Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion

 Switch
User Score
8.5

Generally favorable reviews- based on 248 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 212 out of 248
  2. Mixed: 11 out of 248
  3. Negative: 25 out of 248

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  1. VideoGameLover
    Jun 18, 2018
    10
    Wow WOW, just WOW! I am a huge fan of Splatoon, since Splatoon one. Really like the single player campaigns on both, though the 2nd one felt stale.

    Well, let me tell you, OE is fantastic! Tough. Innovative. Deep. LONG (20-30 hours). And, some of the greatest boss sequences ever created for the series (the 7 Phase series at the end is friggin fantastic! Very "portal-like". )    Wow WOW, just WOW! I am a huge fan of Splatoon, since Splatoon one. Really like the single player campaigns on both, though the 2nd one felt stale.

    Well, let me tell you, OE is fantastic! Tough. Innovative. Deep. LONG (20-30 hours). And, some of the greatest boss sequences ever created for the series (the 7 Phase series at the end is friggin fantastic! Very "portal-like". ) There are many levels that would make great games on their own (talking to you SQUID BILLIARDS level!)

    And the prizes you get for $20, including getting to play as an Octoling in cool new sassy wardrobe is worth the price alone.

    No-brainer. Buy this. (And ignore the stupid 0 score(s) below, put up by angry trolls looking for attention. Even if you do not like this game, giving it a 0 shows you have not played it, as presentation, writing, music, etc shows a lot of love was put into this game.)    … Expand
  2. he110me
    Jun 16, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Amazing DLC that's worth every penny. Got me ~10hrs of gameplay, all of which I heavily enjoyed. The missions in this expansion are MUCH tougher than the vanilla campaign, so prepare to die. alot.

    The story is also well-written, though it went in a different direction than I expected. The story seems to take place in parallel with Splatoon 2's campaign, so there's no Callie or Marie anywhere in it. We learn very little about Octo society, though the reasoning for Octos being accepted in Inkopolis is explained in the background. One thing that surprised me was that nobody knew that Marina is an Octoling; Pearl and the rest of Inkopolis thought Marina was an Inkling up to the events of the expansion. We learn about Marina's past and the formation of Off the Hook through text dialogues that are sprinkled in as you play through the levels.    … Expand
  3. LucaY
    Jun 18, 2018
    10
    Octo expansion is amazing fun. Every level has been amazing fun with them all being unique and extremely fun. This also goes deep into the lore of splatoon. With 80 levels, a wide rang of replay value and every level feeling unique it is worth your money.
  4. MaddoxWhite
    Apr 25, 2021
    9
    Maybe if this game wasn't so hard and maybe if the 8-Ball would just gO WHERE I TELL IT-
  5. CEREAL_SoUp
    Jun 17, 2022
    10
    Chef's kiss, this DLC is AMAZING Packed with content some replayability, Nintendo should really make more single player games/DLC/Campaign like this, it's fun and at times challenging. A really nice change to the bad singleplayer in the base game (Splatoon 2). Honestly if you have Splatoon 2 and you are considering buying it, Just do it! Amazing must-buy for Splatoon fans/players. I gotChef's kiss, this DLC is AMAZING Packed with content some replayability, Nintendo should really make more single player games/DLC/Campaign like this, it's fun and at times challenging. A really nice change to the bad singleplayer in the base game (Splatoon 2). Honestly if you have Splatoon 2 and you are considering buying it, Just do it! Amazing must-buy for Splatoon fans/players. I got this DLC in early 2021 and I have Had fun with it ever since.

