The Splatoon series has always been a different flavor of first-person shooter. It oozes charm just like the colorful ink players paint the turf with during battles. Its lovable characters and unique gameplay have made Splatoon 3 stand out from other team-based shooters like Battlefield and Overwatch. However, something missing from Splatoon 3 that is a staple in other FPS franchises is the "class" mechanic.
As it stands, Splatoon's only real classes are the individual loadouts available for players to choose from when entering online play. Each Splatoon loadout has a Main Weapon, a Sub Weapon, and a Special Weapon. These weapons are fixed for each loadout and cannot be changed. So when it comes to choosing a class, players are essentially opting for a Main Weapon and bringing along whatever Sub and Special Weapon come with it. Classes in other shooters tend to help the player determine their role on the team—be it support, tank, attacker, and so on. The way Splatoon's current method of fixed loadouts acting like classes lacks any sort of defined roles, resulting in a lack of synergy among these loadouts.
Splatoon's Current Special Weapons Act as Class Distinctions
Due to the nature of Splatoon's 4v4 matchmaking system, it is not really possible to have defined classes with some sort of Overwatch-like role queue system. This type of system really slows down the matchmaking process and is not realistic for a game like Splatoon. Instead, a better solution is to make the Special Weapon the focal point of the "class" by diversifying the types of Special Weapons available so that they offer more distinct roles. Some Special Weapons like the Tacticooler and the Big Bubbler already fill the support role and are two of the most useful Special Weapons in the game.
The Tacticooler acts as a support weapon in that it provides a team with buffs. When deployed, the Tacticooler produces four cans of soda, offering one for each team member to grab. These sodas temporarily increase movement speed and reduce respawn time. The Big Bubbler is even more useful as it creates a barrier that is impenetrable to enemy ink while allowing ally ink to permeate it. This is a great Special Weapon for team-wide support when placed in a strategic location. While both of these weapons are great for support, creating further class distinctions through other Special Weapons could greatly improve Splatoon's gameplay.
How Splatoon Could Improve Classes using Special Weapons
Aside from Special Weapons like the Tacticooler and Big Bubbler, the Special Weapons in Splatoon 3 are often offensively focused. While some are very efficient at getting splats, others—like the Ink Storm—ride the line of whether they are considered offensive or not. If some reworks were made, many of Splatoon 3's Special Weapons could function as a specific class archetype. A great example of a weapon with rework potential is the Crab Tank. The Crab Tank is already quite bulky and capable of drawing enemy attention with its large size and damage output potential. In order to rework this weapon into a full-blown tank class, it would need a buff to its health and possibly a reduction in damage to compensate.
Another Special Weapon that could use a rework is the aforementioned Ink Storm. Right now the Ink Storm isn't particularly good at anything. It doesn't do enough damage to be an offensive weapon and can only really be useful for providing some cover for a team push. To make the Ink Storm a more defined support weapon, it could provide a defensive buff to allies with in its range. With a defensive buff like damage reduction or increased movement speed, the Ink Storm could become quite the useful support weapon. While it is unlikely any of these changes will occur during Splatoon 3's lifespan, a future game could definitely take advantage of a system like this to freshen up the series' gameplay.
Splatoon 3 is available now for Nintendo Switch.
