the glowing eyes.

Yeah, I’m getting better at spotting it now but it’s a lot less obvious than a patterned bubble around inklings! If the Bubbler’s coming back then I can understand the need for a new visual effect but otherwise it’s an unnecessary step back in clarity for something very similar.

I’ve got to say, Sting Ray is great for Rainmaker. You can hold folk back who are huddling behind a corner and really lay some ink on the Rainmaker shield.

So Lost Outpost on Salmon Run is a totally different beast to the other maps. Get trapped in the main building and you’re stuffed. Don’t communicate with your teammates and you’re stuffed. Don’t take down the Salmonids quick enough and you’re stuffed (more so than usual!). We had a rough time, two friends and I. I’m loving how the Grillers and Motherships mix up the rounds.

The new map, Manta Maria, is really interesting with the central bottleneck and metal walkways up above. I’m surprised how effective I’ve been with the Sloshing Machine too, which I was pretty crap with on Splatoon.

Oh, and fuck these guys:

image

Manta Maria is great in Splash Zones. It’s relatively easy to defend your own side but crossing the line is a bloodbath. Unlike Moray, it’s also one that short ranged weapons can participate in thanks to the central walkway.

I’m in love with the Sloshing Machine. Feels like the Slosher with the power of a Blaster. Awkward to aim at first but a monster in the right hands, and fast too. I was consistently splatting 20+ inklings per game on Tower Control last night which admittedly is like shooting fish in a barrel but the thing’s a beast. The current combo of Autobmb and Sting Ray is fantastic for flushing out camping snipers too.

New patch notes.

The Sting Ray is getting a buff:

  • Firing the Sting Ray continuously for 1.5 seconds will cause a shock wave to appear around the ink blast, significantly increasing its damage radius.
  • Extended firing duration by .5 seconds when the gear ability “Special Ability Up” isn’t being used. (Firing duration when using the maximum amount of “Special Ability Up” remains unchanged.)

I miss the Killer Wail, and the Sting Ray is bundled with most of my main weapons so: sweet!

Ink Storm–which I’ve warmed to recently after realising that inking your patch in Ranked is very important to prevent getting totally locked down–is also getting a buff.

I’ve kind of fallen in love with the Splat Brella. It handles very differently to all other weapons so takes some getting used to. It’s like a shotgun but you have to get your aim just right to splat inklings reliably. Mobility and foresight is essential because its range is short but its defensive capabilities are crazy when you open the brolly up. It can protect you while also being something to push back/splat inklings and ink a path forwards (something that’s allowed me to carve a route straight to the pedestal on Rainmaker before picking it up resulting in a swift and unexpected win). The Sprinkler sub and Ink Storm special means that the enemy will always be fighting against a tide of ink encroaching on their turf. It’s a proper facilitator and support weapon.

Another thing that works in its favour is that it’s such a rare weapon to see in games that folk don’t know how to deal with one, which is fun itself. I was up against this one Brella user last night, we kept getting matched against each other on Splat Zones and it was really fun getting into fights against them because we were both trying to outwit each other, flanking, juking in squid form, defending, falling back, tossing Ink Storms and Sprinklers into the mix.

Whoa… huge new updates for Splatoon 2 in the next few weeks.

That’s new maps, a new game mode, new hairstyles…wow! Says there’s a new Salmon Run map, too!

The new game mode looks really cool! I will definitely revisit Splatoon 2 once this hits.

Not just new maps, old maps, too! I saw Arowana Mall and Walleye Warehouse in there!

Yup! That’s one hell of a free add-on!

that’s nuts!!! Keep us posted on the release dates!! I’m still deep in Mario Odyssey, but I’ll want to dive in to this again!

Yesss!

Update looks awesome! I’m excited about the new mode too!