Splatoon 3

 Switch
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 448 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 286 out of 448
  2. Mixed: 47 out of 448
  3. Negative: 115 out of 448
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  1. thaesino
    Dec 27, 2022
    7
    Fun game. Some needed changes, some unneeded and mostly superficial alterations.

    Online disconnects as much as always, even on wired connection. But still better than Mario Kart online.

    That being said…

    Pro tip: practice pressing A; you’ll be doing it a lot
  2. iVialeko
    Sep 30, 2022
    5
    My review score for this game currently stands as a 5, as I view this as "half a game" in its current state. Only 1 kit for each weapon, no leagues, 12 stages, (although the best amount among the franchise's birth, still shallow compared to other competitive/sport oriented Nintendo games on the market) and full of errors and bugs. I quickly found myself playing this game once or twiceMy review score for this game currently stands as a 5, as I view this as "half a game" in its current state. Only 1 kit for each weapon, no leagues, 12 stages, (although the best amount among the franchise's birth, still shallow compared to other competitive/sport oriented Nintendo games on the market) and full of errors and bugs. I quickly found myself playing this game once or twice every week ever since its first week and a half after release, even being hyped following the news of the game leading up to launch, and knowing the shallow content pool of past entries with all of that in mind. Now, you could say I'm not being that fair since the game is only a few weeks in, and has a plethora of updates of content to come spanning a whole two years, but some of the things I mentioned I feel should've been a little more elaborate or expansive at launch, and this is only going to become a bigger point of emphasis as the weeks go by empty of new substance. I very well may be proven wrong here, and could take this review off the board seeing as to how well this feedback from present day into the future ages. But as is, this is a pool of cephalopods swimming in rather shallow waters.… Expand
  3. Whekenui
    Dec 29, 2022
    5
    Splatoon 3 is an amazing game that provides countless hours of fun... when it works. The decision to release the third installment on the Switch was probably unwise and overly ambitious given the console's age and technical limitations. The myriad networking and matchmaking issues players encounter on a daily basis render the game almost unplayable in most multiplayer modes. If you mustSplatoon 3 is an amazing game that provides countless hours of fun... when it works. The decision to release the third installment on the Switch was probably unwise and overly ambitious given the console's age and technical limitations. The myriad networking and matchmaking issues players encounter on a daily basis render the game almost unplayable in most multiplayer modes. If you must play online, expect multiple disconnections and communication errors (which you will then be punished for with a temporary ban or a rank demotion). I could not in good conscience recommend the game to anyone, even though it is one of my favourite franchises in the Nintendo stable. What makes it worse is that this experience is not free and requires a Nintendo Online subscription.… Expand
  4. Samware
    Sep 27, 2022
    5
    I really like Splatoon 2 but after playing 3 for a week, it feels like a cash grab that doesn't deserve to be its own game. If it's your first time playing Splatoon, it's worth it, but if you've already played a lot of Splatoon 2, this game will barely feel any different and the new additions are minimal - a couple of new weapon types, a few new special moves, a few new maps and a few bossI really like Splatoon 2 but after playing 3 for a week, it feels like a cash grab that doesn't deserve to be its own game. If it's your first time playing Splatoon, it's worth it, but if you've already played a lot of Splatoon 2, this game will barely feel any different and the new additions are minimal - a couple of new weapon types, a few new special moves, a few new maps and a few boss enemies in Salmon Run - I'm pretty sure that's it. No new game modes except Tri Colour turf war which was supposed to be playable during Splatfest, but seemed to be inaccessible for near enough everyone thanks to the atrocious online service. Online stability is still just as bad as it was in Splatoon 2, which is especially annoying when Nintendo makes you pay to play online.… Expand
