Splatoon 3 Side Order Review

Splatoon 3 inked its way onto the Nintendo Switch in late 2022, and it’s seen a constant stream of players by engaging its community with  Splatfests and Seasonal Updates. While its first DLC was something of a dud with a mere cosmetic option to revisit Splatoon’s original Hub, the Second Wave – Side Order, offers a more substantial experience by introducing a single-payer, rogue-like adventure that promises to challenge even the most experienced Splatoon Veterans. What’s it Like? Equip your favorite weapon, fill the ink tank, and don’t forget to stay fresh as we review Splatoon 3 – Side Order.

I just want to take a minute to shout out to an up-and-coming Splatoon Champion Sophie!  Sophie’s mum let me know that Sophie is making some waves with her dedication to ink battles and her passion for the game lights up every match. Keep splatting, keep inking, and keep being the awesome Splatoon fan you are! Stay fresh, stay stylish, and I have a few Splatoon Amiibos coming your way!

Side Order can be accessed by visiting the subway station in the hub and after a short train ride where you doze off, the story starts. I want to avoid some spoilers here so I won’t go into a few details, instead, I’ll let you discover them for yourself, but after you defeat the first 10 levels, the expansion pack really opens up. Your objective is to clear the Tower, which consists of 30 randomly generated floors and challenges that you have to defeat one by one to reach the top. The twist? Dying resets your progress and you go back to the bottom of the tower. While this sounds like a drag, the rogue-like elements mean that it’s not tedious at all, and each tower run is unique and challenging in its own way.

Each floor will allow you to select one of three challenges that reward a colour chip to add to your palette. These can be things like more damage or paint spread, as well as new moves and abilities. Each challenge has a difficulty level and it’s up to you which way to go. In a great move, Side Order encourages players to challenge themselves by increasing the likelihood of harder challenges should you keep selecting easy. Challenges consist of moving a ball to a goal, guiding a spinner to the finish line, or simply defeating special enemies. While it sounds simple at first, Side Order will constantly throw other Salmonoids in your way and your skills will certainly be tested. There’s a boss battle every 10 levels and there are also random vending machine floors that offer you some respite in between levels. You can also find “Danger Floors” that offer a significant challenge but give you greater rewards. Pass up on them and you will eventually find your selection flooded with them, making your ascension all the more difficult. Thankfully, you have an upgradable Drone Pearl that can help pick up some of the slack for you, but Side Order will still require a decent amount of skill to avoid crashing out.

As mentioned before, crashing out means you will lose your colour chips which get converted to a new currency in the form of pearls, that can be used to upgrade your abilities permanently, making the new run slightly easier. You can also use special keys obtained to unlock lockers, an almost gatcha style reward system that can reward you with new palettes that change your gear and abilities. Not all weapons are created equal, and I found that my usual favorite weapon, the roller, lacked its usual usefulness in this particular DLC pack, which forced me to experiment with different load-outs I really enjoyed.

The world of Side Order is a far cry from the colorful world of Inkopolis and the Splatlands, with a washed-out feel due to “Team Order” trying to run the show after losing the Splatfest in Splatoon 2. The world still looks gorgeous and the washed-out color scheme helps accentuate the vibrant pearlescent colours of your ink while battling black-inked foes. It performs well with the usual steady framerate we’ve come to expect from Splatoon. For my vision-impaired inklings, I feel that if Splatoon works for you in the standard mode, side order should be ok, albeit harder to discern world edges at some times.

Side Order is a delicious meal for one that is a great fit for any Splatoon Fan. It’s challenging, replayable, and an overall exciting and fun adventure that further fleshes out some fan-favorite characters. While there may only be 30 levels and 3 bosses, the rogue-like nature of Side Order will keep you going back for more with plenty of different play styles and experiences to keep you engaged and earn some unique gear to take into the main game. If you’re a fan of Splatoon 3, and are wanting more, Side Order will easily whet your appetite.