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. Woomy209
    Sep 28, 2022
    0
    The worst netcode I ever witnessed. Expect to have a disconnects or at least lags in every second match you play regardless of your own stable internet connection. Can't recommend unless they somehow fix that.
  2. iformas
    Sep 13, 2022
    0
    It's full of connections issues that destroy all the good points, I'm really disappointed.
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. serpygod
    Feb 5, 2023
    9
    the game is amazing and the best shooter in so long and far better than cod or overwatch but the net code is ****

    unlike what people think, it's not childish, the marketing is and it sucks.

    except that, you should defenetely buy it.
  9. ChaosProGamer
    May 17, 2023
    0
    Worst game ive EVER played!!! Every agonizing second ive spent playing this game i felt as if my skin was melting from my bones in the most painful way possible!!!! Only buy if you are looking to waste your money or if you love torturing yourself!!!
  10. 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?
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. dewittgeology
    Nov 29, 2022
    0
    Amazing hit. Nintendo really doesn't do online well, but Splatoon 3 has been a huge step for them as a company. The ability to smoothly squad up with your friends and details like lockers, practice range while matchmaking, and seeing ghosts of your friends make this such a great experience. All of the Nintendo charm with none of the Nintendo disappointment. No mixed feeling about his gameAmazing hit. Nintendo really doesn't do online well, but Splatoon 3 has been a huge step for them as a company. The ability to smoothly squad up with your friends and details like lockers, practice range while matchmaking, and seeing ghosts of your friends make this such a great experience. All of the Nintendo charm with none of the Nintendo disappointment. No mixed feeling about his game and I haven't felt this strongly positive about a Nintendo game since Breath of the Wild.

    Amazing community, creative weapons and mechanics, and squids living their best lives.    … Expand
  16. Nobodynowhere
    Apr 10, 2023
    0
    本來很喜歡的
    但網絡太差了，這種情況下還要執行掉線扣分的機制非常惡心，打工能因為斷線從傳說掉到達人1 0，網絡維護這麼多次就像扯淡，武器不平衡、地圖設計也垃圾，除了新加的一丁點很快就能膩的內容以外，基本全方面不如splatoon2
  17. Dalek_Thal
    May 1, 2023
    2
    Not a great game. Nintendo made a fatal mistake in Splatoon 3 - its map design removes flanking routes, and replaces them with chokepoints. The problem with this is it forces players into tight corridors where combat is the only option. Whilst it might appear to be a 'serious' shooter as a result, what we have instead is a poorly thought-out mess where you get killed constantly inNot a great game. Nintendo made a fatal mistake in Splatoon 3 - its map design removes flanking routes, and replaces them with chokepoints. The problem with this is it forces players into tight corridors where combat is the only option. Whilst it might appear to be a 'serious' shooter as a result, what we have instead is a poorly thought-out mess where you get killed constantly in all-out-brawls. But even this would be okay if matchmaking was worth a damn. As things stand, the game matches players together not based on skill, but instead on whether it'll make a game happen quickly. As a result, matches are dominated by endgame players whom spawncamp, bully and win almost every match. This environment creates toxicity, which can be easily seen by the "git gud" attidude exhibited by a reasonably-sized portion of its community. The game itself makes itself quite opaque and difficult to learn, and the matchmaking makes learning a near-impossibility. There is no world where this situation is a good thing. I hope deeply Nintendo fixes this game's matchmaking, but as it stands this game is not welcoming to the average player. Splatoon used to be a series where no matter how skilled you were, your contributions to the team mattered. That is no longer true. Do not purchase.… Expand
  18. Splatoon3Hater
    Nov 12, 2022
    3
    I regret spending 60€ on Splatoon 3, this is the least fun and at the same time the most frustrating game I've ever played.

