Metacritic (83)
OpenCritic (83)
Eurogamer (recommended):
Polygon (no score):
Vooks (5/5):
Destructoid (9/10):
God is a Geek (9/10):
Nintendo Life (9/10):
Screen Rant (4.5/5):
Game Informer (8.5/10):
Press Start Australia (8.5/10):
GamesRadar (4/5):
GAMINGbible (8/10):
Metro GameCentral (8/10):
TheSixthAxis (8/5):
Twinfinite (4/5):
CGMagazine (7.5/10):
Wccftech (7.5/10):
GameSpot (7/10):
VGC (3/5):
OpenCritic (83)
Eurogamer (recommended):
It's more Splatoon, and I understand if for many that's not quite enough. But also: it is more Splatoon, and is a generous new outing for one of the most polished, playable and impeccably executed series from within Nintendo's group of first-party developers. It's lacking the shock of the new, but with Splatoon 3 you're getting the sense of a special series that's really hitting its stride.
Polygon (no score):
The game still feels like it’s treading water. And at this point, it might be too little, too late. The series has had two chances to evolve and continue to be a standout series for a generation of Nintendo fans. But it’s only taken baby steps, when it needed to take leaps. Splatoon 3’s script and characters suggest that it’s been keeping up with the times since it burst onto the scene seven years ago. But its stagnant design pillars suggest otherwise. The result is a game that reaches for the excitement of the original, but can’t quite grasp it.
Vooks (5/5):
Splatoon 3, while more of an evolution than a revolution, is the best the series has ever been. Between an utterly fantastic story mode, some great new weapon additions, and tweaks to the tried and trusted formula you've come to know and love, Splatoon 3 is everything you'd hope it would be and more. Some will say that it's "just more Splatoon", and that's true, but that's far from a bad thing in a series that has been, and continues to be, so consistently strong.
Destructoid (9/10):
Given that Splatoon 3 shores up nearly everything already present in the series and adds a few extras like Tableturf Battle, it's safe to say that the magic of the series is still alive.
God is a Geek (9/10):
Splatoon 3 isn't the most exciting release on the calendar, but it is the best the game has been. As a standalone game it's a rip-roaring success, and perhaps the game that fans wanted all along.
Nintendo Life (9/10):
Splatoon 3 is more of the same, but refined to borderline mechanical perfection. It's the most fun we’ve had with an online shooter in years, and for series veterans it makes Splatoon 2 feel entirely redundant for all but its unique single-player content. It feels like the development team has solved every problem the Splatoon community was bleating on about, and then fixed some more that we didn’t even realise were problems until they were fixed. There's nothing revolutionary about it compared to its predecessors, and it's perhaps missing a Big New Idea™ that you might expect after five years, but Splatoon 3 is the pinnacle of the series, and the pinnacle of shooters on Switch.
Screen Rant (4.5/5):
Really, there's very little to dislike about Splatoon 3. It's a game that knows itself well, never threatening to get too lost in the subtleties of its post-apocalyptic tones in its single-player narrative or in the skill requirements needed to compete in its multiplayer modes. This is a game that's very accessible, and although it doesn't reinvent much and will be impressively familiar to anyone who has played Splatoon or Splatoon 2, that's not necessarily a bad thing.
Game Informer (8.5/10):
Splatoon 3 doesn’t reinvent the wheel, nor does it need to. Instead, it improves nearly every franchise element in sometimes small but meaningful ways. With an already-robust set of content available at launch and at least two years of free and premium content on the horizon, Splatoon 3 is simultaneously the series’ best entry to date and its most promising.
Press Start Australia (8.5/10):
While more iterative than it is innovative, Splatoon 3 is without a doubt the best entry in the series yet. Despite lacking new multiplayer modes at launch, there's a clear commitment to content and quality, with each aspect of the package being pushed to its logical extreme through smart and meaningful additions. This is the most feature-complete and tightly designed Splatoon to date, and you'd be missing out if you choose to pass it up.
GamesRadar (4/5):
Splatoon 3's campaign feels like it's stuck between being a brilliant puzzle shooter and standard action fluff, rather than blending the two together for a seamless and enjoyable experience. Multiplayer and the supporting Salmon Run are as great as they've always been though, now with added bonuses that make them easier to access and enjoy than ever before. Movement additions are a big win for Splatoon 3, and really succeed in adding extra depth to Splatoon's already fabulous traversal systems. There's excellence in Splatoon 3 – it just doesn't quite hold for the campaign.
GAMINGbible (8/10):
This is without a doubt the definitive way to experience the Splatoon series going forward, especially with the promise of new updates for the next two years. The fast-paced gameplay is as fluid and compelling as ever, and the various loveable residents of Splatsville are going to become fan favourites, fast.
Metro GameCentral (8/10):
Technically this is the best Splatoon ever, but the complete lack of anything approaching a new idea is profoundly disappointing.
TheSixthAxis (8/5):
Splatoon 3 is a bit like your mum making your favourite meal when you head home for the holidays. It’s been a few years since the last game — while there have been some great improvements and additions, it’s the same old Splatoon we know and love, and that’s still pretty great.
Twinfinite (4/5):
Splatoon 3 is a small(fry) step forward in the series. It doesn't take the leaps and bounds from the previous titles that would have taken it to the next level, but honestly, Splatoon 2 was a pretty hard game to follow up on. Splatoon 3 is the same reliable fun the franchise has always been, and it has the much-needed improvements that fans clamored for, but players should just be aware of how much new content there actually is before committing to purchasing.
CGMagazine (7.5/10):
As it stands, Splatoon 3 is an incredibly fun, incredibly playable game that I absolutely love; but it’s the same game I loved in 2015, and again in 2017. I’d say, maybe it’s worth checking out since support for Splatoon 2 has stopped, but if you’re still enjoying that game, you could probably skip this one until Nintendo releases the Super Nintendo Switch.
Wccftech (7.5/10):
Splatoon 3 may be the series’ best entry yet, featuring some nice gameplay tweaks and new weaponry, an expanded and polished story mode, and more launch content than its predecessors. That said, it’s very much an evolutionary sequel, every bit as iterative as many of the shooter franchises it’s meant to be an alternative to. After a five-year absence, that may not be enough for some. Splatoon 3 is still fun and funky, but Nintendo’s squid shooter series can’t get by on freshness alone forever.
GameSpot (7/10):
Splatoon 3 isn't quite as novel the third time around, but a great campaign and tons of multiplayer options make it the most robust Splatoon yet.
VGC (3/5):
While it’s weird to see Nintendo deliver such a safe sequel, there’s no denying the continued pull of Splatoon’s splotchy skirmishes. Seasoned inklings can dive straight in; casual dabblers might find it a bit bare.
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