    WARNING: If you do not like difficult levels DON'T play the secret boss it almost made me cry twice (of frustration)    … Expand
  6. Nintendist
    Jun 30, 2022
    10
    the best DLC. this is so good. the new weapons are fresh and delicious WHOOMMY
  7. ANKPlays
    Jun 14, 2018
    10
    Absolutely ink-redible DLC! An amazing attribute to Splatoon 2! Much better than the games actual story, with fun and enticing gameplay, an interesting story, and difficult levels. Worth every penny!
  8. Cfgk24
    Jun 16, 2018
    10
    Beautifully crafted expansion. No, it's not easy - People would have complained if it was easy. There are easier levels to help you build up points to attempt the harder levels.
    Art style, Sound and music - Gameplay physics engage you - 10/10 must have
  9. Grease
    Jun 16, 2018
    10
    THIS is how you do a DLC. Octo Expansion for Splatoon 2 is truly the masterclass of what makes a fun and worthwhile DLC pack. (no spoilers here)

    Octo Expansion is a lore and gameplay heavy single-player DLC update. Splatoon 2 already has a single player campaign but it is disappointingly short and much like a glorified tutorial for beginning players. Octo Expansion rectifies this and    THIS is how you do a DLC. Octo Expansion for Splatoon 2 is truly the masterclass of what makes a fun and worthwhile DLC pack. (no spoilers here)

    Octo Expansion is a lore and gameplay heavy single-player DLC update. Splatoon 2 already has a single player campaign but it is disappointingly short and much like a glorified tutorial for beginning players. Octo Expansion rectifies this and shows us all what SHOULD have been in the game from the very start.

    For the first time ever, Octo Expansions protagonist is an octoling, a nemesis to the inklings. Waking up after being kidnapped and unconscious, Agent 8 (us) wakes up without her memories in an abandoned metro subway station. Our old friend Gramps being the only assistance. The goal is to work your way through over 80 levels to reach "the promised land" and to located agent 3 along the way.

    The level design in this game is truly astonishing. Unlike the traditional travel to the goal style levels, there are a variety of stage designs with multiple objectives, such as destroying targets, transporting items, dodging enemy shots and even making pictures out of boxes. The variety amongst the 80 levels are stunning and you can travel between each one seamlessly. Each level is connected via train lines, simply opening the subway map and picking the level you want will take you to the "Test facilities" as the levels are a test to see if agent 8 is worthy. Although you naturally dont have complete access to every single level straight away, you get a variety of level choices as once you complete a level you have access to surrounding ones on that line. Each level will usually give you a choice of weapon allowing you to practice and have fun using weapons you would never usually try out in multiplayer matches, an opportunity the other single player does not give us. Some levels will also consist of using special and sub weapons only to strengthen skills in that area. Levels vary in length some taking as short as 30 seconds to around 10 minutes. 80 Levels is severely overwhelming however especially if you are only in the expansion for the lore as the lore only starts getting good once in the final few areas of the game. This is perfectly redeemed by allowing you to complete the final boss and levels prematurely. By finding "the four thangs" scattered across the metro you are able to progress past the 80 levels and into the final segments (no spoilers here i promised remember?). You are able to return to complete everything you left afterwards. This is great for the people who want to save some levels for summer holidays or when they're without internet connection.

    If you are lore hungry and wanna do all 80 levels before final boss as the ultimate completionist no fear, there are two forms of lore across the expansion levels. as shown by nintendo, collectibles named mem cakes are presented to you at the end of each level, they hold a riddle within each one and if you trade them into a certain characrer you can receive some amazing prizes. The second form is in chat rooms. The two glamarous gals marina and pearl will also be guiding you through the deepsea metro and every so often will drop a chat log for you to read which will expose some secrets and juicy information on Off the hook and the squid sisters.

    The boss fights to avoid spoilers i wont talk much about but let me tell you one thing. Some of the ingame boss fights may possibly be some of nintendos most extreme bosses in their history.

    Unlike the news reports and other dialogue exchanges in splatoon, Octo Expansion somehow makes the characters feel real and not just programmed game characters, there's a certain way in the language and text that makes you feel deeper in bond with everyone than ever before and that's really something special

    Each aspect of the Octo Expansion is unique and gives you something new constantly, it doesnt get tiring and thats great because its really long if you decide to do everything.
    The music is also some of the best from the franchise including some great bops that will make you drop your controller and do a little dance whereever your standing, any time, any place with any one.

