by About five months after launch, Splatoon 3 is getting its first pass that expands the experience. We learned in the Direct on February 7th that this expansion pass costs €24.99 and gives access to two parts. The first consists of Inkopolis, the central square and “hub” of the original Splatoon, released for Wii U, which acts as an alternative to the same Splatoon 3 content centered on Splatsville. The second part of this DLC, Side Order, will be released later, it has not been announced yet, but from the Direct preview it is possible to see the indications of a new campaign.
Since it’s not possible to define a term of comparison at the moment, this first installment consisting of Inkopolis really works as a mix of ancient and modern in the latest installment of the Splatoon series. Taking players through the shops and into an entire core area of the original, it’s inevitable that you won’t see fans roll their eyes here, especially if they’ve played this far. Those who have just discovered Splatoon 3 will look at this alternative “node” with the curiosity of those who look at the past and convey the meaning of an irreverent game.
Looking at this space characterized by large towers and giant statues of a fox and a “Tanuki”, it is impossible not to draw a parallel with some central areas of Tokyo, but here with a special touch given the uniqueness of the characters and shopkeepers. In fact, Inkopolis is a great interface for a series of shops where we can buy equipment, weapons, access various game modes and discover a series of strange characters. Some are new, some with changes to the return of Spyke, a little more aged.
For a moment this interaction and rediscovery of Inkopolis works as an alternative, but it’s a shame it doesn’t provide additional content. The game modes are the same as in Splatoon 3, the items are also the same and there is not even any addition of previous items, weapons or accessories. That’s why this first wave has a bit of flavor, feeding off Splatoon 3 more in form than content. Callie and Marie’s presence at the concerts scheduled for Splatfests is interesting, but also at this point and given the distance of these events, it’s not something that happens regularly.
Inkopolis is accessed via an open railway station in Splatsville. From there we can play from any “hub”. But for now this appears to be just a ‘taste’ of what players and fans can experience. Nothing too relevant or critical. Additionally, food stamps and 123,000 coins are provided. We can only hope that Side Order is really good, full of content and surprises, so that this DLC is really worth the experience and also the amount spent to get it.
