Splatoon 2 - a few days later

Hello boys and girls, kcduckling here, I've been pretty busy this past weekend really playing the crap out of Splatoon 2 and boy I've got a lot of praise to give.
If you haven't played the original, this is a crazy fun foray into a very unique game, unlike any other shooter on the market. The main game mode is a simple, 4v4 for who can cover more of the map with their team's color of ink. Killing, or in this case, "splatting" the opponents does nothing to help your score, but rather buys you more time to ink the map. Other game modes go beyond that and are more objective-based, but everything is fun.
For those of you that have played the original Splatoon, not much has changed. A few tweaks were made here and there (more on that later), and the new horde mode is ridiculous fun, and its easier to get the perks you want on the gear you want, but other than those few things, it is very much the same, fresh experience that you got to play on the Wii U.
As a huge fan of the original Splatoon, I am glad to see that much of the core gameplay from the original still holds up. Simple little tweaks implemented by Nintendo have very subtly helped balance and enrich the online experience. These tweaks include:

• allowing Splat Charger to hold charge for a short period of time while submerged in ink
• adding a vertical fling to the Splat Roller
• adding checkpoints in Tower Control
• adding a few details to the in-game HUD to provide more information, such as what weapon players have and if their special is ready

And speaking of the specials, I do believe that there is not a single one from the original game in this one, they have been completely scrubbed and replaced. However, much of the weapons from the first game return, to my delight, as well as the majority of the sub-weapons. Not to say there is not new weapons and subs in this game. The all-new Splat Dualies, which were featured heavily in all of Splatoon 2's advertising, are tremendous fun to use and include a dodge roll that no other weapon has. As for the new subs, the Autobomb has got to be my favorite.

The new horde mode, Salmon Run, is a fantastic addition to the game that really helps out with the variety of gameplay that Splatoon 2 offers in comparison to its predecessor. Although only available every other day for 12 hours a day, this new mode drops 4 players off on a small island and assigns them each a weapon that they then must use to hold off the waves of Salmonid creatures, defeating challenging bosses and stealing their golden eggs. The time constraints are a bummer, but the randomly assigned weapons ensure that you are trying out new ones all the time, which is a great move to really acquaint yourself with the game's vast arsenal.

The story mode is just as good as the original's. Hectic, colorful, and outrageous fun. The story mode really does a great job as well as switching around your weapon constantly while each level has a new mechanic for you to learn and master by the end of it. Collectibles are scattered throughout and are addicting to hunt down. The story mode even lets you try out a super-rare weapon, not available in the game yet, which is really neat.

The online lobbies have been working fine for me, only experiencing occasional (once every couple hours or so) drops back to the lobby, and my only real complaint is that you cannot switch weapons or gear in the lobby, which can be a really big thorn in your side. The map and mode rotation occurs every two hours as opposed to four, which is better, but still tedious when you're sitting down to play the game for an extended period of time.

Splatoon is all about looking fresh as hell, and Splatoon 2 has a lot of really neat options for what you wear, (my Inkling is rocking some Yeezys-lookalikes right now) and now it is even easier to get the perks you want on the clothes you want. Splatoon 2 has added 'ability chunks', earned by playing Salmon Run or by scrubbing your current clothes, and when you have 10, or sometimes 20 of these chunks, you can put that ability onto any piece of clothing you want.

Splatoon 2 really retains the success of the original Splatoon and adds enough new features and changes to really merit its 'sequel' status. Splatoon 2 is out now and I would strongly recommend buying it.

Until next time, kcduckling out.

Splatfest

Hey everybody, kcduckling here back from one of those classic 'gone for along time without telling anybody' stints. I've been pretty busy in my personal life lately, moving cities, getting a new job, and playing a hell of a lot of video games.
Yesterday was the World Premiere for Splatoon 2's Splatfests, and this was my first time getting to play Splatoon 2 (back when they had the testfire, my Switch's internet wasn't working), and I was not let down. Available weapons were a Splattershot, Splat Charger, Roller, and the brand new Splat Dualies.
I was using the Splattershot and Roller for the majority of my three hours that I got to play, and it felt really good to jump back in to Splatoon. When I had played on the Wii U, I had always used the motion controls, but for the back half of playing this, I went ahead and switched off motion controls and just used my pro controller, and it worked really well!
The theme of the Splatfest was Ice Cream vs. Cake and Ice Cream kicked the shit out of Cake. Not even close. For my three hours that I played the game, I, a member of Team Ice Cream, only played against a Team Cake twice. Clearly the world is pretty decided on whether ice cream or cake is better.
The only other note that I have to make is that I really wish that the controls could be changes, even a few simple options. As someone who has played Breath of the Wild for over 150 hours on my Switch, it's pretty ingrained in me that jump is the 'x' button. There were countless times in Splatoon 2 when I would be in the middle of a crazy fight with someone, and I would try to jump out of the way only to pull up the map, blind myself, and then get splatted. This isn't a huge deal, as I'll probably learn to switch over eventually, but adding a simple control change option wouldn't hurt.
Splatoon 2 comes out this Friday, July 21st. It's a hell of a lot of fun and if you are a Switch owner, you should definitely pick this up.

Until next time, kcduckling out.