We spent some time playing the Splatoon 2 Global Testfire on the Nintendo Switch today. Here are our first impressions.
When Splatoon first released on the Nintendo Wii U, it was a ton of fun. Since Nintendo is severely lacking when it comes to an online multiplayer experience, this was a breath of fresh air. It was a unique and fun new IP. With Splatoon 2 though, it’s hard to tell the differences between this game and the first one.
That isn’t necessarily a bad thing since, at its core, the game is a ton of fun. But if you’re branding something new, then there should be plenty of new things to look forward to and a ton of new gameplay features and mechanics. We’re struggling to find that in Splatoon 2.
Let’s talk about the gameplay. With the first hour of the Global Testfire, we were able to play about six matches in total. We found about 10, but thanks to server issues, we weren’t able to fully complete them. For the majority of our time, we saw this message pop up on our screen and it was very frustrating:
That being said, it’s expected, especially right at the start. Believe it or not, as highly criticized as Nintendo’s online features are, the connection on the Wii U was mostly stable. Games like Mario Kart 8 and even Splatoon proved this. We expect more of the same on the Switch once they dust off the cobwebs.
Like we said, it’s fun. However, is there anything new? Not really. Other than some new features, like an ink jetpack, some new weapons and abilities and some new maps, it still feels like the same game. In all honesty, it feels more like a port rather than a whole new game altogether.
What really nags us are the motion controls. Thankfully, you’re able to switch that off in the options menu. At first, it seemed like you wouldn’t be able to do that in the Global Testfire. That would have been an immediate turnoff.
One thing that definitely stands out is how much smoother it feels. The controls are the same, but the game is definitely superior on the Switch. From the visuals to the performance, it feels great.
Whether you’re playing with the console docked and on the TV, or if you’re in handheld mode, the game is equally as fun. At first, when it comes to the console, we were worried about that aspect. It’s safe to say that after playing multiple games, they’re just as good in both modes. Splatoon 2 is no different.
At the end of the day, we don’t want to sound too harsh. It’s still only a demo and we expect Nintendo to learn from its mistakes. We’re hoping the online experience allows for dedicated servers, custom lobbies, and voice chat. That’s ultimately what we care about the most, especially with a competitive game like this. Other than that, the gameplay is very fun.
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We still plan on buying Splatoon 2, even if we have to pay 60 dollars for a game that feels extremely similar to the original installment. More features and everything else should be included in the full build and if they fix some kinks in the armor, we can see ourselves playing this for a long time.