Splatoon 2 Reviews
Splatoon 2 manages to deliver an addictive and engaging online multiplayer experience with plenty of ways to keep you busy and layers of satisfying combat to keep you coming back. The lack of social features is a significant flaw, but it isn't a fatal one, and hopefully we'll see that aspect of the game improved in the near future.
"Splatoon 2" is entirely held together by its premise and gameplay. It's charming. It's different. It works and it's fun. But once a closer look is taken at the limitations of the different modes, an embarrassingly outdated set of online features and lack of onboard voice chat that those bright colors start to fade. "Splatoon 2" has the potential to be one of the best games of the year, but Nintendo needs to start taking notes on how modern game makers create an experience for a competitive scene.
Given that you're greeted by the squid DJ duo Marina and Pearl each time you hope into the game — who are instantly lovable the moment you meet them — it's easy to see why Splatoon made such a splash on the Wii U two years ago, and how Splatoon 2 might make a kid (or a squid) out of all of us on the Switch.
Splatoon 2 on the Nintendo Switch feels more like an updated, expanded Switch port of the first game than a sequel, but that's pretty compelling on its own.
Splatoon 2 is just about everything you could ask for from a sequel. It builds on everything the original set up and then some; almost every single major issue people had with the first game has been resolved, showing that Nintendo is genuinely listening and wants to deliver the absolute best experience possible. It maintains the freshness you'd expect and throws in countless big and small changes and additions, every one of them for the better. Anyone who says Nintendo can't do online should be eating their words right now; Splatoon 2 is simply inkredible and continues Nintendo's trailblazing first year of Switch stunners.
Splatoon 2 returns with all the charm and quirkiness of the original plus some new features that make it an even more polished experience. Difficulty for the story mode bosses leans a bit on the easier side and the online experience has some minor hiccups. An engaging campaign that harkens to old-school action games as well as full-fledged online multiplayer that now adds horde mode, however, makes Splatoon 2 avoid the dreaded sophomore slump by serving up an even fresher experience in the shooting genre.
Splatoon 2 fully deserves to be a sequel to its original, as it builds up and improves on several elements that made the first game so memorable. The gameplay mechanics remain fun and unique, the Salmon Mode is outstanding, the improved audiovisual components work wonders and the local multiplayer increases its appeal, Splatoon 2 just needs to work on some of the elements of its online multiplayer component to reach an even higher threshold.
Review in Portuguese | Read full review
Fun multiplayer shooter with creative ideas and great new features, that should be loaded with another ink cartridge to expand the scope.
Review in German | Read full review
Splatoon 2 is a remarkable multiplayer shooter with all the style, attention to detail, and polish that we've come to expect from Nintendo.
Given how novel and interesting Splatoon felt during the time of its release, I can't help but view Splatoon 2 as the least innovative sequel to one of the most unique games we've seen in years. There's still plenty of fun to be had here, but just don't go in expecting anything that drastically refines or improves upon the Splatoon formula.
Splatoon 2 is a far more robust, polished game, with heaps more content than its debut ever had, but still sadly retains some of its biggest shortfalls. An absurdly addictive formula of gameplay that remains unique and inviting, but with an encompassing online infrastructure that's sometimes at odds with itself.
Nintendo has delivered yet again, refining and polishing the groundwork they laid out two years ago. Simply put, Splatoon 2 is a must-have for any Switch owner.
It's quite literally everything the first game was and more, which might not mean more revolutionary features but does mean a greater depth and variety of options for the new players it is sure to ensnare. With free updates promised for the best part of a year, the game will only improve, and this time it'll have the audience it deserves.
Splatoon 2 keeps everything that worked in the first episode to deliver a strong but somehow light sequel. Fortunately, the Salmon Run mode seems new enough to bring back the fun, as this cooperative option took us by surprise. Fans will love, haters gonna hate, but Splatoon should benefit from the Switch phenomenal success to increase its fanbase.
Review in French | Read full review
Like the first Splatoon, Nintendo's sequel to their smash hit isn't your average multiplayer online shooter.
Those that played the original Splatoon will find the sequel feeling familiar. The intuitive mechanics are still as addictive as the first time around, but a larger number of maps and the addition of Salmon Run cements Splatoon 2 as an excellent standalone value. Moreover, the addition of competitive features and promise of ongoing support will ensure players will stick with the game for a while. After all, it was hard enough for me to stop playing online long enough to recommend the game to you.
Rather than a full blown sequel, Splatoon 2 frankly feels more like an (impressive) extention of the original episode, especially if you've been splatting around since 2015. Players of the Wii U chapter will truly feel at home, with a sense of familiarity that will certainly replace the stunning surprise effect that made the franchise so unique, while the newcomers will have the pleasure to experience one of the best and most original shooters ever created (one the perfectly embodies the so called "Nintendo Difference"). That said, with more courage and better online options this sequel would have been even more impressive.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Overall, Splatoon 2 is more of the same goodness that the original provides, with some graphical and gameplay improvements and additional game modes and maps. New players will find the game quite easy to adapt to without being out of their element, and experienced players will be able to dive straight in and get shooting.
The main mantra of Splatoon 2 seems to be 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it', and this is fine. This new Switch offering is robust, full of content and fun. Go and feed your hungry home-handheld hybrid.