    The biggest issue for me lies in the way the game matches you against other players, there's no MMR or other form of matchmaking system at all; some matches are just unwinnable, it doesn't matter what rank you're in, you'll get matched with and against all kind of    I regret spending 60€ on Splatoon 3, this is the least fun and at the same time the most frustrating game I've ever played.

    The biggest issue for me lies in the way the game matches you against other players, there's no MMR or other form of matchmaking system at all; some matches are just unwinnable, it doesn't matter what rank you're in, you'll get matched with and against all kind of players. Splatoon 3 doesn't take into account what weapons the players are using, which sometimes results in a team composed of 4 chargers (sniper rifles) matched against a balanced team with a good mix of long and short range weapons, making the match completely one-sided.

    Splatoon 3 is NOT a casual videogame, If you're thinking about buying this for your kids I'll let you know it is not for everyone. Splatoon 3 is an extremely sweaty third-person shooter with a huge learning curve, meaning new players will lose A LOT trying to learn the mechanics of the game.

    Losing feels awful, if you're unlucky enough to end up in an uneven match you'll either completely aniihilate the opposing team or get brutally stomped with the rest of your teammates and even though it is no longer possible to get spawn killed in this game, compared to its predecessor, you still won't be able to do much when losing. If you're in the losing team you basically don't get to play the game and it feels incredibly frustrating. Turf war matches only last 3 minutes, and yet it is still possible to die over 10 times in a single match or get over 20 kills, simply because maps are really small and you're pretty much forced to confront your opponent.
    Almost every single map in the game is terribly designed, the maps feel too small with not enough space to maneuver around, meaning flanking enemy players is really hard.

    The game is hopelessly unbalanced. There are over 50 weapons so it only makes sense that some of them are considered useless, not to mention every weapon in the game has a predetermined kit that you cannot change, so even if you find a main weapon that you like you might not like the special weapon or the sub weapon it comes with.

    Splatoon 3 also has some really bad connection issues, I suggest not to buy this game if you don't have a stable internet connection. Although I didn't experience this myself, I heard many players complain that they're getting disconnected in the middle of a match as a result of those issues.

    Now, not everything about the game is terrible; the single-player campaign is fairly decent and the co-op pve horde mode (Salmon Run) can actually be fun, even if hard at times.

    I felt like I HAD to leave a bad review of this game, just to warn others about what they might experience playing Splatoon 3. Hopefully it has been helpful for somebody to read this review.    … Expand
  19. HEXANOMY
    Oct 22, 2022
    2
    I just play multiplayer pvp for this game. it is good with many game modes. However, the connection issue and communication issue happen to frequently. When this happen to other person in a game with you, that game will be immediately terminated and all players return to lobby. It also happen to my self too many times, and might result on temporary ban from playing pvp for 10 minutes.I just play multiplayer pvp for this game. it is good with many game modes. However, the connection issue and communication issue happen to frequently. When this happen to other person in a game with you, that game will be immediately terminated and all players return to lobby. It also happen to my self too many times, and might result on temporary ban from playing pvp for 10 minutes. Please Nintendo, fix this. As a game company, you guys are sucks. You have been in the industry for so long, yet issues like these still occur on your newest game.… Expand
  20. HazeAbysmal
    May 12, 2023
    0
    Splatoon 3 is a very unpolished mess of a game. The online is terrible, there are too many communication errors. The maps are awful, the updates are underwhelming at best. I'm disappointed.
  21. XEclipse360
    Dec 23, 2022
    3
    This game can be fun at times, but 90% of the time is just me being annoyed and mad at the game. This game has horibble matchmaking, connection errors, lag, horrible maps, and bad rotations. Also, each anarchy mode needs their own rank. Salmon run also has gotten worse, the maps are also garbage, there are too many enemies are spawning that it causes thr game to lag, the rotation is notThis game can be fun at times, but 90% of the time is just me being annoyed and mad at the game. This game has horibble matchmaking, connection errors, lag, horrible maps, and bad rotations. Also, each anarchy mode needs their own rank. Salmon run also has gotten worse, the maps are also garbage, there are too many enemies are spawning that it causes thr game to lag, the rotation is not good, and the cohozuna has way too much health, making it really difficult to kill with some weapons. The rewards you get for killing the boss salmonds is barely anything. You prices of the salmond run stuff is way too high. You need to grind this game for hours to be able to buy them. This is one of the worst games ive ever played.… Expand
  22. za77ack
    Oct 6, 2022
    0
    It's mainly a multiplayer game that allows you to play 30-50% of the time you attempt to play. Not kidding when I say I've been disconnected mid-game or after 2min of queue waiting hundreds of times. Nintendo should do some QA before release next time. Avoid!
  23. Len007
    Oct 23, 2022
    1
    Bad network problems and extremely poor matching mechanism are destroying this game with genius design. Please help Nintendo.
  24. XB0_C
    Oct 12, 2022
    0
    Poor matching mechanism.Worse server.I played ten qualifying matches from S to S+,
    I try my best but I just can't win
  25. IAmGood-U
    Oct 19, 2022
    2
    How is it possible that Nintendo has had 3 attempts at fixing the problems in Spatoon and they still can't? In fact, some of the problems like online play are worse. HOW? Almost the entire game is centred around online play and they can't even do that. This game is a joke. This game is a total waste of money. Waste of money making and a waste of money buying it.