  5. IronJar
    Sep 24, 2022
    6
    Splatoon's core mechanics aren't really fun or satisfying,story campaing is 70% dogwater,but 30% of the levels are actually somewhat fun
    Music and aesthetics are good just like in all splatoon games
  6. TheLinkgirl
    May 6, 2023
    5
    Having now put well over a hundred hours into this game, I'm ready to say that I think Splatoon 3 is easily the weakest game in the series. Yes, there are improvements from Splatoon 1 and 2, but the improvements aren't enough to carry what feels like a stagnating formula. Many aspects of the game feel like they have been reduced in quality, especially from Splatoon 2, and it has made itHaving now put well over a hundred hours into this game, I'm ready to say that I think Splatoon 3 is easily the weakest game in the series. Yes, there are improvements from Splatoon 1 and 2, but the improvements aren't enough to carry what feels like a stagnating formula. Many aspects of the game feel like they have been reduced in quality, especially from Splatoon 2, and it has made it difficult for me to understand why this was a new release. While I do think the new movement options have added a healthy amount of new depth to the game, I think its important to address the horrendous balance in the game right now, specifically with the obvious bias towards shooter weapons: as of the time of writing, there are a total of 19 standard shooter kits in the game, compared to the umbrellas and brushes which each have only 3 kits each, and the splatanas and bows only having 2 kits each. This has left the game in an abhorently unhealthy state, and means most players are using the same class, leading to most matches just feeling the same.… Expand
  7. moschidae
    Dec 12, 2022
    7
    I've been playing Splatoon ever since the original Wii U release, I think its an amazing series with wonderful character design, music, and deeply addicting gameplay that you can't get anywhere else. I in no sense hate this game, and I think anyone can have fun playing it. That being said...this game can get incredibly frustrating for older teens/adults who care about their results,I've been playing Splatoon ever since the original Wii U release, I think its an amazing series with wonderful character design, music, and deeply addicting gameplay that you can't get anywhere else. I in no sense hate this game, and I think anyone can have fun playing it. That being said...this game can get incredibly frustrating for older teens/adults who care about their results, especially in Salmon Run where you have a rank to lose.
    This game needs a better matchmaking system, period. I don't play turf and ranked typically (because of the horrible netcode this game has, if you dont have good internet dont even bother) but I am a huge fan of salmon run. I've been at the max rank before, and when your team knows how to play, it's incredibly chaotic and just pure fun. But all that hinges on your team KNOWING how to play. If you get one bad teammate- thats it, you're done... and YOU get punished for it! It is so easy to lose your rank or, if you are lucky, to be carried into a rank higher than what your skill level is at.
    Skillful players get knocked down so easily and it.. is literally near impossible to get back up. It's ridiculous. Nintendo needs to make it harder to go up and harder to go down, I've never played a multiplayer game where the ranks just don't matter and you can be paired with anyone. Salmon run becomes, ironically, 10x harder when you factor in players who do not know what they're doing in lower, easier ranks. All the joys of teamwork get utterly sucked away and you're just left with just feeling like you wasted your time because your teammates ran to the shore, stayed there, constantly getting themselves killed and not focusing on the objective... and theres nothing you can do about it. Oh, but that's your fault, clearly you (the person with the best score) must not know how to play... let's dock your pay grade by 5,000 points.
    So if you just want to have a good time and play, this game is perfect for that. But if you even get slightly serious about what you're doing, you're just going to be utterly disappointed.

