I have different characters from S2 and S3. They don't have names (other than my tag) but I wanted to at least flesh them out so they feel like they live in the world. A cool part of Splatoon is the lore and setting and I just wanted to interact with that side of the game as well. My S2 player has also been aged to match the age they would be at the time of S3
I started playing Splatoon 2 when a friend suggested it since i was looking for something to fill the hole that Overwatch left when it became Overwatch 2. I didn't move to OW2 as the two tank 6v6 was my favorite part of the game and the characters that were my favorite were already getting nerfed to hell and back. So i gave up on OW2 giving me the multiplayer online game I wanted. To be fair, neither did Splatoon 2.
I've always really liked splatoons theming and aesthetic, but the gameplay of Splatoon 2 is hit and miss. It felt like a really long game where I just died a lot. I came into the game at the end. Nostalgia and hype did not affect me. I only got to play the worst version of Splatoon 2 with Main power up Maxing out everybody's gear sets. It truly wasn't fun... Unless I was playing with friends. They were the only reason I got on. I played a couple of Salmon Run and one rerun splatfest, which was actually really fun.
But the love for the game did not come until Splatoon 3.
I love this game. A lot of itches are scratched with this installment. I like the gatcha system as it's locked to ONLY in game money, keeping gambling in game which is a safe way to interact with it. I like the catalog in theory. Though i don't like the update schedule and the Drizzle season 2023 right now isn't that great, but the concept itself is sound. It's like a free battle pass for in game cosmetics with no way to jump the rung. You have to work and play the game to get it and it's the best. As it should be.
Speed is key. And the speed of the game into the 3rd installment is noticeable and welcomed. I understand people who really liked playing very big maps where you would rarely meet people. I agree, however it kind of made me bad at the scrimishes. The way I used to be able to be gunned down was embarrassing. But coming from splatoon 2 where everybody was looking for a fight, i couldn't practice that kind of game play if i only saw it 2-3 times a game (or i get spawn camped and don't get the opportunity every lol). So I don't mind being in fights more often. What I do wish is that the maps stayed the same size. I'm not sure why they both increased the speed and made the maps smaller. Now it feels almost too much. Like the whole game is a battle now. So thats one thing I heavily agree with when its comes to the Splatoon community.
Salmon run is crushing it. However again, the drizzles season 2023 isn't all that great right now, but having it accessible at all times, boss salmonids for variety, additional salmonids from last game, and an in-game additional reward shop for playing the game well are all great!! The game is a challenge for sure but when you get people who you have synergy with, you will have a blast. By far the best mode in this game right now.
I, also, play this game casually, so I don't really care about pro-splatoon balance, but at the casual level most weapons are fun to play and viable. I don't have to overload my gear with Main power up just to have a chance. (praying that FUCKIGN STAYS THAT WAY)
This game isn't perfect. You can see how many times I say "However" in this fuckign thing, but this game is fun! And that's how I like my games. If you decide to check out the game, or even play it now, let me know! I'd love to have more friends to play with no matter the rank!