    Look at some of these    How is it possible that Nintendo has had 3 attempts at fixing the problems in Spatoon and they still can't? In fact, some of the problems like online play are worse. HOW? Almost the entire game is centred around online play and they can't even do that. This game is a joke. This game is a total waste of money. Waste of money making and a waste of money buying it.

    Look at some of these critic reviews. Absolute garbage shills. Seriously. Blows Splatoon 2 out of the water some said. It is basically a worse version of Spatoon 2 in many ways. And they could have made a paint pun instead, but they are too stupid to manage that!

    Matchmaking is still garbage. Connection issues are worse now. Lockers are garbage cause your friends are not the ones near yours, just random peoples...who cares then?! Half the maps are still garbage. Oh, and there are fewer of them as well. Ranked modes are still garbage, nothing new.

    You are still forced to play the maps Nintendo wants you too. So you can log in and see the levels and modes are garbage and just immediately turn the game back off. Great design Nintendo. Real winners. How are you so stupid? Like how? How is it possible for game designers to be this idiotic?

    SAVE YOUR MONEY UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY MAKE A NEW GAME AND FIX THIS GARBAGE!    … Expand
  26. Ayrton999
    Oct 29, 2022
    0
    Worst PVP Game ever seen. Even nothing balance and can not report any of player
  27. Splatoon3sucks
    Nov 4, 2022
    0
    一个联网对战游戏联机做的跟
  28. mindbleach
    Nov 12, 2022
    0
    Excellent concept which is made effectively unplayable by the worst matchmaking ever committed to an online game. There's no excuse when the series has been going for this long. New players are constantly thrown into matches against 2+ players who are the highest skill rank in the game, while left with a team of similarly inexperienced players. It's simply match after match of losing andExcellent concept which is made effectively unplayable by the worst matchmaking ever committed to an online game. There's no excuse when the series has been going for this long. New players are constantly thrown into matches against 2+ players who are the highest skill rank in the game, while left with a team of similarly inexperienced players. It's simply match after match of losing and getting spawn killed.

    Utterly miserable experience, and completely unnaceptable for a team which has 2 previous games under its belt. Every time I can only tolerate playing 1-2 matches before giving up again. I    … Expand
  29. Iiiiiiiiiiiiiip
    Nov 20, 2022
    0
    would be a 10 if the servers functioned
  30. autphickez
    Dec 8, 2022
    0
    The game is not worth playing at all with so many connection issue.
    What a shame for a Nintendo game series developed for almost a decade.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
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 »