Splatoon 3

 Switch
User Score
6.8

Mixed or average reviews- based on 484 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 310 out of 484
  2. Mixed: 56 out of 484
  3. Negative: 118 out of 484
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  1. P_Wings
    Sep 11, 2023
    9
    This is the game which has the most hours played on my Switch, and for good reason: the core gameplay is so fun. After being somewhat let-down with Splatoon 2, this game has not only surpassed its predecessor, but also overcome my nostalgia for the original title and has become my favourite in the series. This is a result of a series of small, but significant changes across the board, fromThis is the game which has the most hours played on my Switch, and for good reason: the core gameplay is so fun. After being somewhat let-down with Splatoon 2, this game has not only surpassed its predecessor, but also overcome my nostalgia for the original title and has become my favourite in the series. This is a result of a series of small, but significant changes across the board, from new movement options in squid roll / squid surge, throwing eggs in Salmon Run, lockers, customisable nametags, being able to do things in the lobby between matches, the list goes on.

    The main thing that holds this back from a 10 is the netcode which is just unacceptable. Not only are disconnects very common (which almost instantly ruins the experience for everyone involved) but the online tick rate is still only 16Hz, lower than the original's from 2015, which leads to a lot of inherent lag. No-one would accept a game playing at 16 fps, so only updating the packets being sent 16 times a second is not good enough. This is even more problematic given the gameplay is much faster now.

    All in all, it's easy to overlook the netcode issues when the gameplay is so fun. Even one year on, the game continues with substantial updates and unique events to keep the game feeling fresh. I just hope that in the future, Nintendo can somehow improve the netcode of this game or a future Splatoon instalment.    … Expand
  2. SimonBobs
    Sep 10, 2023
    10
    Most fun in video games i've had for many years. People complain about many disconnects, but to me it doesn't happen very often. It cancels a game in the beginning of the match if a player was lost, which I think is fair. After all it's only 4v4 and players wont connect mid match (the matches are three minutes)
  3. Elpepe777
    Sep 9, 2023
    10
    The servers improve over the time and the hero mode is the best of all the franchise except octo expansion.
  4. Black0Dragon
    Aug 30, 2023
    6
    The game play and mechanics are solid, but the map design and lack of weapon matchmaking in most modes causes lots of frustration. The combination of lots of maps with restrictive mid stage areas and matchmaking potentially only giving only one team a back line can make it hard to advance or deal with the back line weapon. Additionally the lack of even very lose skill matchmaking can makeThe game play and mechanics are solid, but the map design and lack of weapon matchmaking in most modes causes lots of frustration. The combination of lots of maps with restrictive mid stage areas and matchmaking potentially only giving only one team a back line can make it hard to advance or deal with the back line weapon. Additionally the lack of even very lose skill matchmaking can make it much more frustrating and difficult to play or learn for bad players.… Expand
  5. A_Mario
    Aug 29, 2023
    9
    i LOVE this game the multiplayer has its issues but its a Nintendo game and if you have a good internet you will be fine the story mode SLAPS the music ALL OF IT IS GOOD except for two songs and the challenge modes is REALLY FLAWED but its optional the customization in this game is insane and i LOVE IT but some maps are really cramped and i hope they fix it in the future solid 9/10
  6. TTTE
    Aug 29, 2023
    10
    This is my favorite multiplayer game. If the boys are ever really bored and ask what we should play I can say Splatoon 3 and we can have fun for hours.
  7. FxGSpartan
    Aug 25, 2023
    0
    I love Splatoon, I have almost 1000 hours on Splatoon 3 alone, X Rank, over level 100. This is not coming from someone who hates the game, in fact I give the franchise an 8/10, with untapped potential being the only thing keeping it from 10/10. However, this entry in the series receives an automatic zero for issues so atrocious that all players are entitled legal compensation for theI love Splatoon, I have almost 1000 hours on Splatoon 3 alone, X Rank, over level 100. This is not coming from someone who hates the game, in fact I give the franchise an 8/10, with untapped potential being the only thing keeping it from 10/10. However, this entry in the series receives an automatic zero for issues so atrocious that all players are entitled legal compensation for the emotional damage caused by this game's netcode and matchmaking so bad and so biased it should be illegal. This game is the reason we need legal regulation for netcode, game rulesets, and matchmaking. I should be sitting in the plaintiff's seat in a class action lawsuit, but as our legal system is too corrupt, this is all I can do.… Expand
  8. AngelChan09
    Aug 18, 2023
    7
    Splatoon 2 better LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL
  9. sideshownate
    Aug 13, 2023
    7
    Not as fun as part 2 but I feel like they made nessecary changes to multiplayer matchmaking
  10. Xytrophico
    Aug 6, 2023
    9
    Definitely a better game than Splatoon 2. Much better graphics, and I love that we no longer have to wait on a loading screen for matchmaking, and have this cool little area to play in. The story mode is also much better, with some large, detailed and elaborate areas to explore, and the huge space rocket in the middle of all of the stages is just so daunting, I love it! More weapons, newDefinitely a better game than Splatoon 2. Much better graphics, and I love that we no longer have to wait on a loading screen for matchmaking, and have this cool little area to play in. The story mode is also much better, with some large, detailed and elaborate areas to explore, and the huge space rocket in the middle of all of the stages is just so daunting, I love it! More weapons, new levels, new stages. 9/10, a very high quality experience!… Expand
  11. FlameSlayer
    Aug 5, 2023
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. The campaign is somewhat hard to do. The Crater is actually somewhat easy, but when you reach Alterna, it's going to be harder than The Crater. Some missions/kettles are target stages, that are extremely hard to do. There's also Octolings (bot) that work like players which are hard to be eliminated. Boss fights are also hard, but I expected it. I'm not sure about online because I haven't tried it.

