Splatoon 3 will be the third installment into Nintendo's splash-hit series, seemingly combining elements from the immensely popular first two entries with new and innovative features.
Nintendo has already revealed the concept for the single-player mode: the 'Rise of the Mammalians', and has provided players with a look at some new weapons, clothing, and character customizations. In the released material, there are previous stages and weapons confirmed to be coming back, along with other familiar features. But, what could Nintendo add to make the third installment even better?
10 Incorporate Proper E-Sport Game Features
Splatoon is one of Nintendo's only e-sport games alongside the Super Smash Bros series. It was a risk taken by the company, but turned into a massive success. However, there are a few key characteristics missing to bring it in line with other competitive games. Splatoon 3 should add better support for teams - such as easier communication both within the game and in person (more on this later).
Other features that are desired by many competitive players are things like action replays, with a photo mode or the ability to save the clip. Leaderboards showing players' skill and rank on the actual game, not just in the accompanying mobile app, would be beneficial also - they could be displayed in the square or in a building for players to gather at and compare their ranks.
9 The Ability To Skip The Cutscene
A point of contention since Splatoon 2's release is the inability to skip 'Off The Hook' - the opening cutscene introduction to the game. The first time that players open the game each day, seeing the friendly duo of Pearl and Marina pop up and tell you all the deets. This is great - the first time. After a few times, it becomes repetitive and annoying. So annoying, in fact, that some players set up a Change.org petition to get rid of it.
Given that the introduction lasts around a minute, this takes up valuable seconds if you don't have much time to spare - an entire Turf War match is only three minutes in itself. If Nintendo could add either a proper fast-forward button or a skip function, players would rejoice. Maybe a handy little addition to the settings menu could relieve the irritation of hearing the same introduction six times a day.
8 New Ink Colours
Something that should, and probably will be added to Splatoon 3 is new ink colors. New hues like black, white, red, or some pastels perhaps? More colors can help solidify the aesthetic of characters for photos, too. There could even be glow-in-the-dark ink added for special Splatfests.
Similarly, some more colorblind choices wouldn't go amiss. The sheer fact that Splatoon has incorporated this feature is great, however, more than one option of color-blind friendly ink colors would be welcomed. Maybe a settings option could be added to choose the color palettes for every game mode could be implemented - ink color doesn't change anything except what each player sees, so would be a nice touch for extra customization. Potentially, players could even toggle certain pre-made color choices to suit their style.
7 Addition Of An In-Game Voice Chat
Nintendo has been on the fence about game chat since day one of Splatoon. Currently, any voice chat between players has to take place on the mobile app - but this has its own drawbacks. The player can either have headphones on the Switch console or their phone for the app. The other would be playing out loud, which would hinder the other. There was a 'Splat and Chat' headset released which came with a dual jack connector for the Switch and phones at the same time, but this was a short-lived product.
Voice chat would be a very appreciated addition to Splatoon 3. Text chat would, admittedly, be very hard to use on the Switch, but vocal communication would be amazing. On the Nintendo Online app, it is only possible to speak to people on your team, and also on your friends' list, which is very limiting. Even if a voice chat feature was only usable in Turf War, or in Ranked, it would allow players to work together and co-ordinate painting the town. Nintendo recently added the use of Bluetooth audio to the console, so surely microphones are not far behind.
6 New Clothing Or Accessory Type
Splatoon is a game all about style. Therefore, in its third installment, there should be more stylish options for Inklings and Octolings alike to don. The game already has a wide selection of tops, shoes, and headgear - but this range could be easily expanded. Both new brands and clothing types should be brought in.
The most obvious choice would be bags - or the ability to customize the iconic ink tank that every squid has. New accessories like separate glasses, hats, or earrings could be cool, even if they didn't provide abilities - players would appreciate the new aesthetic options. Similarly, maybe two-layer top options could be created instead of just one - for instance a top and jacket instead of a combined item. New shapes, looks, and clothing options are a must, especially for bottoms as the default options are a little boring compared to the fresh and funky wardrobe of Inkopolis.
