Splatoon is Nintendo’s unique take on the shooter genre (a game which we gave an 8.5 in our review). Those of you who got hold of the game from launch may remember that Splatoon was a bit lacking in content for the online multiplayer. The game launched only with one online mode and two maps. On a weekly basis, Nintendo has been unlocking new content for the game however, this ranged from new weapons to new maps, and even some new modes.

Was this idea of locking away a lot of content from launch beneficial for Splatoon though? Find out what we think after the break!

Splatoon Screen Shot 14:06:2015 18.45

One of the negative points we gave Splatoon in our review, was the fact that we thought that a lot of content should have been available from launch. For players who bought the game on day one could feel extremely underwhelmed when launching into online turf wars and may only get about an hour or so of enjoyment until they eventually get bored. When the players get bored, it is likely that they will return the game to the store, or become disgruntled that they payed 35 quid on the digital version which is non-refundable. If the player returns the game, then they will miss out on the weekly updates which Nintendo publishes.

There is, however, some advantages to locked content upon release. For one, it helps to keep the game fresh and new. Think about it, when you purchase a game, usually you will play through it, and though it could take hours to complete, once you have done everything you can do in the game, you will likely just put the game away and let it gather dust. However, with the free updates every week, there is something new you have never tried before every week, whether it be new weapons, maps, or modes. If Nintendo will be pushing new content updates to the end of Autumn, then that mean the game would end up with 26 new content ‘packs’ since launch, and Splatoon should hopefully be around twice as large as it is today. Not to mention that Splatoon also includes a short, yet awesome story mode, challenging Amiibo challenges, and a okay local multiplayer mode.

Splatoon Screen Shot 14:06:2015 18.37

Though locked content from launch may have it’s advantages, I feel that Splatoon could have had a bit more balance. Personally, I think the amount of online content the game had from launch was definitely too little, if I were in charge, I would have had two modes and about four maps available from launch. If this were the case however, there would come the problem that the free updates wouldn’t last as long, or they would become available in longer intervals than every week. This could potentially make gamers become impatient or could shorten the life of Splatoon.

Either way, I am still extremely satisfied with my purchase and hopefully, there should be more great updates to come, perhaps there could be another large update or even some premium content.

What do you think of this? Should there have been more online content from day one? Or are you happy with the updates? Tell us in the comments below!

Leon Fletcher

I am a huge Nintendo fan, hence why NintyBuzz exists. I especially love all things Zelda and Metroid. NintyBuzz was started by me back in the Summer of 2014, it started out mainly as a hobby, though the site has gradually grown, and I hope it grows for many years to come!