    If you are not new to Splatoon and have a decent experience, you can try this game's Hero Mode/Campaign.
    However, if you are new to Splatoon and do not have a decent experience, I do not recommend buying it because like I said, it is somewhat hard to complete the Hero Mode/Campaign.    … Expand
  12. Matthew2008
    Aug 5, 2023
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. This is the best Splatoon game Ever!. New additions to the game like lockers or extra modes not only splatfest but also Big run and Eggstra work. Salmon run also got the buff of King salmon. Sure the online is sometimes bad but with new Mode challanges is even more fun to play online card game is fun too overall a good game. Would Recommend.… Expand
  13. Shatterglass
    Aug 1, 2023
    5
    This game is too sweaty and not fun. Garbage maps and matchmaking. They match you with people way above your skill level and expect you to have a good time. I just get frustrated. Splatfests are not fun because of this. Did I mention how bad the network connection is? The only thing that saves this game is Salmon Run. Best mode in the entire game and can be super fun! I greatly enjoyed theThis game is too sweaty and not fun. Garbage maps and matchmaking. They match you with people way above your skill level and expect you to have a good time. I just get frustrated. Splatfests are not fun because of this. Did I mention how bad the network connection is? The only thing that saves this game is Salmon Run. Best mode in the entire game and can be super fun! I greatly enjoyed the solo campaign as well.… Expand
  14. Cokaconda
    Jul 29, 2023
    8
    Unique gameplay added with an experience fast-pased and chaotic; one of the best team-based-games you could ever experience, however, the game does have some flaws. The game has a big problem with lags and delays on hit registration, making you losing in a fight and feel like the game made you lose, the matchmaking based on weapon combination among players seems unfair, a lot of times it'sUnique gameplay added with an experience fast-pased and chaotic; one of the best team-based-games you could ever experience, however, the game does have some flaws. The game has a big problem with lags and delays on hit registration, making you losing in a fight and feel like the game made you lose, the matchmaking based on weapon combination among players seems unfair, a lot of times it's predictable on which team is going to lose based on their weapon comp, this problem only happens on matches outside from X rank lobbies.

