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Steam TideTurn: finally an example of “Splatoon at home”? (Read Staff Post)

Krvavi Abadas

Krvavi Abadas

Mr. Archivist
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this was brought to my attention after a pair of tweets surfaced discussing the fact the game had a booth at PAX East last week.
while there’s been games that use basic concepts from the series, most notoriously a custom game mode for Disney Infinity. (for the record, the backlash for this was fairly overblown, as it was solely designed as a demonstration of that game’s “toy box” level creation tools and nothing more.)
this is quite possibly the most blatant take on bringing the main gameplay outside of the Nintendo Switch ecosystem. and in the form of a free to play game with microtransactions at that.

aside from the novelty of having multiple ports, the biggest addition for this is that there’s a built-in map editor for creating your own arenas.
MapMaker3.png
MapMaker2.png


the devs are also clear that they have one main goal for this game, using it to promote Ocean Conservation. while Splatoon might already have implications that it takes place on a post-apocalyptic earth ravaged by global warming. the marketing for TideTurn is insistent on their plans to use the title for charitable purposes, with the official site at one point containing an entire blog solely devoted to the subject.
As humans continue to dump waste and plastic into the ocean, allow Fukushima radiated waters to continue to spill for all these years into the ocean, speed up coral-damaging global warming, continue weapons testing and nuclear testing in our seas, and overfish certain species, the oceans are in constant turmoil. If Atlantians are below the waters watching the destruction of their world, it might be only a matter of time before our coastal cities are crumbled by Atlantian technology.

For our own sake, let’s hope we only have to fight Atlantians within TideTurn. We have a lot of work to do if we want to be visited by Atlantians in peace.
Click to expand...
Stanion Studios agrees with McGonical that gamers are resourceful, strategic, attuned to problem solving, community conscious, and instantly motivated to help total strangers. These are the characteristics of heroes. By developing bonds, gamers already enact change in their communities quite effectively, and can also be significant voices for ocean restoration and conservation. And imagine doing so by playing a game that allows players to directly engage with urgent ocean issues, but from a fantastical landscape filled with water beings and advanced technology and characters to care about — just imagine the kind of change the gaming community could effect? Imagine if World of Warcraft had a call to action? Imagine if the games we played had a way for us to also engage with the real world and to make it better? Imagine if our games inspired us to be a better version of ourselves. That’s one way to turn the tides.
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(The quote they’re referring to is from author Jane McGonigal and her book “Reality Is Broken: WHY GAMES MAKE US BETTER AND HOW THEY CAN CHANGE THE WORLD”)

all of this suggests it could turn out to be a fairly decent game in the end, though there’s still some slight concern about this being the teams first game.
Stanion Studios was originally a multimedia production company that assisted on various Films and TV Series, including at least one short film that went around the festival circuit.
the titular Ian Stanion that founded the company does have some programming experience, but not for games specifically. with him previously developing applications for Google.

at the very least, they’re certainly self-aware about the “competition”
DWoc9an.jpeg


I also hope this game ends up finally killing all of the knee-jerk “clone” comparisons Foamstars has been getting since it’s reveal, despite the fact it only has surface level similarities at best.
 
Sorry, Foamstars gonna stay the Splatoon at home because it's not credible that even a mom would look at that teaser and mistake it for a fun game.
 
Krvavi Abadas said:
I also hope this game ends up finally killing all of the knee-jerk “clone” comparisons Foamstars has been getting since it’s reveal, despite the fact it only has surface level similarities at best.
Click to expand...

Sheldon said:
Sorry, Foamstars gonna stay the Splatoon at home because it's not credible that even a mom would look at that teaser and mistake it for a fun game.
Click to expand...

It's like poetry
 
I have to be honest, seeing a game market itself as "playing our video game makes you a hero and will save the world" is probably the biggest turn off I can think of.
 
I'm now sad because I've looked at a video game that looks awful AND am reminded that the planet is dying. Thanks, TideTurn!
 
Krvavi Abadas said:
I also hope this game ends up finally killing all of the knee-jerk “clone” comparisons Foamstars has been getting since it’s reveal, despite the fact it only has surface level similarities at best.
Click to expand...
Talk about torpedoing your own thread from the OP.

If nothing else, Foamstars just literally ripped the special weapons directly out of Splat2, lol.

If you wanted a game that only has surface level similarties despite aiming for the same audience in spirit, you should be looking at something like Ninjala; Foamstars never tried to hide it, and any appearances that it's not exactly that is because they didn't have a fraction of the resources Nintendo gave splatoon
 
Krvavi Abadas said:

​


this was brought to my attention after a pair of tweets surfaced discussing the fact the game had a booth at PAX East last week.
while there’s been games that use basic concepts from the series, most notoriously a custom game mode for Disney Infinity. (for the record, the backlash for this was fairly overblown, as it was solely designed as a demonstration of that game’s “toy box” level creation tools and nothing more.)
this is quite possibly the most blatant take on bringing the main gameplay outside of the Nintendo Switch ecosystem. and in the form of a free to play game with microtransactions at that.

aside from the novelty of having multiple ports, the biggest addition for this is that there’s a built-in map editor for creating your own arenas.
MapMaker3.png
MapMaker2.png


the devs are also clear that they have one main goal for this game, using it to promote Ocean Conservation. while Splatoon might already have implications that it takes place on a post-apocalyptic earth ravaged by global warming. the marketing for TideTurn is insistent on their plans to use the title for charitable purposes, with the official site at one point containing an entire blog solely devoted to the subject.


