Splatoon Critic Reviews

From a block of tofu to squid kids, Nintendo put their best foot forward in developing their new franchise.

There’s nothing else quite like it, nor the cathartic dopamine jolt to be had when you squid-skim up a paint-smeared quarter pipe, an Inkzooka at the ready, leap over the edge, take aim with your weapon, and reduce a startled opponent to goo.

I think I'm addicted to ink.

Splatoon combines area controlling and shooting in equal measure. You don't have to splat a lot of opponents to be good at it, which is nice. A colourful and intense experience.

This is easily one of the most purely enjoyable titles available on the Wii U and given that’s exactly what a Nintendo game should be, it’s impossible not to recommend it through giddy superlatives. Get thy ass out there and purchase thee a copy post-haste, fellow Nintendo ninnies.

Not only Splatoon is fun, colorful and addictive, but is one of the best games available for Wii U and a good reason to buy Nintendo's console.

The biggest star though is just the overall style of the game, with characters that will quickly endear themselves to every player. Splatoon is easily one of the most unique games of this generation, and one of the best as well.

We were skeptical, at first, considering the strong multiplayer component of the game, and the limited amount of content. But boy, we were wrong. Splatoon is a coloured, hectic, engaging, raving, well-balanced and incredibly fun shooter that every Wii U owner should have in his library.

The game's single player is surprisingly in-depth for a title that has been marketed as a multiplayer game, combining elements of platforming and shooting in a style of game that reminds me of Ratchet & Clank or Jak & Daxter.

There are a few drawbacks and limitations, but Splatoon’s frantic and addicting gameplay is a blast. This is Nintendo’s best new IP in years.

Not only does Splatoon add a much-needed touch of color to TPS, but the inspired use of ink redraws the genre's lines altogether, transforming the GamePad into an fantastic tool to brush the different layers of the gameplay so that everyone will always feel like applying another coat of paint.

Nintendo splatters the TPS genre with its fresher, smoother and most addictive online experience since Mario Kart, hampered by its lack of content at its launch date. An "inkcuestionable" reason to have a Wii U that proves why shooters needed a coat of paint.

There's still a lot to discover about this game, but as usual Nintendo delivers another great first-party game and a new intellectual property that starts right-footed. A short campaign is the only thing that could be criticized from this otherwise excellent third-person shooter.

Splatoon is easily the freshest shooter in years and delivers superbly on all fronts; we have an inkling you'll love this.

Overall, Splatoon makes for an amazing online game, likely the most engaging online experience Nintendo has ever made.

Splatoon isn’t perfect, but despite the faults it’s a wonderful game, both online and offline.

For a new IP, Nintendo has done everything right in Splatoon. It has forged a game that has an identity that is uniquely its own in a market and genre that is absolutely saturated in me-too nonsense, and has shown us all that there's no reason that a shooter should stick to template: it's okay to be different.

Splatoon just screams Nintendo. Everything about it from the bright, colourful world, to the addictive gameplay make this a great online shooter.

The Mario Kart of shooters is born.

The virtue of shooters has always been how a simple set of parameters create an array of interesting decisions, and the game's greatness is how it expands that matrix.