Chapter 4: Now is the chance to dive into the Inkling world!
Based on our conversations thus far, it’s become clear to me that the backstory that makes the Inkling world more believable, as well as the fact that there are many players to play together, contribute to the fun appeal of Splatoon.
However, this is the third entry in the series. People who haven’t played the last two titles may feel uncomfortable about jumping right in from the third title, but how do you feel about that?
Sato:
I see what you mean. For players new to the series, I recommend starting with the single-player Story Mode. While following the story for this title, players can also get the hang of the basic mechanics for action shooters.
We’ve developed this Story Mode to blend all the good stuff learned from our work on the previous two titles. So I believe this mode has ended up being “The Best Of” version, in which players can take time to savour the fun, sweet taste of action shooting. (Laughs)
In particular, we’ve tweaked the early levels to better ease players into the game’s shooter mechanics.
There are many levels in which we really focussed on making the controls feel comfortable. So, we can easily recommend these particular levels to not only those who are playing for the first time, but also to friends who come over to play and ask if they could give it a try.
Inoue:
Although the lore of Story Mode has a connection to the previous two entries, it also stands on its own in this game, so please rest assured that you can play without any worries.
Once you have played through and are interested in the past entries, you can check out the Splatoon Base website (available in English and Japanese) to learn more about the history, and I think you’ll be able to enjoy it even more.
Sato:
Of course, for those of you who have played the past games in this series, this mode will reveal the answers to all the mysteries that existed up until now, so I definitely hope you’ll give it a shot.
While enjoying the Inkling world through Story Mode, you can improve your skills and, by unlocking more levels, you can acquire various items which will increase the ways to enjoy the game.
Nogami:
Initially the Hero Shot is the only available weapon, but as you progress through Story Mode, there will be levels that you can challenge with other weapons.
Sato:
Yes, you can keep going while trying out various types of weapons, or you can also reach the end just with the Hero Shot, as you enhance it along the way. I hope everyone will enjoy the Story Mode in a variety of ways to see what happens at the end.
In addition to Story Mode, I also hope that you’ll find your favourite mode by trying various modes such as the online Turf War, of course, and Salmon Run (10), which has been greatly enhanced this time.
(10) A mode added from Splatoon 2. In Salmon Run for Splatoon 2, you can team up with two to four players to cooperate and collect Power Eggs by defeating the Salmonids. According to the number of Power Eggs collected, players receive points that can be exchanged with items that are useful in battle.
I see. It’s reassuring to hear that players are able to learn the story and action shoooter mechanics at their own pace, even if Splatoon 3 is their first experience with the series.
…That said, I do think it takes a lot of courage for people starting out with Splatoon 3 to try out an online battle where they’ll encounter lots of experienced players.
Sato:
I think most everyone would feel nervous about their first stage or first online battle. But I don’t think the answer is simply lowering the bar and making things easier to remove that fear.
In fact, since there are probably a lot of people starting out with Splatoon 3, that nervous excitement can be enjoyable if players are able to jump into the action, thinking that now is the chance, while lots of new players are around.
Also, it may be a good idea to ask Judd if there’s anything you don’t understand in battles.
