It makes sense the story mode is supposed to be a side mode and the multiplayer is the main focus of the game

The campaign alone was boring, the first game was trying something new and was basic as expected, 2 expanded story mode and added fun gimmicks and more interesting level design, but it seems like after 2 they ran out of good ideas and had to still add things in since it's a sequel.

So nearly all the new gameplay ideas in three's campaign are either boring or tedious, and overall it's a bit padded reusing ideas, the bosses are extremely simple. I had to force myself to clear it, this review isn't coming out until a year later because I kept dropping the story mode and just going back to ranked.

The story didn't impress, it was neat lore but I didn't get invested in it, 2's expansion spoiled me on this, the final levels were really minimal and not challenging at all.

I don't have the DLC so it might be a lot better now for single-player, I haven't looked into it.

The other modes however are much better, despite connection issues the balancing, map design, new weapons and gear, and modes are better than they ever have been.

For once getting into S+ didn't make me want to snap the game cart into tiny pieces, the game is punishing but nowhere near 1 or 2 while still requiring mastery to get into S+

Salmon run is chaotic unfair but fun nonetheless, just way too grindy to get anything good out of it but I can't stop playing it.

I'm really not into online multiplayer focused games, I don't get any satisfaction form competitive matches or PvP, co-op monser hunting, ect. I become disinterested quickly and drop these kinds of games quickly.
The core gameplay is so engaging and intuitive that I can enjoy it despite really not liking multiplayer focused games.

They pulled off something noteworthy with this game, and considering I still want to go back to it this is one of the best online games this company has made.

I'd skip the story mode, everything else though was great.

(added a year later)
They keep making the balancing worse, the new maps aren't fun to play and don't have good strategy or depth in multiplayer, salmon run keeps getting new maps but they still feel the same, Splatfests are fun on paper, but when I actually go to play I get disconnected and horrible lag that ruins the experience.

creating or joining lobbies and linking up with friends in needlessly complicated and un-intuitive and by the time we get it figured out I don't want to play anymore.
It's still addicting, but maybe not in a good way personally speaking. I spend so much time on this game but in the back of my mind I know it amounts to nothing. the only person that will care about your rank or win ratio is yourself, there's nothing to gain competitively long-term.

this game is just that one emotional chart where it constantly goes from "it's so over" to "we're so back", I don't think a single game has ever made me as frustrated one sitting and ecstatic the next but my god when a weapon finally clicks and you start controlling entire matches it feels so damn good

the single player is also great but the octo expansion is better

if you're gonna have all the music from all three games be playable in the lobby please let me play them in matches too, thanks Nogambi

This is an amazing follow up to Splatoon 2 with TONS of content to sink your teeth into and tons of fun modes to play online, especially with friends. That campaign, Return of the Mammalians, is one of the best story modes I've ever beaten and shows that there's so much freaking lore in this game!!

Wish I could give it 5 stars but what stops it however is online connectivity is absolutely rough at best and it's always frustrating to randomly disconnect from an online match. One solution I can think of is if you use a LAN cable on your OLED switch, it does help quite a bit compared to wireless. But still, I hate that part about the game.

Overall, I'm still playing this game and I'm glad that it launched in a mostly polished and solid state. I love Splatoon so much and will never stop loving it for as long as I live. This is one of the games I recommend getting on the Switch.

maybe I'm just spla-tired-out of splatoon but this just feels the same as the last one. splatoon 2 felt maybe a little different from 1 but this just feels like splatoon 2 but now I'm less familiar with the ults and some weapons. the gameplay is still just the same. none of the new ults shake up how i played or what I did. it's still just splatoon 2 with a new coat of paint but nonetheless its still fun. just not "got a brand-new game and its like nothing I've played before" or "thrilling sequel" but more of "this maybe could have been a huge update to the previous entry"

this is my first experience with splatoon outside of playing like two rounds of splat 1 at a friends house nearly a decade ago (person aging rapidly gif) so take that as you will.

i really like the gameplay loop of splatoon. i'm not very good at it, nor do i really want to put in the effort to be that good at it, but i have fun whenever i turn it on. i never finished the story mode and mostly go in for splatfests and salmon run at this point, but i don't really feel like there's a need for it to be anything else for me personally. maybe because i'm not very competitive or i'm always playing with babies because i haven't been playing this for a decade like some people but i'm never enraged by this silly squid game, i'm just here to paint the ground and laugh at weird usernames

theres obviously problems i have with the game, like how the entirety of salmon run's leveling system works, but as a first-time player in this franchise, i think it's pretty neat.

Oh this, this is beautiful.

The new movement added, especially squid rolls, make it somehow more fun to move around than before.

The extremely unique weapons, that could probably never exist in a game different to Splatoon, make even shooting a gun interesting. (I main the Heavy Splatling and Explosher).

The only problem I have is, quite literally, a skill issue on my part. I suck at ranked. I want to play the more unique game modes, but my inability to cope with the stress of a ranked gamemode forces me to play only turf war and salmon run. But I completely understand, this is my fault. I just need to suck it up, play ranked, and gradually learn and improve instead of just ignoring it.

Introspective rambling aside, this is game really fun, and absolutely worth everything.

Oh mi nuevo genero favorito mundo post apocaliptico para niños con la humanidad extinguida por su propia estupidez.

La verdad en los primeros minutos parece mas de lo mismo que el segundo juego pero logra romper tus expectativas, tanto en el multijugador y la campaña del modo historia, se nota la acumulacion de experiencia del equipo, lo primero que quiero destacar es el modo historia.

Modo historia:
El modo historia tiene una mejora abismal comparado con el juego anterior, los niveles son bastantes variados y divertidos, algunos siguen con la mania de ser un tutorial o de llegar a la meta con enemigos pero otros es sobrevivir cierto tiempo, coleccionar objetos o luchar contra el tiempo, entre otros esto vuelve el modo historia mucho mas llevaderos, se nota una filosofia de la octo expansion de como entrar en los niveles solo que mucho menos frustrantes. L!os jefes pero los que tiene son bien memorables, por sus menicas algo peculiares, el avance por el mundo es en base a quitar obstaculos esto permite visitar mas niveles y si completas mas niveles te dan RICO LOREEEEEEEEEEEEE, de verdad el lore obtorgado es muy interesante y llegas a niveles de querer saber mas casi como una obsesion. Existe un arbol de habilidad que es pequeño pero encuentro que es lo justo y necesario no da mucho para hablar, es util para los jefes pero para niveles comunes no identifique mucha ayuda. Los personajes dan interacciones entretenidas, creo que es un gran modo historia.
Modos online:
Solo eh estado provando los combates territoriales y cuando el juego dice que es la tierra del caos no es broma, es mucho mas frenetico que el anterior y me encanta el nuevo sistema de resureccion sin estar ligado a un lugar en expesifico, los especiales son mas destructivos, es en resumen caotico y eso me encanta los ultimos segundos si pueden cruciales.
Salmon run y big run:
Primero parece mas de los mismo pero los nuevos grandes salmonidos y estos literalmente kaijus entregan aun mayor horas de diversion o frustracion, pues el big run es el modo dificil del salmon run con niveles de combate.
Extras:
Los casilleros, los objetos coleccion, mas armas y otras agregados son agregados que dan mas horas de juego y tienen ese no se que que te hace querer conseguir mas cosas apesar de que son bien inutiles.
Lo que si aun no me gusta es el tema de los ponteciadores se me hace aun algo lento pero comparado con lo anterior es la nada mismo.