    (.... oh yeah and the regular maps for turf and all that aren't good or fun, they're very cramped! Not ideal in a game who's design philosophy ISN'T supposed to be rooted in just getting enough kills, like every other shooter, but rather how much of the ground you can ink. It really feels like they went back on this, and this game is now more than ever filled to the brim with tryhards. It doesn't feel as welcoming and warm as Splatoon 2 did for me)    … Expand
  8. ZYMROD
    Nov 22, 2022
    7
    El juego en el aspecto jugable cumple junto a sus mecánicas que aun entretienen y funcionan. Sin embargo, el contenido de lanzamiento es escaso e incluso se podrían haber lucido migrando todos los mapas, armas, ropas de los anteriores juegos y contenido exclusivo de Japon. Lo cual hubiera presentado un juego mas robusto y justificado su valor de USD 60.
  9. Mingtan
    Mar 20, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. i like selmon run , i give up in rank mode , because team are **** by the way , i will still rate the rank system -10/10 , but i like selmon run , but ! sometime when it is time to change map or mode, i will disconect from the game , i am like what the **** , and rank down the from legend to +3, but still i rarely face it , but when it happend i am going to say , ya **** today no more splatoon , and go to play other game , so hope randomly disconect by your server just -5 is enough but -20 until rank down is unfair , sometime team is bad too lucky i have friend to help .… Expand
  10. Captiosus
    Sep 18, 2022
    6
    Update 9/18/22:
    The recent server maintenance and 1.1.1 patch were *supposed* to help address the comms error problem. If anything the issue has only become WORSE since the patch. In one 90 minute session today, I counted 27 generic comms errors: 22 during matchmaking, 5 mid-match. None of this was a problem with my network as discord chat and my wife's TV video streaming worked    Update 9/18/22:
    The recent server maintenance and 1.1.1 patch were *supposed* to help address the comms error problem. If anything the issue has only become WORSE since the patch. In one 90 minute session today, I counted 27 generic comms errors: 22 during matchmaking, 5 mid-match. None of this was a problem with my network as discord chat and my wife's TV video streaming worked flawlessly throughout the same time period. Yet twice Nintendo's system blamed MY internet, penalizing me with two 5 minute "time-outs" despite the comm errors being THEIR fault. I only managed to play 6 complete games in the time frame, totaling around 30 minutes. 30 minutes of play vs. 90 minutes of comm errors. I'm not reducing my score (yet) but if they don't get a handle on this I most certainly will. It doesn't matter how good the game could be if it can't be played.
    ---
    Original:
    Splatoon 1 and 2 were my most played games on the Wii U and Switch, respectively, so what I'm about to write legimiately hurts: Splatoon 3 is, in many respects, inferior to Splatoon 2. Fewer maps, fewer weapons, fewer weapon loadouts meaning less weapon diversity, and only the barest minimum of truly new things added. Out of 12 multiplayer maps at launch, only 5 of them are new -- the other 7 are returning maps from Splatoon 1 and 2. The only new primary weapons added are the bows and the Splatana. There's a handful of new special abilities but most of them are just cosmetic retreads of secondary abilities from the previous two games. The new campaign is nice, but predictable to anyone who played the previous campaigns. Same puzzles -- hell, the same cube boss appears YET AGAIN. I know people will say it's not fair to expect a new game to have as much content as the previous game that was supported for 5 years and I agree to a point; However, I expect a sequel to at least have more content than the LAUNCH version of its predecessor. Other than the addition of cosmetics, this offers less at launch than Splatoon 2 did in 2017.