(The quote they’re referring to is from author Jane McGonigal and her book “Reality Is Broken: WHY GAMES MAKE US BETTER AND HOW THEY CAN CHANGE THE WORLD”)

all of this suggests it could turn out to be a fairly decent game in the end, though there’s still some slight concern about this being the teams first game.
Stanion Studios was originally a multimedia production company that assisted on various Films and TV Series, including at least one short film that went around the festival circuit.
the titular Ian Stanion that founded the company does have some programming experience, but not for games specifically. with him previously developing applications for Google.

at the very least, they’re certainly self-aware about the “competition”
DWoc9an.jpeg


I also hope this game ends up finally killing all of the knee-jerk “clone” comparisons Foamstars has been getting since it’s reveal, despite the fact it only has surface level similarities at best.
Click to expand...

I was with you until that last part. Sure, hero shooter vs. loadouts, 2D Vs 3D fluid, but the more gameplay I see the more it looks like a clone.

Not that it actually is, I'd say it falls closer to inspired by than ripoff, but the similarities are a lot deeper than the surface, it's a lot of key gameplay concepts reused or reworked from Splatoon.

That's also not really a bad thing, I love Splatoon, I want more games in the genre. Just... Admittedly, not Foamstars. Nonsense AI art, pay to win mechanics, microtransactions in a "pay up front" game to begin with, it's gross independent of its similarities to Splatoon.

Lord Azrael said:
Technically those could both be true at the same time, if you think Splatoon 3 looks awful lol
Click to expand...
I honestly think Splatoon's artstyle is an acquired taste. It's not a universally appreciated look, and the way the characters morph and undulate can be disquieting. I think Side Order is probably where I draw the line, some of the arenas are just plain ugly (Looking at you, wide_open.floor), mixing it with stiffly animated jellies and a wiggling octopus, and I start to find it unpleasant. Even compare the Overlorder arena Vs. NILS Statue, and Side Order isn't winning awards.

Tide Turn looks... Honestly, like an asset flip? But I can't lie about how I have to appreciate the sheer gumption on display. The cityscapes look both real and cartoony, and I kind of like them. Better lighting and fluid animations and it could look superficially nice. At present I'd put it three notches below Splatoon 3's singleplayer, visuals wise, and one notch below Side Order.
 
Krvavi Abadas said:
I also hope this game ends up finally killing all of the knee-jerk “clone” comparisons Foamstars has been getting since it’s reveal, despite the fact it only has surface level similarities at best.
Click to expand...
surface level similarities? idk, seems like a liiiittle more than that

I think both games took a lot of influence from Splatoon for better or worse, and I don’t think recognizing that is “knee-jerk”

but that’s beside the point

this game…

it’ll be interesting to see what the fuck happens with it, I guess. I really support some ocean conservation (fuck all the “white saviors” who think “saving the ocean” means “fuck over first nations people and their steadfast rights”) but… inherently slow to trust white people who are working on projects for reasons or causes. We’ll see what that stated support looks like in practice.

but, more focally, that uh gameplay… seems like making Splatoon without all the ways Splatoon can get wacky is a recipe for a sub-mid time

and the art is. 100% the opposite direction of what I personally think looks good.

It will be interesting, for sure!
 
y'know somehow it still looks better than foamstars

probably has less ai-generated art too
 
wooooowwwwww I sure do love it when there’s a trailer that ends with a woman painfully contorted into full ass-out male-gaze mode, cleft blocked by mere ankle

I swear to fucking god y’all I’m so tired

this was a casual curiosity beforehand, but now I’m fuckin’ mad
 
0
ouch that game looks rough; tbh indie takes on nintendo properties have still led to some interesting results, and one that comes to mind is a fun Pushmo clone called PictoPull that came out a year or so ago, so it's not like indie efforts can't work out, I just don't think Splatoon is one that's easy to replicate in that fashion (something that was akin to the single player and did it just as good would be nice though...) . Another clone-like game I admire is Voxelgram, which basically takes Picross 3D and does it again, but on Switch/PC.

poochy said:
Weren’t you the guy who review bombed AI the somnium files
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holy shit you werent kidding lol
 
Regarding Prior Behavior
  • Index
    • Hey everyone, a decision was made years ago on Krvavi’s past behavior to give him a second chance here. We ask you don’t derail the thread further with relitigating a past decision. -xghost777, NabiscoFelt, big lantern ghost, Tangerine Cookie, Zellia, BassForever, Lord Azrael, meatbag, ngpdrew
     
  • Index
    • Jesus Christ this thread went off the rails over the past few hours, while I’m not legally allowed to discuss the events discussed in the mod post. I do want to discuss Foamstars a bit. since my off-hand mention of it was the main reason the thread got derailed.

