Splatoon 3: Side Orderis a fantastic expansion to the gameplay and lore of Nintendo’s third-person shooter, complete with new challenges and gameplay innovations that’ll test the mettle of die-hard fans.
The DLC is accessible at any point in your time withSplatoon 3, and require’s nothing except the expansion pass itself to get you into the action. Your weapons and gear don’t carry over from the main portion of the game, so you needn’t worry about how prepared you are, putting casual and pro players on equal footing right from the word go.
Check outSplatoon 3: Side Orderbelow
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With splatguns in hand, you charge into the tower, meet a mysterious new character called Acht in the elevator, and begin your ascent to the top which is easier said than done.
The gameplay ofSide Orderis exactly the same as the base game, though of course you’re working with the equipment the game gives you, not your personal loadouts though that does change later down the fishing line. The main difference is instead of arena battles like in the game’s multiplayer, players will undertake a Splatoon-themed rogue-like, complete with various challenges, weapon and skill buffs, as well as dire consequences upon death.
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Each floor must be cleared out one after the other, and arriving on them will grant you a Chip. These are colourful little things that slot into your palette, and grant you a range of power-ups to take with you on your playthrough. Examples include more damage for your splatguns, faster reload times, or bonus abilities like a dodge roll that hurts enemies while getting you out of the way of incoming attacks. Collecting these felt oddly addictive, and it was great to put together a unique build on every attempt, finding out which Chips were worth grabbing and how they complimented each other in the long run. Whether you favour being a glass cannon or would rather focus on area denial, there’ll be Chips in the DLC that work with your playstyle, and experimenting with ones you wouldn’t usually go for was half the fun of a fresh ascent of the tower.
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Upon dying, you’re booted out of the tower and lose all the chips you’ve collected up to that point, which can be absolutely devastating when you’ve put in so much time and effort. That being said it never felt unfair, or unjust, your deaths are very much skill-issues, and as you grow accustomed to the tower and its tricks you can make short work of the early floors and get back on track.
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You can also unlock some goodies and new weapons through a huge locker, which requires keys found on specific floors to be opened. This will give you the option to switch up your weapon, preferably to one you use in the main game that you know how to use.
On certain floors you’ll throw down with a colossal boss battle, though the variation of these was actually quite lacking, which can be said for the challenges on all floors to be honest. Once you’ve done several playthroughs you’ll quickly realise there isn’t much variety in the task you have to complete, which can sometimes be to the DLC’s detriment during long play sessions.
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The thing I liked most aboutSide Orderthough was how different it felt to the main game. While the concept of rogue-likes is nothing new, it is new for the Splatoon series, and I was amazed how seamlessly the two merged together. The most important thing in a good rogue-like is keeping the player entertained, after all the whole point is if you die you’re sent back to the beginning and if you’re not having fun you likely won’t want to make a second attempt, let alone a 30th.Splatoon 3: Side Ordernailed that feeling of progression, as even when I perished and lost all of my Chips, fated to start over the from the top (or bottom) I went back in with a greater understanding of what to expect, as well as a bolstered build thanks to Marina’s upgrades.
It was a lot of fun, and it was a great feeling to finally overcome that floor that was giving you trouble, only to completely smash it in every following attempt. There was rarely a time where I felt like I couldn’t go on to preserve my own sanity, every attempt was enjoyable, even if the mission variety could have been better.
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Nintendo smashed it out of the park with this DLC, and it has to be the best piece of solo-content that’s been made for the series so far. It’s got something for everyone, and the best part is there’s no requirement to have played the expansions for previous games, you can hop into this one regardless of your knowledge on the series.
If you’ve done all there is to do in the multiplayer part ofSplatoon 3, have gotten bored of it, or just fancy partaking in some singleplayer content,Side Orderhas you covered. It packs brilliant story content, stunning visuals and gameplay that’ll keep you hungry for more even when you’ve rolled the credits.
Pros: A fresh addition to the game modes, gorgeous presentation, welcoming to new and old fans of the series, varying levels of challenge
Cons: Levels can sometimes feel repetitive,
For fans of: Splatoon, Fortnite, Foamstars
9/10: Exceptional
Topics:Nintendo,Nintendo Switch
