Splatoon 2

[dezm0nd]

I couldn't crack the motion controls in the first game. I was enjoying twin sticks just fine but I could see the agility in the motion stuff being slightly more beneficial.

[ratsoalbion]

Yes, I suppose the motion controls will give you mouse style aiming fidelity if you can acclimatise to it.

[Suits]

Think I'll stick with motion for now then and see how badly it goes .

I get the feeling that as soon as I revert back to twin sticks, just for a match, that'll be it.

[Flabyo]

Reviews are all about where I thought they'd be. General summary:

1) It's great.
2) It's more of the same though, but a LOT more of the same.
3) Time gating Salmon Run is dumb.

If you have the amiibo from the first game they'll gift you the same clothing items they did in the WiiU game, which is a nice thing. They've not said what the Callie and Marie amiibo do in this game though, apparently that was on the 'do not show' list in the review guidelines (yes, if you're reviewing a game before releases there's often a list of things you're not allowed to mention or show, usually story spoilers. Imagine how much fun that made reviewing MGS2)

I don't think any of the reviewers had the chance to use the Nintendo mobile app though, so I can see why a few outlets decided to hold off on a final score for the time being.

[seansthomas]

A few people have used the app now. Sounds atrocious. Which probably doesn't shock anyone. From what I can tell:

Have to have a full 8 players to play online with voice chat. Can't play with 2 or you against others.

App needs to be on screen and active permanently to work. If you turn your screen off or switch apps it quits.

[Suits]

Yep, it all sounds worse than what I was preparing myself for.

Which is appalling .

Maybe there'll be an update or something.......

[dezm0nd]

Not surprising that the app is a load of guff, to be honest. Nintendo are more open to critical feedback than before so hopefully they'll make it work properly one day.

[seansthomas]

Not surprising that the app is a load of guff, to be honest. Nintendo are more open to critical feedback than before so hopefully they'll make it work properly one day.

Or, who knows... use the headphone socket of the online device in your hands that's already got all your friends saved on it?

[seansthomas]

I do wonder if this was DeNA's job to sort out and they've failed miserably. Miitomo, Mario Run... both took ages to load, barely worked online let alone in an area of intermittent signal...

Nintendo have done so much so right this generation; UI, indie involvement, cycle of releases... why develop two games to get into esports, both needing online functionality, if you then don't want either to work?

Or maybe the issue is around voice chat and not online. Because to fair, online in ARMS is good.

[Flabyo]

It sounds like voice chat only operates in private games anyway. So if you form a team of four to play ranked... no voice chat through the app.

Get 8 people together to play some private matches, and you can chat. Get 4 people to play a private salmon run game and you can chat, anything else? No chat.

I kind of get the reasoning, but it’s the fact you have the faff if needing to use an external app for even this very limited set of chat options...

They’ll change it. They kind of have to, I suspect come the morning there’s going to be a whole load of videos and articles on how bad it is, now that reviewers can use it with their review copies of the game...

[ratsoalbion]

I am pretty much a total noob at this having only briefly dabbled with the Wii U version.

I intend to give it a proper go this time around though so please jump in (or invite me if that's a thing) if you see me online, forum folks.

[Suits]

Nice to know I'm not the only forum n00b then, the first one found itself on my Wii U a while after launch and when I was well dipping into a many number of other games, so I'm hardly experienced at it.

[seansthomas]

I am pretty much a total noob at this having only briefly dabbled with the Wii U version.

I intend to give it a proper go this time around though so please jump in (or invite me if that's a thing) if you see me online, forum folks.

Shows you as being online but can't join you it says. Still struggling to get used to the controls anyhow. And fathom WHY they moved the jump button...

[Pitwar]

Having not played the first due to not having a WiiU, I wasn't too sure what to expect from Splatoon 2, but I'm absolutely loving it!

Nintendo have done it again with another must have Switch game. They can do no wrong with me at the moment.

[Suits]

Loving the little hub world between the single player story mode.

Exploring around and looking for the drains is simple but joyous.

Persevering with the motion controls still. Story mode is fine but come Multiplayer I'm convinced it'll make me itch !!!

[Flabyo]

Right then, I'm going to post some tips for those finding Turf War a bit frustrating.

I'm sticking them in a spoiler box cause I know people like to find this stuff out by themselves, but for those who want a little nudge...

