They might be, but it's queer because it gives you the freedom to express yourself in a queer way, very easily, whereas a lot of games don't." "It's not queer because the creators of Splatoon are queer. "As a pansexual, nonbinary human, I very much love how Splatoon has become this queer refuge supporting trans rights, calling out racism and homophobia," Storm says. Your leader is just your idol, and you pick them because you like them." A safe spaceĪll the players I spoke with for this piece agreed that this emphasis on self-expression sets Splatoon apart and fosters an open, safe community, particularly for LGBTQIA+ people. "Even though there is cartoon violence, it is never an actual shooter with specific good guys versus bad guys. "The charm of this is that they've managed to couch these musical performances as an integral part of a world," he says. He believes the exuberance spills over into the game itself and the culture it helps create. Shiver, one of the headlining idols of 'Splatoon 3.'Īng says he could tell the composers and musicians who scored Splatoon enjoyed themselves immensely. Shiver, Splatoon 3's idol, speaks over a pentatonic melody drawn from Japanese musical traditions, while the intense Salmon Run mode skips beats to create an unsettled tempo that ramps up the tension. Thomas Ang, professional pianist with The Royal Ballet, appreciates the casual and competitive facets of the series, but it was the sound design that first caught his ear, prompting him to make Splatoon one of the few games he plays regularly.Īng particularly appreciates the attention to detail. Though it makes strategizing in Splatoon more difficult, fans appreciate the extra buffer between them and potentially toxic teammates. Splatoon only lets strangers interact directly with an extra phone app called "SplatNet." It omits the in-game voice chat so routinely abused in other online games like Call of Duty. You can be a wildcard and mess with everyone and still pull out the victory."Įqually important for Storm is Nintendo's approach to connecting players. "The variety of weapons makes it easier to just focus on coverage on the map. "You don't need twitch reflexes to splat other squid kids," Storm says. Splatoon offers more flexibility and even rewards players for just having fun. Weapon and wardrobe options deepen the game's strategy.Ĭompetitive shooters such as Valorant force players to learn each character's unique skills and use them perfectly, Storm says. To put it simply, Splatoon has attracted a one-of-a-kind, welcoming community because it's good clean fun, despite all the ink. There's no obligation to hurt other players, and the "guns" range from light zappers to paint brushes, bathtubs, and even windshield wiper blades. Unlike Call of Duty, no one dies in Splatoon. They power up with stylish clothes and battle in arenas such as abandoned museums, old warehouses, and high-class hotels, accompanied by the songs of squid, octopus, and manta ray popstars. Splatoon tasks players with one goal: spraying their team's ink color over more of the arena's ground than the opposing team. Seven years later, Splatoon 3 continues to draw fans as likely to celebrate their newest in-game fashion as they are a big win, in contrast to hyper-competitive shooters that once defined the genre. Here was another online shooter, but one seemingly meant for children, with a cartoonish look and what amounts to ink-filled water guns instead of assault rifles and rocket launchers. When Nintendo launched Splatoon in 2015, it catapulted the ink-splatting game into an environment rife with hostile players and graphic violence. Splatoon players readying for ink-splatting mayhem.
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