    Like nintendo stated the prizes for octo expansion are insane, playable octolings are functional and blend in well, all the gear and weapons suit them and they feel at home in inkopolis, there's something special about being the only octoling in a multiplayer match and being able to say, "im top dog". the only downside which is no nintendos fault but players will often squidbag around you if you're an octoling trying to get you to notice them in their puny squid form.

    Octo expansion $20, with most levels being extended to about 5-10 minutes, octo expansion could be a standalone game. $20 is utterly worth this masterpiece of a DLC update. Words do not give this insane creation justice. all games and companies take heed. Because Octo Expansion is EXACTLY how DLC is done right    … Expand
  10. Daisy1234
    Jun 14, 2018
    9
    It is extremely fun and has expanded a lot on the normal single player which is just plain easy, it can be annoying at sometimes but it makes it that much better when you succeed.
  11. Hakros323
    Jun 14, 2018
    9
    It's everything I wanted the single player and more. My biggest problem was how easy the normal single player was and how it contributed little to the lore. This pretty much improves everything that mode had. The story is more interesting and the levels are harder, but more creative. I like how they managed to incorporate Tower Control and Rain Maker as levels. Plus If you're strugglingIt's everything I wanted the single player and more. My biggest problem was how easy the normal single player was and how it contributed little to the lore. This pretty much improves everything that mode had. The story is more interesting and the levels are harder, but more creative. I like how they managed to incorporate Tower Control and Rain Maker as levels. Plus If you're struggling too much on a level, you can always skip it.

    Finally, I love how this expansion gave Off the Hook more character.    … Expand
  12. SheepSlayer
    Jun 16, 2018
    8
    Awesome level design, more lore and fun for both casuals and pros. With a mix of medium to hard levels, the Octo Expansion manages to have a challenge based system with story and lore that are surprisingly deep. reward for both playing through the "story" and 100% completion feels worth it. My main issue is the price point, it might be a bit much, but if you want more Splatoon 2 it isAwesome level design, more lore and fun for both casuals and pros. With a mix of medium to hard levels, the Octo Expansion manages to have a challenge based system with story and lore that are surprisingly deep. reward for both playing through the "story" and 100% completion feels worth it. My main issue is the price point, it might be a bit much, but if you want more Splatoon 2 it is worth every penny.… Expand
  13. Enjineer
    Jun 18, 2018
    9
    When I first tried Octo Canyon in Splatoon 2, I was quickly bored of it and didn't come back to it after first trying it. With the Octo Expansion, I've been hooked from the moment I first started the expansion after getting it. It's more challenging, expands on the story, and brings a wider variety of levels to be experienced, along with being longer than the base campaign. Definitely aWhen I first tried Octo Canyon in Splatoon 2, I was quickly bored of it and didn't come back to it after first trying it. With the Octo Expansion, I've been hooked from the moment I first started the expansion after getting it. It's more challenging, expands on the story, and brings a wider variety of levels to be experienced, along with being longer than the base campaign. Definitely a must-own for Splatoon 2 fans hungry for more singleplayer content.

