HarukaInToybox

As a longtime fan of the franchise, I found this game exciting and unforgettable. Its impressive visuals, richly detailed world, and carefully crafted gameplay all show the developers' dedication and craftsmanship. My only significant criticism concerns the newly added hook system. While the core combat and item mechanics remain excellent, the hook can feel somewhat inconsistent and unresponsive when it comes to target recognition and execution. This occasionally interrupts the otherwise smooth flow of combat.

The game desperately tries to immerse players in a world defined by brutality, cynicism, and nihilism, yet its gameplay fails to deliver the level of engagement and expressive strength needed to make those themes truly resonate.

This game franchise is one of my favourite. The game play is flawless and innovative. It's impressive to combine ink with shooter games and the art is definitely a 10 out of 10. However, as a multi-player game, this game has many places that needs to be improved. The game lacks a proper matchmaking system. It clearly employs an ELO-based ranking mechanism, resulting in frequent mismatches between highly experienced players and newcomers. As a result, neither group is able to fully enjoy the game. Server performance is another major issue. Players frequently encounter network lag, unstable connections, and unexpected disconnections, all of which negatively impact the overall experience. Weapon balancing is also poorly handled. Certain weapons are significantly stronger than others, leading to a highly uneven usage rate across weapons and gears. This imbalance becomes particularly apparent in ranked matches, where only a small number of weapons remain competitively viable. The map design is another weak point. Unlike many maps in Splatoon2, the maps in this game are generally smaller, flatter, and offer fewer alternative routes. This greatly benefits users of specific weapon types while limiting strategic diversity and reducing opportunities for counterplay. In addition, the DLC and updates introduced damage numbers and visible health bars. These features feel out of place within the game's established atmosphere, art style and world setting. They provide little practical value while increasing visual clutter and forcing players to process more on-screen information, ultimately detracting from the overall presentation rather than enhancing it.

The music is pretty great, and I love the concept. However, the gameplay is annoying. The game suffers from a rigid targeting system, constrained arena design, random weapon placement, awkward movement, and a very limited range of meaningful combat decisions.