    conceptually the core gameplay is far closer to an arena shooter like Quake or Unreal, with a specific focus on “chilling” other players rather than covering the arena with the most foam/ink. Foam instead functions as a movement option, with some slight defense options owing to how it can stack up and form structures over time.

    on the AI art situation, I already explained my thoughts in the main thread.
    for reference, this is the AI content in question.
    q3BLmgx.jpeg

    fairly generic images that solely appear as "album covers" in the game's gallery. i definitely think the issue was far overblown for what it was and only continued people's dismissive nature towards the game since it's initial reveal.

    it's also far from the worst thing Square Enix has done with AI. having the only official English localization of a historically significant visual novel be a "tech demo" with a broken AI-powered text parser is definitely a more pressing issue. overshadowing it's legacy outside of Japan by making it "one of the worst games ever".
    Click to expand...
    comments from Square’s CEO also make it clear this was something forced on the dev team. obfuscating the genuinely excellent art and character designs created by Gurihiru. a duo mainly notable for working on American comics as far back as 2004.

    there’s also no pay to win items whatsoever, while there is a “bubble gem” system that lets you pay in-game currency to roll three gems to (slightly) boost your stats. said currency (which is fairly common, for the record) is solely obtained through playing the game normally, with zero option to purchase it with real money.
    the only microtransactions are for cosmetic items, which while I have previously stated are a bit overpriced for what they are. castigating the whole game over them is ridiculous considering how many other paid games are out there with similar, if not worse, microtransaction pricing.
    anyways, I still stand by being cautiously optimistic on TideTurn, and wish them the best of luck in getting people to look past it’s similarities to Splatoon.
     
    Krvavi Abadas said:
    conceptually the core gameplay is far closer to an arena shooter like Quake or Unreal, with a specific focus on “chilling” other players rather than covering the arena with the most foam/ink. Foam instead functions as a movement option, with some slight defense options owing to how it can stack up and form structures over time.
    Click to expand...
    But ink very much is a movement option in Splatoon? Yes, in Turf War, covering the ground in the most ink is the main goal, but in every other mode of the game -- the various ranked modes and single-player campaigns -- I'd argue that it is a means to an end, as covering the ground increases your mobility and movement options and, in turn, denies opponents their ability to navigate the stage and accomplish the objective. As such, ammunition that doubles as a movement and a defensive option by altering the play field is how I'd define a "Splatoon clone." Or whatever we end up calling this sub-genre of shooter if and when enough games come to make use of that core idea: Captain Astronaut's recent video on Foamstars made use of the term "liquid shooter", and I like it.
     
    That description of the game is so off-puttingly funny, I just can’t take it seriously. “By playing our epic game, gamers can be real heroes and save the ocean!” Regardless of the intentions, the “hello fellow gamers” vibes are off the charts here lol

    Anyway this still doesn’t beat out Foamstars for the honored title of Splatoon at home. This is more like a Splatoon at your neighbor’s garage sale.
     
    OctoSplattack said:
    But ink very much is a movement option in Splatoon? Yes, in Turf War, covering the ground in the most ink is the main goal, but in every other mode of the game -- the various ranked modes and single-player campaigns -- I'd argue that it is a means to an end, as covering the ground increases your mobility and movement options and, in turn, denies opponents their ability to navigate the stage and accomplish the objective. As such, ammunition that doubles as a movement and a defensive option by altering the play field is how I'd define a "Splatoon clone." Or whatever we end up calling this sub-genre of shooter if and when enough games come to make use of that core idea: Captain Astronaut's recent video on Foamstars made use of the term "liquid shooter", and I like it.
    Click to expand...
    Yeah, ink is a major method of movement in Splatoon to a point that it's not even optional given its how the game expects you to climb vertical surfaces, move at sprinting speed, and acts as a primary evasive method. Even just diving into existing ink is how you reload. It's odd to hear an argument that seems to frame ink in Splatoon as not mattering for much outside of ground coverage.
     
    The fact ink is game winning progress in turf war, how you reload, the way you kill opponents, how you climb vertical surfaces/move faster, can be used for evasion, and can be used to cut off fleeing foes is all part of what makes Splatoon so compelling. Trying to dismiss any part of that gameplay loop feels like missing the forest for the trees.

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but Splatoon has never had a true deathmatch or team deathmatch mode. Splatoons mechanics would obviously fit them, but I get why the devs have tried to avoid such a mode for both casual and competitive.
     
    BassForever said:
    The fact ink is game winning progress in turf war, how you reload, the way you kill opponents, how you climb vertical surfaces/move faster, can be used for evasion, and can be used to cut off fleeing foes is all part of what makes Splatoon so compelling. Trying to dismiss any part of that gameplay loop feels like missing the forest for the trees.

    Correct me if I'm wrong, but Splatoon has never had a true deathmatch or team deathmatch mode. Splatoons mechanics would obviously fit them, but I get why the devs have tried to avoid such a mode for both casual and competitive.
    Click to expand...
    Yeah, even in the weird Splatoon 1 battle dojo mode, the objective has never directly been splatting other players.
     
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