GameSided Game of the Year 2015 | Rebekah’s Picks
Rebekah’s Game of the Year – #3: Splatoon
Topping all the other bright and colorful Nintendo games I played this year was Splatoon, a shooter seemingly designed for people like me who love the gameplay but dislike the gritty, bloody settings of other titles. Enter the Inklings, half-kids/half-squids who participate in Turf Wars to cover the ground with more colored ink than the opposing team. Along with shooting more ink, they can swim in it to recharge their ammo and move quickly through inked territory–even up walls! Special Weapons such as inkbombs and sprinklers add more strategic elements to gameplay, and there’s plenty of weapons to choose from. Standard fare such as snipers and automatics join buckets, rollers, and brushes to slosh as much ink as possible onto the map. Add in a growing catalogue of weapons, stylish fashion choices, and four different game modes over 14 different maps (and counting?), and you’re sure to be glued to the Wii U for hours in the ink.
Splatoon’s gameplay is strong as it is, with both casual Turf Wars and Ranked Mode with three other rotating game modes joining a fun but short single-player campaign. What has really made the game shine has been the constant updates to content since release. Online capabilities have improved, too: you can join your pals for Turf Wars, or put together Squads and push your way through Ranked.
Splatoon launched in May of 2015. Now, in January of 2016, I’m still playing it. Alone or with friends, Splatoon is truly one of the shining titles on the Wii U, and hopefully the hallmark of a continuing franchise in the future.
Next: 2 - Restoring the light.