    Conclusion; the game is one of the best fast-pased, team-based-game that provides you with a unique game mechanic combined with a unique ranked system that is fair, which a lot of games struggles with making ranked systems fair, but the game does have flaws that maybe frustrating sometimes but the experience is something that you won't be getting in the current trends among triple A titles, where the quality is far from expectations.    … Expand
  15. Hydrazine
    Jul 16, 2023
    5
    The game is interesting and even good, however:

    - Is pretty common having to wait 1 to 2 minutes to find a match. - Unbalanced Matchmaking and Weapons, stomps are common, seems like nintendo doesn't care about it. - Connection Errors is common thing, i wonder why cancel a match of 3 minutes, just because someone DCed or quitted, what is the point of it? Waste players' time ? - No PvE    The game is interesting and even good, however:

    - Is pretty common having to wait 1 to 2 minutes to find a match.
    - Unbalanced Matchmaking and Weapons, stomps are common, seems like nintendo doesn't care about it.
    - Connection Errors is common thing, i wonder why cancel a match of 3 minutes, just because someone DCed or quitted, what is the point of it? Waste players' time ?
    - No PvE content, besides Salmon Run, and it is boring!!!
    - Portable mode Sucks hard, you can't see s***, the enemies in PvP are almost invisible.
    - DLCs.    … Expand
  16. Dave0803
    Jul 12, 2023
    9
    Splatoon has always been my favorite PvP shooter. Nothing can stand up to its pure charm and fun. Now with a third game, the franchise is bigger and better than ever. Expansive weapon selection, deep strategy, and an actually interesting story mode. Love it.
  17. Mingtan
    Jul 8, 2023
    10
    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 fnck , and rank down the from legend to +3, but still i rarely face it , but when it happend i am going to say , ya fnck 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
  18. PearlinaFan23
    Jul 5, 2023
    8
    So far it has added so much, and the story mode is the best it's ever been. The only issues I have are the lack of content, but more is being added every 3 months. The net code could also be improved.
  19. Yeetered
    Jul 4, 2023
    8
    While the game for the most part is very fun. There are still some problems with the game like Crab Tank, Tenta Missiles, the tetris piece shaped new stages, the disconnects and the terribly scheduled challenges window. These are not enough to make it a bad game, at least in my experience. Also, I love TableTurf Battles.
  20. littlefox777
    Jun 28, 2023
    1
    Splatoon 3 is so bad that you can't believe it's a game made by Nintendo. The network conditions, map design, weapon design, and matchmaking mechanics are completely short of the level of a sellable game, and the garbage makes people wonder if this is a commercial fraud. Almost all players are scolding Nintendo, but Nintendo actually feels that its game is doing well. I can assert thatSplatoon 3 is so bad that you can't believe it's a game made by Nintendo. The network conditions, map design, weapon design, and matchmaking mechanics are completely short of the level of a sellable game, and the garbage makes people wonder if this is a commercial fraud. Almost all players are scolding Nintendo, but Nintendo actually feels that its game is doing well. I can assert that this IP has basically died here in the 3rd, and it is estimated that it will not be able to fool any players in the next game.… Expand
  21. Karl_Maks
    Jun 26, 2023
    8
    I have played only one game of Splatoon in my entire life - At summer HDCC 2023 at the Nintendo stand on the podium.

    Lost 54%-29% but was alright.

