During the latest Nintendo Direct, new gameplay footage of Splatoon 3 was showcased highlighting the title’s co-op features. While a release date hasn’t been narrowed down as of right now, the new ink shooter has a release window set for this upcoming Summer. Even though the new gameplay trailer included PvE footage, there’s still a lot that remains to be unknown about the title regarding things such as new game modes, customization options, and the title’s story.
Splatoon 3 was announced during the February 2021 Nintendo Direct which shared details about the upcoming shooter, but there weren't many. Along with the short snippets of gameplay footage that fans of the series have seen, it can be pieced together that Splatoon 3 has a post-apocalyptic aesthetic, and for now, not much more is known about the story. Players can only hope that more story details will be shared soon before the game’s summer release date hits.
The new Splatoon 3 trailer showed the return of the hit co-op game mode that was featured in Splatoon 2 Salmon Run, this time it’s titled Salmon Run: Next Wave. The premise of the game mode is still the same, having players collect and deliver orbs to their team's basket while defeating various Salmonoids in their way. However, new enemies make an appearance along with a much-needed feature. There are new enemies such as Fish Stick, which acts as a sprinkler raining ink down from a tower-like structure, Flipper-Flopper that jumps in the air and splashes down on inklings in its path, and another that is secretly shown at the end of the trailer. It’s nice to see Salmon Run return to Splatoon 3 feeling fresh and amped up.
Splatoon 3 Ups The Difficulty For Its PvE Mode
Players are also now able to throw orbs at each other in Splatoon 3's Salmon Run game mode. This is a big improvement to its co-op multiplayer mechanics, as in Splatoon 2 the only way to drop the orb was dying first, which naturally tended to cause problems for the team. Even though the game mode looks to play similarly, the look of it all feels quite different by comparison, as everything appears grim and bleak, which is the complete opposite of all the bright colors that the previous games have become well known for.
With the new enemies and the darker themes setting, it seems like players are up for a challenge as the development team ranks up the difficulty for Salmon Run. It would be interesting to see what other new features in Splatoon 3 get added to change up the gameplay. Whether it might be a new PvP or another PvE game mode, it’ll be sure to keep fans on their toes. As the summer release date gets closer, fans will hopefully see some information regarding the title’s story to build up anticipation for the game. Splatoon 3 definitely has the potential to be one of the biggest releases of 2022, and its co-op game mode will likely be a draw for many fans.