5 Adding A Weapon Upgrade System
In Splatoon, players can upgrade gear with the chunk currency system. This could be translated to weapons, too. Some weapons and special combinations can be absolutely lethal, but others truly fall flat on the battlefield. Customizable or even swappable secondary abilities and specials would add a new depth to weapon choice, and coupled with upgraded clothing, could make for some very interesting gameplay.
Like with the clothing, players would likely be able to choose from specific kinds for each brand of weapon - and it would be likely that upgrades may be locked to certain levels to avoid decimating the competition before Inklings are experienced enough. This would also add a reason for players to grind and continue playing beyond a few levels. There would need to be some caveat to make the system fair, or may need to cost a lot, but there is no real reason why Nintendo shouldn't implement an upgrade system for weapons, especially with their new and inventive weapon types.
4 Improved Matchmaking
Type 'Splatoon matchmaking' into Google and you will find that the next suggested word is 'broken'. This is not without reason. Splatoon has absolutely no matchmaking to speak of in its' main Turf War battles. In the Ranked matches, players are grouped (loosely) by their rank, but even then it spans a few levels. As a new player, being pitted against players of level 100 is daunting - and being a seasoned player in a lobby full of players under level 10 can be frustrating.
Splatoon 3 should really fix this. A set of options for players to choose from would be a great inclusion. Not just for levels, but also for weapon types, perhaps. Being able to choose a lobby for similar levels, or a free-for-all option would make it so players can really tailor their playing experience. It would make matches a bit fairer for both competitive players and casual fans. Lobby options could also provide hints as to what weapon class players should choose - for instance, if three players have already chosen a Sniper-type weapon, there could be a small pop-up alerting the players of this, so someone could change their choice and even up the team.
3 More Shop Options
Regardless of if players get more outfit items, Splatoon 3 could include a wider range of shops. If tank customization or a bag option is added, then naturally a new building to do this in should be added. Fans would love more options - which would bring new NPCs to the game along with locations to browse and purchase new items - such as a hair or make-up salon to get exclusive styles not available in the character creation menu.
Outside of that, more interactive places in the main plaza would be a great addition to the game. Splatoon 2 had a (sadly unusable) dance mat, a food stall, four shops, and some interactive characters dotted around in the square. Despite that, there were a lot of buildings that were not functional or able to be entered. Splatoon 3 might build on this by adding more usable areas or items. Maybe a jukebox could be added so players can change the music in the square?
2 Customizable Lobbies
Splatoon is a game built on multiplayer functionality. This should be expanded in the series' third chapter. In Splatoon 2, players are able to set up private lobbies for local or wireless player groups, but this still has limitations. Nintendo loves multiplayer abilities, and the Switch itself is made for local co-op play. Improving this type of play could be massively improved upon with just a few changes.
Welcome additions would be that players could choose the stage and all of the battle's properties when setting up a lobby; such as the music, the ink colors, and the team size. All modes in Splatoon are limited to four-player teams - unless someone on a team disconnects, or there is a private local lobby with fewer players. In the next game, there should be more leniency with the team sizes; maybe ranging from three to five players per side. This would add extra competition and the need for deeper strategizing on players' parts.
1 A New Type Of Game Mode
A final, and very needed change, that could be brought into Splatoon 3 is a new type of battle. To add to the classic Turf War and the Ranked battles, Splatoon at this point would benefit from a brand spanking new kind of feud between Inklings. The obvious choice would be a battle royale mode, given that it is the hot choice for multiplayer games. However, Nintendo does not seem to be a fan of battle royale-type games for its' own IPs.
Instead of this, maybe fans could get a three-way Turf War battle mode, or to really shake things up, a tower defense game. When it gets to crunch time in some Turf War games, it already feels like a tower defense so it wouldn't be too much of a jump. If nothing else, there should be a vs. CPU practice mode - especially for the existing Ranked matches. Some players were left very confused on how to play Clam Blitz when Splatoon 2 was first released. The game's only practice area is a single-player room for testing weapons, which doesn't really cut it when learning how to fight other Inklings.