    You just squirt everywhere.
  22. Sergio22_10
    Jun 26, 2023
    9
    El juego mejora lo que el anterior no pudo mejorar, además de añadir toneladas de contenido tiene algunos Bugs pero nada que un parche un pueda solucionar
  23. CJKSuperCoder
    Jun 22, 2023
    8
    Fun game! It was fun to play turf war and salmon run. The story mode is good too.
  24. squishybean
    Jun 22, 2023
    8
    best **** game of all time. i will admit some of the aspects are very weird and interesting to use, but overall one of the best games. there are quite a bit of online disconnects but its better than Mario Kart online. reminds me of nicki minaj
  25. Splat3NetSucks
    Jun 17, 2023
    0
    Finally I deleted it and went back to splat2 after almost 600 hrs splat3 game play. Network still very bad, how could Nintendo developed such a terrible game?
  26. slehd
    Jun 16, 2023
    10
    I am a newbie who played Splatoon for the first time in this series. I bought it on September 7th. Maps have been improved and various weapons have been added compared to the initial release. The balance feels fair. Splatoon is the most fun pvp game I've ever played. Because I like a battle of strategy more than a match of "Grinding" with an opponent. If there's anything more you want,I am a newbie who played Splatoon for the first time in this series. I bought it on September 7th. Maps have been improved and various weapons have been added compared to the initial release. The balance feels fair. Splatoon is the most fun pvp game I've ever played. Because I like a battle of strategy more than a match of "Grinding" with an opponent. If there's anything more you want, it's a cute water gun fight sound and an AI bot for practice. Finally, I'm waiting for the dlc as well. :p
    (This review was written using a translator and sentences can be awkward.)    … Expand
  27. JeepDaddyMac46
    Jun 7, 2023
    8
    Greatly improves on Splatoon 2. Bigger maps, better weapons, faster movement. Much improved campaign that tries some new things and plays out as more of a story than the tack on campaign in S2. Salmon Run always available. Really like the banners, emotes, etc. that gives you reason to keep advancing in multiplayer.
  28. Zync_Mallico
    Jun 1, 2023
    0
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Splatoon 3 is by far the worst game ever to exist in the series, its even worse than 2. The connection errors are absolutely absurd, the maps are terrible, no action has been taken to fix common issues, the matchmaking is ass, the bosses in the story mode suck and are easy to beat, they never explained where octavio went after the events of 3’s story mode, and the game is poorly managed. The new people working on this game clearly do not know what they are doing, they are uneducated bagpipes who make the game a living hell. I’m sick and tired of this **** catalog “battle pass” **** with each season the game gets w o r s e . It gets worse to the point where it can make a Splatoon veteran physically cry, this game is a slap in the face to Splatoon veterans and should have never existed untill it was actually done. Nobody asked for this half-baked **** the splatfests have no more magic, the idols are hideous, bland, and the worst ever to exist. This game will never top the amount of magic the previous two games had, ya’ll are better off playing Splatoon 1 or 2 at this point. Also, the expansion pass is not worth the money, wave 1 is just a reskin of inkopolis and there were no changes to its lobbies at all, they are literally the same as the splatsville lobby’s and the squid sisters do not do the news when your in inkopolis either. Its always the hideous deep-cut trio doing it, nintendo had good ideas and literally threw them away. The way nintendo is handling this game is only gonna have them loose their player count and fans trust, shameful coming from a $60 game [DO NOT BUY THIS] it will be a waste I garantee it.… Expand
  29. KennethP1
    May 27, 2023
    0
    the matching making of this game is a joke, it ruins the game and eventually it's a piece of crap
  30. Lyn066
    May 2, 2023
    0
    Communication errors, bad map design and terrible matching system ruined all the fun. Only the story mode is worth playing.
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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 115 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 107 out of 115
  2. Mixed: 8 out of 115
  3. Negative: 0 out of 115
  1. LEVEL (Czech Republic)
    Jan 24, 2024
    80
    It's still a mix of platformer and shooter, but some missions are focused on combat, figuring out ways to advance, surviving in a diabolical arena, painting giant statues, sneaking around, finding keys, and even using your weird sidekick to activate and deactivate various mechanisms. [Issue#324]
  2. 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.
    Read full review
  3. 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]
See all critic reviews »