    But the biggest thing that drives my score down is the fact that the entire multiplayer system is just as bad as it's always been. When you start the game it asks you to set your region, but this is ONLY for future Splatfests. Regular gameplay is worldwide matchmaking like always, which means the game suffers the same problem as the last two where getting connected to people halfway around the world makes for very unenjoyable matches due to ping/latency. It has the same horridly low tick rate as Splatoon 2 so being killed around corners or seemingly "through" textures happens just as frequently as the last game. Connection errors are as prevalent as always and if someone disconnects, it ends the match for everyone -- even if it's all the way at the end of the match. I've been sitting at the "GAME!" (or salmon egg counter) screen at the end of a match only for it to error out and give no rewards for the time spent. Three games into this series and one would think they would have made a real effort to address these issues... alas, no.

    There are some very good/much needed quality of life additions here like the ability to group with friends easier, the addition of a shooting range in the lobby room, the ability to skip the Deep Cut intro video, the Sheldon Licenses making acquiring weapons easier, and the locker room. But many of these could have been added to the previous game in a massive overhaul rather than requiring a full, entire, new game.

    I still love Splatoon and I'm sure I'll be playing this for years to come -- but that doesn't change the fact that, in terms of content, Splatoon 2 is the superior game right now, especially since 3 suffers the same networking problems as 2. In a year or two, Splatoon 3 will probably be on par with the content in Splatoon 2... it's just a shame it didn't launch with more out of the gate (or better netcode, at least).    … Expand
  11. ultraviper
    Oct 3, 2022
    5
    Single player is ok. Multiplayer is too plagued with connection issues to be considered playable for me. 1 in 3 games is canceled because of someone disconnecting. The game even tells me that I'm the one disconnecting sometimes. Strange how I can play 1500 hours of minecraft on an online realm on the same switch with zero issues, but suddenly with splatoon 3 I have constant networkSingle player is ok. Multiplayer is too plagued with connection issues to be considered playable for me. 1 in 3 games is canceled because of someone disconnecting. The game even tells me that I'm the one disconnecting sometimes. Strange how I can play 1500 hours of minecraft on an online realm on the same switch with zero issues, but suddenly with splatoon 3 I have constant network problems. Surely it's not just a problem with the game right?… Expand
  12. SebaxLolx
    Jan 2, 2023
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. very desbalanced weapons, and poor costumization but i like the game a lot, and is fun… Expand
  13. VoviBen
    Jan 4, 2023
    5
    Online is again peer2peer also the maps are a lot worse than Splatoon 2 and it has Unbalanced Matchmaking. The Story Mode is the best of the Game.
  14. bernardowerner
    Sep 14, 2022
    7
    As of Sep. 12 2022, great game. But just like happened to other reviewers, it disconnects every other match. Nintendo should improve the whole connection system.
  15. cirospm
    Oct 6, 2022
    7
    The Multiplayer Lobby is very unstable. When you (can) play Splatoon 3 is a big pleasure, there's an average of 60s for matchmaking, but 25% someone disconnects or the Nintendo's server went wrong, then you want to rematch with the same group (2 squads, 4x4 members, and 50% of the times occurs some "communication error" (this should be easier and faster to reprogram the matchmaking uh??The Multiplayer Lobby is very unstable. When you (can) play Splatoon 3 is a big pleasure, there's an average of 60s for matchmaking, but 25% someone disconnects or the Nintendo's server went wrong, then you want to rematch with the same group (2 squads, 4x4 members, and 50% of the times occurs some "communication error" (this should be easier and faster to reprogram the matchmaking uh?? because most part are already there. But no, most times, lets say 75% of the rematches tooks 2min, 120s, 200s, and, "communication error". ....?! it's not Genshim Impact, Nintendo). My internet connection here is ok and i saw a lot another people complaining about the same stuff. Nintendo needs to fix/invest some cash on their servers, there's just too much connection failures. The game itself is very good.… Expand
  16. justsomereview
    Sep 12, 2022
    5
    For the third entry in the series Splatoon 3 is an incredibly lacking and shallow experience. It looks slightly better compared to the previous instalment, has a new single player "campaign" that takes about 4 hours to complete and has a handful of new multiplayer maps... and that's it.

    The multiplayer lacks variety due to extremely linear maps that all look, feel and play the exact    For the third entry in the series Splatoon 3 is an incredibly lacking and shallow experience. It looks slightly better compared to the previous instalment, has a new single player "campaign" that takes about 4 hours to complete and has a handful of new multiplayer maps... and that's it.

    The multiplayer lacks variety due to extremely linear maps that all look, feel and play the exact same and shallow gameplay that doesn't put any emphasis on teamwork, tactics or strategy. I guess that explains the name of this game too, cause this is the third time Nintendo has put out the same game where you do nothing more than meaninglessly splat some paint around but this time with even less vision, ambition or motivation than the previous games.

