When naming the best non-violent action games I’ve played, Splatoon 2 is top on the list. Splatoon 2 is the second game in the Splatoon series. The game was published by Nintendo and developed by Nintendo EPD. 

Splatoon 2 was initially released as a single-player game in July 2017. The online multiplayer game mode was introduced by Nintendo shortly afterward. Upon its release, the game sold over twelve million copies, making it one of the best-selling switch games at the time. Although Splatoon 2 is a continuation of the Splatoon series, it sure feels like a whole new game. 

Story Begins After The Splatfest Event

Splatoon 2 begins shortly after the last event in Splatoon (the first game in the series). If you played the first game, you would recall that Marie, the pop idol, has defeated Callie and her cousin. Months after the Splatfest event, Marie became worried about Callie’s state of mind. She was concerned that Callie would be negatively affected by the result of the battle. 

Marie then traveled out of Inkopolis to pay a visit to her parents. However, on her return, she found out that the Zapfish, which powered the city, had been stolen. She suspected the involvement of the Octarians and decided to begin investigating the situation. Once again, she took up agent 2 in the Squidbeak Splatoon that was newly created. Next, Marie recruited other players in the game to help in the investigation process. 

Marie and her crew then began their adventures fighting and defeating the Octarians while recovering several stolen Zapfish. The stolen Zapfish have been used to power the enemies’ war machines such as the Octo oven, shower, and samurai. During the investigation, the Squidbeak Splatoon discovered that Callie, who went missing earlier on, was now working for the Octarians after being brainwashed by the Octarian leader. 

Dj Octavio, after being defeated in the first game, had escaped from prison. They found out that he was using the Zapfish to power his new DJ stage. Will Marie succeed in freeing Callie from her mind control? Would the new Squidbeak Splatoon defeat Octavio and take the great Zapfish to its rightful place? That’s left for you to decide as you play this thrilling third-person shooter game. 

Play With Paint, Cover Your Territory 

The main aim of the game is to control the grounds while defeating your enemies. Both feats can be achieved by splattering paint over the grounds to claim your territory and shooting the enemies with your ink-based weapons to mark them with your color of paint. To win the battle, you must learn the art of ink management and also understand the terrain of all eight symmetrical maps. Understanding your opponents’ plans is also key to becoming victorious. 

The characters in Splatoon 2 are majorly divided into two groups, the Inklings and the Octolings. In the game, the characters can choose either the form of a kid or a humanoid form. While playing as squids, the characters can freely swim through ink, recover their health status, and refill the ink supply. As kids or humanoids, the characters can walk and shoot as they wish. 

The game features a game mode known as the standard turf war mode. In this mode, two teams, each comprising four players, compete against each other by using their ink colors to cover some turfs. The team that covers the most turf then wins the match. 

Some new game modes were added in Splatoon 2. The clam blitz mode enables the players to form teams with other players in the same mode as in the ranked battles. The salmon run mode allows players to collaborate to fight waves of salmonids while collecting salmonids eggs. 

Splatoon 2 Splatfest Events 

The Splatfest events in Splatoon 2 were held monthly, with various themes that depended on a region and the different seasons or holidays. The monthly Splatfest events, however, ended in July 2019, with some bonus rematch which were held in May, August, and October 2020. The latest Splatfest event held in January 2021 while celebrating the 35th anniversary of Super Mario Bros. 

Best Features of the Game 

I loved almost everything about this game, from the artistic display to the plot, theme, characters, and music. There were a couple of improvements in Splatoon 2, which made the game even more adventurous than the first game in the series. 

New weapons were added to the game, including standard weapons, sub, and special weapons. Some of the newly added weapons include the dualies, which are double-wield pistols, the brellas, which were created in the form of shotguns, and jetpacks. Other weapons include the inkbrush and slosher. Weapon Power-ups, armors, and missiles were also introduced in Splatoon 2. 

This version of the game also allows players to order a variety of weapons to increase their stock. Players can buy the weapons with the money they have earned from various battles. 

The single-player mode in Splatoon 2 is more advanced than that of the first game, as it fully prepares you for the online multiplayer game mode and has some unique and exciting features. 

Flaws I Noticed in the Game 

Although I loved almost everything about Splatoon 2, there were still a few glitches that couldn’t go unnoticed. Firstly, there was a significant issue with the matchmaking system in the online multiplayer game mode. 

Another glitch I noticed is that you cannot play any mini-games while waiting for other players to complete your team. The lack of a side attraction makes the wait boring and rather too long. You also can’t swap weapons in between matches. You do not select weapons while playing online, as the system allocated weapons to you randomly.

Conclusion 

Splatoon 2 is fun, colorful, adventurous, and challenging. The game has a compelling storyline with a lot of unexpected twists. Its non-violent nature makes it the perfect game for both adults and kids. Although Splatoon 2 has its glitches, the overall game is great and loved by players worldwide.