Splatoon 2

When the WiiU was unceremoniously sidelined by the Switch,  began the grand effort of porting over every major game from the console to easily buff the Switch library with games that most people haven't played anyways. This effort resulted in a lot of "deluxe" versions of games that have more content but are still fundamentally the same title. However, Nintendo had so many ideas for their port of Splatoon that they ended up making it into a full-fledged sequel. After playing it myself, I think they added and replaced enough content to call it a new game, but when it comes down to it, this is really just another "deluxe" port.

What I mean is, if you have played the original, you already know pretty much everything there is to know about Splatoon 2. The competitive online portion of the game added some new weapon types and modified the controls a bit to make up for the lack of a second screen, but it is still largely the same as before. The story mode is completely remade, following up that of the first game with brand new levels, new collectibles, and the ability to switch weapons between stages. However, the story isn't much different from last time, and a few of the bosses are reused from the first game as well. I still enjoyed my time with the campaign, but by the end, I was more than ready to move on. Marking its biggest difference over the original, Splatoon 2 introduces a brand new game mode called Salmon Run. With a structure somewhat reminiscent of a tower defense game, you and your team work together to fend off waves of salmonoids and collect their eggs for your mysterious employer. I thought this mode was a lot of fun, but it's only available to play during certain windows, so I didn't end up getting to spend a lot of time with it.

There isn't much else to say about this game that hasn't already been said about the WiiU original. If you've played Splatoon 2, the story is pretty much the only thing you're missing from the first one. While the updates definitely make the sequel the better of the two games, the general lack of fundamental changes makes me wary to recommend upgrading if you already have the original. However, if you are trying to decide between the two, this is the game to buy.

The game is available on Switch here (as of 6/29/21): https://www.nintendo.com/games/detail/splatoon-2-switch/

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