    TLDR; same game, added some new maps, slapped 3 on the box, nothing new or exciting.    … Expand
  17. BlimpyPebbles
    Sep 10, 2022
    7
    From the poor graphics and fram rate, to the lack of anything new, to getting a match cancelled when a single player loses connection, to connection issues, to the same terrible maps, to sub-par specials, Splatoon 3 is a mess. How anyone can think this is better than the last two games is beyond me.
  18. Under8tedX
    Sep 21, 2022
    7
    This games OK, its not bad but then again its not great. The single player campaign basically consists you going from stage to stage, beating it with different weapons/fastest time etc. Story line is pretty boring and is mainly in the Archive (Alterna Logs), you are given throughout the game by completing stages..As for online?Online at the start of its release had some really badThis games OK, its not bad but then again its not great. The single player campaign basically consists you going from stage to stage, beating it with different weapons/fastest time etc. Story line is pretty boring and is mainly in the Archive (Alterna Logs), you are given throughout the game by completing stages..As for online?Online at the start of its release had some really bad connection, although it has since been fixed, people still tend to drop out when losing or just randomly drop out. Its been descent fun while it lasted, but i don't see it lasting more than a couple weeks to a month for me.… Expand
  19. Damigamermxus
    Nov 3, 2022
    7
    Its not a bad game but I was expecting more and I wanted this game to be the best of the trilogy but its just an upgraded version of Splatoon 2 with a LOT of Connection Errors and I wanted to like the story mode but it kinda disappointed me and the ending is overhyped by fans, not saying its bad, again, but Octo Expansion was way better even if the final fight wasn’t that good. (LittleIts not a bad game but I was expecting more and I wanted this game to be the best of the trilogy but its just an upgraded version of Splatoon 2 with a LOT of Connection Errors and I wanted to like the story mode but it kinda disappointed me and the ending is overhyped by fans, not saying its bad, again, but Octo Expansion was way better even if the final fight wasn’t that good. (Little Buddy is overrated tho)
    But turf wars are as good as Splatoon 2 so I would give this game a 7.8/10
    I’m a Shiver simp btw    … Expand
  20. DolphinReviews
    Sep 28, 2022
    6
    This was practically my first Splatoon experience. I never played the original Wii U Splatoon and had only played a very limited amount of Splatoon 2. The story mode is fine, it’s about what you would expect. The core game itself is also just good. It’s not a must buy Nintendo Switch game but it is worth checking out if you have either never played Splatoon before or are a long time fan.
  21. frick42064
    Sep 27, 2022
    6
    It's the same game. If you liked Splatoon 2 you'll know exactly what to expect.
  22. RandyBlue
    Oct 17, 2022
    7
    7.8/10 too much tenta missiles!!!!!!!!!!1!!!!!!1!!!11!!!!!!1!!!!!!1!!!!!!1!11!!!!!!!!
  23. Krispness
    Oct 29, 2022
    6
    Splatoon 3 is just like Splatoon 1, in the worst way possible. Starting it up I need to grind levels to have access to most weapons and modes that made the first game enjoyable, but with less interesting maps. This made the game feel boring, and unnecessary, which is weird because Splatoon 2 already existed. Salmon Run has interesting bosses, but the rest of the mode fails to live up toSplatoon 3 is just like Splatoon 1, in the worst way possible. Starting it up I need to grind levels to have access to most weapons and modes that made the first game enjoyable, but with less interesting maps. This made the game feel boring, and unnecessary, which is weird because Splatoon 2 already existed. Salmon Run has interesting bosses, but the rest of the mode fails to live up to every other horde mode they had copied, you just drop in, win and leave. The story mode is as pointless as ever, with an almost interesting overworld and some good puzzles, but no exploration or fun like you might get in a Zelda temple or a Mario Odyssey level. Splatoon 3 is just more Splatoon, and yet I miss Splatoon 1. Just a boring game unfortunately.… Expand
  24. Naser-Altaee
    Oct 23, 2022
    7
    A great addition to the Splatoon franchise!

    Hero Mode explores the vastness of Alterna with the Squid Sisters and Smallfry, with many levels and stages challenging with different and diverse mechanics. Online Play brings Inklings together for Turf Wars and Splatfests. Early on post-launch, or even since before launch, this game is being supported by many frequent events, but    A great addition to the Splatoon franchise!

