Splatoon’s the freshest paintball shooter in town. What started as a kooky twist on competitive shooters skyrocketed into a bestseller for Nintendo. Side Order continues the franchise’s hot streak with a welcome dose of addicting roguelite action.
For the uninitiated, Splatoon’s colorful battlegrounds let players splatter paint everywhere as agile squid-kids. Side Order gives the solo crowd a powerful addition to Splatoon 3, embedding the iconic ink-flinging gameplay within a treacherous tower. Here’s the squit – you gotta climb all 30 floors stocked with deadly fish skeletons to rescue your pal Marina from a sinister AI.
It may sound daunting, but Side Order eases players in with oodles of chaotic fun. Each run up the tower shakes things up, as you mix and match wacky powerups while mastering an arsenal ranging from paintbrushes to bows. Even when you get splatted, permanent upgrades help slain squid-kids bounce back stronger for the next attempt. Side Order’s roguelite hooks keep players swimming back for more delightful chaos.
Veterans can dive right into the off-the-wall action, while new players have lots to latch onto as they learn the ropes. One thing’s for sure – Side Order looks primed to shower fans with fresh fun for hours on end.
Inkredible Chaos Awaits
Splatoon’s signature splattering action shines brighter than ever in Side Order. Whether you’re an ink-slinging expert or first-time squid, it nails Splatoon’s addictive essence within a roguelite framework brimming with chaotic possibilities.
Blending familiar turf wars with procedural generation, no two climbs up the tower play out the same. The stage layouts stay static, but objectives, enemies, and power-ups shuffle into new combinations every round. While the five objectives and handful of maps can start feeling repetitive after extended play, wild customizable loadouts keep things fresh.
As you splat foes and complete missions, color-coded power chips round out your loadout’s capabilities. Want to snipe enemies with a paintbrush or zap them from across the map with your special? The chips got you covered. With over 60 to mix, match, and upgrade, creative buildcrafting helps ease the grind when situations start feeling familiar.
Permanent upgrades through Marina’s hacks also help smooth out difficulty spikes over time. Boosting your squid’s speed, strength, ink efficiency, and more between runs gives you an extra edge against those pesky fish skeletons. Before you know it, you’ll be breaching new personal bests on the path to the top.
While pure chaos with friends would amp up the fun even more, sadly co-op play didn’t make the cut this time. But even rolling solo, Side Order retains that infectious Splatoon spirit. The delightfully offbeat abilities and enemies shake up the formula just enough to distinguish this bite-sized DLC from previous entries’ single player modes.
A Monochrome Marvel
While some players may balk at Side Order’s black-and-white aesthetic, the bold art direction pops with panache. Trading Splatoon’s signature neon hues for stark contrasts between inky voids and vibrant paint works surprisingly well.
The game world’s ominous lack of color sets an eerie, dystopian mood from the moment you set foot in the bleached-out Square. Ominous fish skeletons and other oddities crawling the tower halls further sell the setting’s unsettling atmosphere. Small visual touches like the main hub subtly glitching out or traces of your colorful ink trailing behind weapons and enemies make your mark on the landscape feel impactful.
It may seem counterintuitive for a series defined by its eclectic colors to ditch them entirely, but the restricted palette helps Side Order stand apart. The visual presentation complements the darker narrative undertones, while still retaining Splatoon’s avant-garde style.
On the technical side, performance remains rock solid. Side Order maintains a crisp 60 frames per second whether you’re embroiled in frenetic firefights or taking a breather between rounds. The engine handles all the excessive explosions, particles, and special effects with nary a hitch too.
The sights keep you hooked, but Side Order’s soundtrack reels you in. Sporting an electronic vibe befitting the virtual setting, the catchy beats motivate you to push further. Familiar Splatoon musical motifs blended with techno tracks make every attempt up the tower feel epic. The audio design’s quality persists across the board as well, from the satisfying splat of landing shots to the eerie ambience lurking behind each level.
Between the striking back-and-white aesthetic, buttery smooth performance, and stellar tunes, Side Order delivers panache that pops on all fronts. The visual direction may seem unconventional for Splatoon, but it sets an enticing mood fitting the fantastical romp.
Worth Every Drop of Ink
With around 5-10 hours of chaotic content, Side Order should keep hungry squid-kids splatting for a good while. Completing every objective with all 12 weapons for the full experience takes serious dedication, providing a meaty challenge for most players. Veterans may blaze through quicker, but the winding nature of roguelite progression should still pose some hurdles.
Considering Splatoon 3 already boasted a sizable single-player campaign at launch, Side Order feels appropriately priced as DLC. Franchise fans get a delightful new way to enjoy their favorite ink-based gameplay for $24.99 – especially if they spring for the full Expansion Pass.
The pass’ other perks like extra multiplayer items and catalog rewards further increase Side Order’s value for online aficionados. More casual solo players may want to wait for a discount though, as 5 hours may not seem like enough content compared to full-price titles.
Yet with its wild abilities, brooding atmosphere, and failure-driven progression, Side Order stands separate enough from Splatoon 3’s story mode to justify itself. Those seeking fresh single-player content capturing the addictive core of Splatoon will find plenty to love with the delightfully absurd abilities, enemies, and progression systems Side Order brings to the table. For most diehard fans of this squash-and-stretch superstar franchise, it’s easily worth every brightly-colored drop of ink.
A Fresh New Flavor
While Side Order isn’t the meatiest serving of single-player Splatoon content, it sprinkles the addictive ink-based gameplay with a delightful roguelite twist. The procedurally generated runs keep things feeling fresh across repeated climbs, especially when combined with the abundant build variety from equipable chips. Even if the objectives and enemies start blurring together over long sessions, creative loadout experimentation offers plenty of replayability.
For franchise fans, Side Order’s chaotic, customizable take on Splatoon is an absolute treat. Between the wacky abilities, sinister aesthetic, and punchy soundtrack, it does enough to stand out from previous entries’ story modes. The permanent progression system also ensures devoted squid-kids will eventually conquer the tower, while posing a formidable but fun challenge for seasoned players on earlier attempts.
More casual fans may want to wait for a discount, however. With only around 5 hours of content to fully “beat” it, Side Order may leave some wanting more for the price. The lack of co-op does limit the longevity too. But with the iconic ink-based chaos still going strong, Side Order brings a fresh new flavor to satisfy most Splatoon aficionados.
The Review
Splatoon 3: Side Order
While it lasts, Splatoon 3: Side Order serves up delightful chaos. With wildly creative loadouts and a striking aesthetic, this bite-sized romp blends signature ink-flinging action with fresh roguelite flavors across a visually delectable tower climbing quest. A few repetitive elements hold it back from true greatness, but imaginative abilities and formidable foes should keep devoted squid-kids splatting anything that moves. Satisfying progression systems ensure eventual triumph too, offering addicting motivation to push further. For a small serving, Side Order brings sweet, squash-and-stretch goodness worth savoring - though fans will surely crave more noodles once their plates are clean.
PROS
- Addictive roguelite gameplay loop
- Great variety in weapon loadouts and abilities
- Striking black-and-white visual style
- Fun new enemies to battle
- Smooth performance
- Catchy soundtrack
CONS
- Repetitive objectives and maps
- Not enough boss variety
- Short amount of content for price
- Lack of co-op play