    Oh, and I didn't even mention that the music is absolutely fantastic.    … Expand
  14. EduardoAbr
    Jun 16, 2018
    9
    The Octo expansion brought to Splatoon 2 a new single player mode, which uses several mechanics, new or already existing in the game, to create extremely challenging levels. In it there are the introduction of several new characters, and the introduction of Marina and Pearl in history. There is a strong link between the characters already present in the game and the new ones from the OctoThe Octo expansion brought to Splatoon 2 a new single player mode, which uses several mechanics, new or already existing in the game, to create extremely challenging levels. In it there are the introduction of several new characters, and the introduction of Marina and Pearl in history. There is a strong link between the characters already present in the game and the new ones from the Octo Expansion. this is a nice example of how to make a dlc creating new mechanics and using the already present in the game, to make a story mode extremely fun and challenging, making paying 20 dollars extra stop being a bad thing.… Expand
  15. Captiosus
    Jun 18, 2018
    7
    I'm happy for more Splatoon single player content. However, having now finished all 80 metro levels and the end game bit, I find that this expansion is very hit-or-miss. There are many levels which are very good but there are just as many which are mediocre or poorly designed. Likewise, many of these levels really highlight the game's shortcomings when it comes to core game mechanics likeI'm happy for more Splatoon single player content. However, having now finished all 80 metro levels and the end game bit, I find that this expansion is very hit-or-miss. There are many levels which are very good but there are just as many which are mediocre or poorly designed. Likewise, many of these levels really highlight the game's shortcomings when it comes to core game mechanics like hit detection. The number of times I was hit by projectiles which went past me, or the number of times items like inkfurlers failed to activate on hit, was nothing short of frustrating. The end stage sequence is truly fantastic and reminiscent of old school Mega Man Dr. Wily castle stages.

    I'm unsure why people are complaining about the difficulty as I found most levels to be not that much more difficult than the base single player campaign. Since its doesn't deviate (much) from the game's core mechanics, most longtime Splatoon fans will blow through this content quickly with the only real challenge being the aforementioned bugs or poorly constructed levels. Unfortunately, its replay value is almost non-existent once you've completed all 80 levels.    … Expand
  16. Misterdude
    Jun 17, 2018
    9
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The expansion was very creative though I am a little worried that inklings didn’t know that marina was a octoling. The secret final boss was hell, 3 times the normal health of an ink/octoling. Over all it was a good dlc but suriously nintindo nerf that boss. Just do it. I’m waiting.… Expand
  17. LimboImbo
    Jun 10, 2020
    0
    Worst dlc ever created. Don't buy this crap. It's now worth it. BUT, if you love very bad levels ever created, this dlc is for you. Warning: you will hate it after 2 hours ;)
  18. ZeoN
    Sep 6, 2019
    10
    Una de las mejores expansiones que ha hecho nunca Nintendo.
    80 niveles nuevos unidos a una nueva y muy buena historia en las profundidades de este maravilloso universo. Supera a la campaña principal del videojuego en muchísimos apartados, y el diseño de niveles y la banda sonora no son la excepción.
  19. Videogamer0615
    Jan 2, 2019
    10
    Almost perfect! (inner agent 3 is what's bad about it!) With over 80 missions, this is a DLC to remember! Girl power station, move it move it station being examples of hard, but fun! All I-I mean most are like this. hard, but amazing!
  20. antoine447
    Mar 24, 2019
    10
    The dlc is an amazing, fun and challenging experience. The story is great. I do however recommend this to experienced splatoon players because some challenges are very difficult. I also recommend to play all 80 challenges because it's very satisfying in the end. I give this game 8/8.
  21. Jothebulb
    Sep 3, 2018
    3
    If the difficulty level wasn't so unforgiving, you'd race through this pack of minigames in a few minutes. As it is, they have cranked up the difficulty to unbelievable levels just t make it last longer: some games which should be fun just become tedious grinds where you die constantly just inches from the goal. Fun, if you want to keep repeating yourself over and over. I thought there beIf the difficulty level wasn't so unforgiving, you'd race through this pack of minigames in a few minutes. As it is, they have cranked up the difficulty to unbelievable levels just t make it last longer: some games which should be fun just become tedious grinds where you die constantly just inches from the goal. Fun, if you want to keep repeating yourself over and over. I thought there be some sort of single-player story line, but there isn't. It looks good and the sound is great, though… Expand
  22. HyperTornado
    Jun 14, 2018
    5
    Great expansion completely ruined by frustrating mechanics and a tedious point system to play the levels. Points are required to play levels and running out of points means you have to repeat lower levels again. Which happens frequently if you keep attempting to beat hard levels.
  23. cube2kids
    Feb 13, 2020
    10
    For just the game itself, I would put a 9/10
    But thè final "secret" boss is just a bad boys that cheat you, is not funn to fight. I have spend a horrible time beating it
  24. toonlinkman
    Jun 14, 2018
    6
    Nice looking game unfortunately that is where the good about this game ends. The levels and the story are boring. This really should have been included for free.
  25. dr0nzer
    Jun 18, 2018
    4
    Think Mario Party with a metro map as the board and the stops the mini games, - it's just a series of mini games (80 to be exact) with a difficulty that is not true to the franchise, very unforgiving, more targeted to the hardcore dedicated players and not the casual/drop in player so if you're the former this will definitely challenge you, if you're in the latter then you may find it farThink Mario Party with a metro map as the board and the stops the mini games, - it's just a series of mini games (80 to be exact) with a difficulty that is not true to the franchise, very unforgiving, more targeted to the hardcore dedicated players and not the casual/drop in player so if you're the former this will definitely challenge you, if you're in the latter then you may find it far too punishing.

