Welcome to our review of the newest Splatoon 3 DLC, Inkopolis, and Side Order, bringing us more Splatoon goodness in the shape and form of a roguelike single-player mode.
As Agent 8, you wake up to discover Inkopolis Square has been drained of color and its residents have gone missing. Looming over the city is the ominous Spire of Order. Along with Pearl, fight off waves of enemies in floor after floor of challenges on your way to the top of the Spire and learn its secrets. The higher up you go, the steeper the challenges get. Here are some ways you can improve your chances of making it to the top.
The Spire of Order is a strange place. Each floor is full of danger and, somehow, changes each time you enter the tower. The only way up the Spire is by elevator. Completing the challenge on a floor allows Agent 8 to ride up to the next. Of course, the higher they go, the harder the challenges get… Agent 8 might need more than just skill to conquer the increasingly difficult floors on their way to the top of the Spire of Order.
Floor selection: In the elevator, the player has three options, Easy, Normal, and Hard, each with their own challenge. Rewards include color chips and currency. The higher up you go, the steeper the challenges get. Here are some ways you can improve your chances of making it to the top.
- Power up with color chips
Completing challenges earns color chips. These can boost your abilities—like attack power, speed, range, and luck—when they’re added to a Palette. Depending on which color chips you choose and apply, the same weapon can evolve in different ways to suit your style. Plus, both Agent 8 and Pearl can take advantage of color chips. - Pick up palettes: Obtaining a new Palette lets you use a different weapon. Collecting ‘em opens up the number of strategies that are available to you for attacking the Spire.
- If you fail, your color chips will be converted to Prlz. These can be spent to hack the Spire to try to make the next run a little easier.
Menu of hacking options for the player and Pearl Drone, including increases to Max Lives, Damage Reduction, Drone Action Slots, and more.
WHAT ELSE IS IN THE EXPANSION PASS?
Inkopolis Plaza at night during a Splatfest. The city is vibrant with neon player artwork. Callie and Marie perform on individual stages on the left and right sides of the plaza. Return to Inkopolis Plaza, the bustling city center from the original Splatoon game, and make it your main hub! Another major metropolis of the Splatoon universe, Inkopolis has changed a bit in the past several years with some new shopkeepers. Ready to jam? Then come to Inkopolis to see some fresh Squid Sisters performances during Splatfests!
In my humble opinion, this expansion pack is mostly for the hardcore fan, the game does shine the most in regular online play, but do not underestimate the Tower, while the tutorial, easy as it may be, is just an afterthought once you get to facing some of the insanely hard levels when you make it to the top. I am quite the skilled shooter player and I frowned at the difficulty of some of the levels. Luckily it is a choice whether to go for these insane challenges or take a slightly easier option that is just giving smaller rewards.
The biggest appeal of these new levels is the variety in what to do. From just moving big round shapes into specified positions to shooting enemies to surviving and so much more. My personal favorite is without a doubt the part where you get to shoot a totem that moves upon getting hit. Having to move it in place all while eliminating enemies and keeping your ink levels in check. Add in moving parts in the level, walls you can not swim up onto and so much more. It is just a really fun expansion.
Now, time for the tough question that usually accompanies any DLC… Is it really worth it? Well, that is up to you to decide, my opinion is that yes, it is worth it. I consider this expansion the perfect expansion to fit a game like Splatoon, it brings you pretty much a massive training ground to hone your skills and if anything, it is long overdue. Yes, you heard that right, the next Splatoon really should have a full-blown single-player game like this, as a player, I just benefitted from it. I felt excitement again, something very few shooters manage nowadays.
In conclusion, I would recommend the game highly to any player who is looking to expand his experience on the game, if you are completely new to Splatoon, this might even be a better start to learning how to play.
9/10
Tested on Nintendo Switch