    Hero Mode explores the vastness of Alterna with the Squid Sisters and Smallfry, with many levels and stages challenging with different and diverse mechanics.

    Online Play brings Inklings together for Turf Wars and Splatfests. Early on post-launch, or even since before launch, this game is being supported by many frequent events, but unfortunately, Online events may be negatively affected due to some poor server maintenance and frequent communication errors which holds the game back largely, especially given the massive online community and considering future online events, such as the iconic Splatfests, which may be negatively affected due to this.    … Expand
  25. Foxylary
    Mar 6, 2023
    5
    It's Splatoon 2.5, so much recycling. Disappointing on so much points. It looks like Nintendo have sadly no more ideas and no ambitions for the licence.
  26. georgie2408
    May 12, 2023
    7
    I just had to rank it with 7 points because the internet connection sucks, sometimes when you're on a match o finishing it is frustrating how disconnects and even marks it as a lose. I would give a 10 because the content, the modes, the events are just joyful, but only for the bad connection I have to lower that much the rank because is just annoying.
    I have dedicated the game around +300    I just had to rank it with 7 points because the internet connection sucks, sometimes when you're on a match o finishing it is frustrating how disconnects and even marks it as a lose. I would give a 10 because the content, the modes, the events are just joyful, but only for the bad connection I have to lower that much the rank because is just annoying.
    I have dedicated the game around +300 hours and when I play I enjoy it, but is frustrating the bad connection, I hope Nintendo for the next title solves this because even in championships I see this happens.    … Expand
  27. Hola_Panda
    May 14, 2023
    7
    J'approche les 600h de jeu. C'est l'un des jeux les plus fun auquel j'ai joué au cours de ces 5 dernières années. Il aurait pu avoir 10/10 mais il a quelques défauts qui sont assez désagréables. En effet, il arrive que les équipes soient bizarrement constituées par rapports à celle de l'adversaire, parfois on se trouve avec une équipe de 4 rouleaux agro ou 3 snipers.. Mais le plus grosJ'approche les 600h de jeu. C'est l'un des jeux les plus fun auquel j'ai joué au cours de ces 5 dernières années. Il aurait pu avoir 10/10 mais il a quelques défauts qui sont assez désagréables. En effet, il arrive que les équipes soient bizarrement constituées par rapports à celle de l'adversaire, parfois on se trouve avec une équipe de 4 rouleaux agro ou 3 snipers.. Mais le plus gros défaut du jeu, qui risque de gâcher l'expérience, ce sont les problèmes de connexion ! C'est assez rageant surtout quand on fait des match pro... j'espère que Nintendo réglera ces problèmes par de futures mises à jour.… Expand

Awards & Rankings

35
#35 Best Switch Game of 2022
8
#8 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2022

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
83

Generally favorable reviews - based on 114 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 106 out of 114
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 114
  3. Negative: 0 out of 114
  1. Starbit
    Nov 23, 2022
    90
    Splatoon 3 takes everything the previous games did and makes it better in pretty much every conceivable way. More fluid, more dynamic, with a more balanced gameplay and a very welcome enlarged one-player dimension, Splatoon 3 is all that could be expected from the third chapter in the series, where the improvements fit neatly with the Splatoon legacy.
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  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Nov 9, 2022
    90
    Splatoon 3 went live in September, and ever since it launched I've had to will myself to stay away from it. I'm a grown man with a family! I've got a lot of responsibilities! So why do I keep feeling compelled to stay up into the wee hours of the morning shooting virtual ink at strangers? [Issue #62 – November/December 2022, p. 74]
  3. Het Nieuwsblad
    Oct 28, 2022
    80
    A shooting game, but kid-friendly and, above all, rock-solid. Those last two adjectives have been Nintendo's USP since the late 1980s, and Splatoon 3 is brimming with that DNA. A breath of fresh air for those tired of the Call of duty's and Overwatches of this world for a while.
    Read full review
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