    The rewards for the difficulty aren't in line with the effort put in and the points/credit based system (lives) contradicts the difficulty which gives you a limited number of tries, plus the fact that everything can be "auto completed" if it's too hard as oppose to giving you a drop in difficulty is just reinforces the fact Nintendo doesn't know how to target or present this DLC correctly.    … Expand
  26. Nixxaras
    Jun 16, 2018
    0
    I just bough mini games. A succession of very short, mostly time limited, hardcore, die-and-retry levels. Exactly what nobody asked for. Forget the exploration and the adventure, here you're pressed to perform gimmicks (one per level) in ridiculously small areas, before the timer goes down, or before you get f***ed by dozens of foes. Even if I was good enough to beat that game I would notI just bough mini games. A succession of very short, mostly time limited, hardcore, die-and-retry levels. Exactly what nobody asked for. Forget the exploration and the adventure, here you're pressed to perform gimmicks (one per level) in ridiculously small areas, before the timer goes down, or before you get f***ed by dozens of foes. Even if I was good enough to beat that game I would not see the point. This is not why I bought Splatoon in the first place.… Expand
  27. Vpupkinv
    Jun 30, 2018
    0
    A pack of short mini games, with a high level of difficulty to increase playtime, because otherwise you would finish this 20 dollar pack in 15 minutes. Typical Nintendo. I was expecting a proper single player story based expansion, but got this just a disappointment.
  28. Obsidanse
    Nov 17, 2018
    0
    Can we have some kind of warning on difficult content please?
    This looks like all ages could enjoy it. Not so!
    It’s “fun”... or “enfuriatingly challenging and often unreasonably random” I will try as much as I can mange. I did fork out £18 for it after all. They worked hard on it, but it’s terribly elite and inaccessible to many... I can’t see youngsters enjoying this after a short    Can we have some kind of warning on difficult content please?
    This looks like all ages could enjoy it. Not so!
    It’s “fun”... or “enfuriatingly challenging and often unreasonably random”
    I will try as much as I can mange. I did fork out £18 for it after all.
    They worked hard on it, but it’s terribly elite and inaccessible to many... I can’t see youngsters enjoying this after a short while. Way too frustrating.    … Expand
  29. FreedomFighters
    Aug 8, 2018
    7
    Rarely, if ever, do I review DLC/expansion packs over here on my Metacritic. It's not for any ill will, mind you, but it's because, really, I don't play many of them! With how many games I still have to finish on my backlog, I don't often feel the effort to go out of my way and play a lot of expansions to titles. Just play the base game and continue on from there. However, given that IRarely, if ever, do I review DLC/expansion packs over here on my Metacritic. It's not for any ill will, mind you, but it's because, really, I don't play many of them! With how many games I still have to finish on my backlog, I don't often feel the effort to go out of my way and play a lot of expansions to titles. Just play the base game and continue on from there. However, given that I adore "Splatoon 2," I was admittedly quite excited when I found out that the game would be getting new single-player content in the form of an expansion, because I always found that the single-player modes in both "Splatoon" games were a bit short, so it was nice to get a little more beef this time around. So, would the new expansion meet my excitement? Well, not entirely, but it's good for what it is.