Spoiler: show

When using splattershot type weapons, aim a little high when you're covering turf. The whole area under where you're shooting gets painted, so you want to shoot as far as you can.

Remember that scoring is based on horizontal surfaces covered, you get no points for walls. However, any horizontal surface that can take paint counts. Tops of walls are one area a lot of players miss.

Painting walls lets you access the high ground though, and some of that high ground has paintable area that scores points. If the opposition team isn't painting the high ground on their side of the map that's free points! Get up there! The high ground also gives you much more reach with paint to cover more turf.

Every map has at least some space near the spawn point that you can paint that the opposition can't reach. On a map like Moray Towers it's tiny, but on others it's huge, and if you're not filling it in you're leaving points on the table that can only be opposed by the enemy if they use a super.

Triggering a super also automatically fills your ink tank.

Fastest way to traverse the map is to swim through ink, but you also jump a lot further when in squid form too. There are gaps on many of the maps that are sized so only jumping in squid form can make it. These often let you flank and are good if the other team has decided to camp near your spawn. (This is an essential thing to nail for Salmon Run too, most of the grated floor sections can be squid-jumped over)

When in squid form you pass through mesh fences and floors, but this works both ways. You can climb UP through and onto a mesh ledge too (several of the best high ground spots are reached this way)

You can use the map to super jump at any time, not just when you spawn. Also you can use it to super jump TO the spawn point, which is useful if the enemy has snuck behind and started inking near your base.

Some of the weapons are designed more for use in Ranked play modes where there's more emphasis on taking out the opposition.

Play single player. It's a strong tutorial for all of the techniques, and you'll also learn what all the environmental interactions are (the original game didn't use things like the rails, fans and sponges in the multiplayer maps, but this one does, and it was pretty clear playing yesterday that a lot of new players don't know what they do)

From the mode select screen you can 'scout' a map. This drops you into the map with no other players and lets you explore it and experiment to find good jumping and flanking routes.

[ratsoalbion]

I've played a great deal of this across all modes since I got my copy on Thursday, and I'm having a lot of fun with it.
The OST is a joy, especially the weird and wonderful new pieces for Salmon Run.

[Suits]

Flybo - There's some really good pointers in that piece you wrote, I'd not call them spoilers really, just higher level considerations.

I played about 3 runs of Salmon run last night with randoms, really good fun, we manged to complete the wave on all three attempts.

I was a bit spun out about what the actual rewards were but realise after reading the in mode manual that you have to collect your reward, based on your performance, from the kiosk around the side.

I got some XP.

Was good fun.

Really enjoying this game .

[Flabyo]

About half the things I put in my tips are things you'll have had explained by the time you reach the third hub in single player. But some people won't play that so...

I like the escalation in difficulty in Salmon Run. It feels very easy and manageable at first, but as your pay grade percent number starts to rise past 120% or so the difficulty really kicks in. I've got it hovering around the 150% mark at the moment, and I'd say at this point I only clear all three waves around 1 in 3 games, so I think I've found my 'level', at least for the time being.

Sometimes the weapon selection it goes with is just painful though. The one the other day with the minigun, roller, dualies and paintbrush was damned near impossible if the person with the roller wasn't actively doing crowd control (run over the salmon! Keep the route to the basket clear! ignore the bosses, your weapon isn't good against any of them!)

[seansthomas]

About half the things I put in my tips are things you'll have had explained by the time you reach the third hub in single player. But some people won't play that so...

I like the escalation in difficulty in Salmon Run. It feels very easy and manageable at first, but as your pay grade percent number starts to rise past 120% or so the difficulty really kicks in. I've got it hovering around the 150% mark at the moment, and I'd say at this point I only clear all three waves around 1 in 3 games, so I think I've found my 'level', at least for the time being.

Sometimes the weapon selection it goes with is just painful though. The one the other day with the minigun, roller, dualies and paintbrush was damned near impossible if the person with the roller wasn't actively doing crowd control (run over the salmon! Keep the route to the basket clear! ignore the bosses, your weapon isn't good against any of them!)

Have tried twice now to do Salmon Run to no avail. Once we didn't have 4 people in the end. The next Salmon Run time ran out so we didn't get a room up and running in time.

Desperate to play it. C&R effort anyone?