    "Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion" gives you plenty of beef and bang for your buck if you felt like the base game could've used more single-player content. There's 80 new missions here, and they do follow a number of different formulas: from popping balloons, to defeating as many enemies as you can, to defeating bosses, to grinding rails, the expansion tests all of your "Splatoon" skills. And Nintendo pulled no punches with this one: the difficulty of these missions feels like the equivalent of being slam-dunked into the deep end of a swimming pool by a 7+ foot tall basketball player. I know, extreme comparison, but you get the point: "Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion" wastes no time giving you a challenge. It's nice to see that they didn't entirely skim on the difficulty, and they gave you more than enough to do, which is exactly what an expansion should do. And given that the game does seem to expand on some of the popular lore that more hardcore "Splatoon" fans have been itching for (and also allows them to play as an Octoling, which was heavily requested), plenty of attention seemed to be paid on this one.
    That said, that difficulty thing is also a bit of a negative: just as it wouldn't be all that fun to be slammed dunked into the deep end of the pool by that basketball player (because you'd probably drown), it can be very frustrating dealing with the fact that a good deal of the difficulty comes from a lot of trial-and-error and, to a degree, "fake difficulty." It's great that they wanted to challenge us a bit more, but sometimes, it just becomes overly frustrating, and it makes the repetitiveness of some of the missions show a bit. And while I don't expect an expansion to drastically change the game, if you're gonna include 80 levels to play, at least don't make them feel so same-y. Oh, and if you don't want to skim on the difficulty, please don't break the game with the skip function. I get why they did it, because it's frustrating, but come on, you can literally skip the final boss by dying once! ONCE! Where's the gameplay motivation if, after all the fatigue the seven trials put me through to GET to the final boss, I can literally win the expansion without even so much as FIGHTING it?
    I know, it sounds like I'm harping too much on the game, and I don't mean to, because it is a good expansion! It does quite a few things you might not expect an expansion to do, and it gives you plenty of content! That said, it is a slightly flawed expansion, and some of the positives of it can double as negatives. Still, it's a nice addition to "Splatoon 2" that should keep hardcore fans itching for more single-player content happy for a very long time.
    Final rating: 7 out of 10 "Good"    … Expand
  30. LsSiel
    Apr 27, 2020
    10
    Qué juego tan más bueno y disfrutable. Me causó dolores de cabeza y una gran frustración, pero al mismo tiempo me compensaba con grandes desafíos. Cada nivel está bien pensado y realmente te dará buenos momentos.
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Awards & Rankings

65
#65 Best Switch Game of 2018
26
#26 Most Discussed Switch Game of 2018

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 30 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 26 out of 30
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 30
  3. Negative: 0 out of 30
  1. Nintendo Insider
    Sep 20, 2018
    90
    The Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion never lacks in the sheer spectacle of its creativity. It’s Nintendo at its best, for sure, taking what we have come to expect from Splatoon 2’s core experience only to throw the rulebook out the window to astound with freshly inked ideas. More, please.
    Read full review
  2. Nintendo Force Magazine
    Sep 5, 2018
    75
    Don't go into this expecting the next step in the evolution of Splatoon. This one's more of a detour. [Issue #35 – September/October 2018, p. 20]
  3. GamePro Germany
    Jul 30, 2018
    86
    The Splatoon 2: Octo expansion convinces with great new ideas and a lot of variety, but still lacks a "real" story.
    Read full review
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