The first game played during the third day of Nintendo’s E3 2017 stream offered a more detailed look at Splatoon 2’s campaign. They stepped into an area in Octo Canyon and went through some introductory levels, complete with Marie offering tutorial tips. Marie is the person guiding people through the campaign in the sequel.
Among the exciting elements is the ability to switch weapons. Each time you go through a Splatoon 2 single-player stage the first time, you’re assigned a weapon. After that, you are able to choose weapons. The reason being, Sheldon is doing research on Hero versions of weapons. He’ll "loan" you the weapon to test and use in the level.
Also interesting was a level notation below each weapon on the selection screen. Players are able to power them up with Power Eggs and Sardinium at an Ammo Knights Enhancer. The Hero Shot can be powered up to level three, as an example. Ink tanks can be upgraded and sub-weapons unlocked as well. When the Splattershot is leveled up to level two, the fire rate and strength are increased.
We also learned what happens when an Inkling takes a lot of damage in the Splatoon 2 campaign. Instead of immediately being splattered, there is more of a grace period. Instead, your armor will temporarily disappear after taking a bit of damage. You can then run for cover to let it recharge over time or quickly dip into your ink to restore it.
The map in the Treehouse demonstration shows various sections. During the video, the Inkling visited the Tentakeel Outpost, Suction Cup Lookout,, and Beaker’s Depot, as an example. Each had a different objective, with Tentakeel Outpost being the setting for “Return of the Octarians: Rescue the Zapfish,” Suction Cup Lookout for “Enter the Octohurler: Let It Roll,” and Beaker’s Depot for “Dancing Floors: Ink Switcheroo.”
We also saw a new stage feature. Rolonium Bundles may be found in a level. These roll out when hit with ink, coating a surface with a straight line of ink. Once you hit it, it heads on out. There were also Ride Rails. These are made by shooting a device to create a rail of ink the Inkling can ride on. You can shoot while riding a rail.
Two of the new weapons were shown off the bit. One was the Splatling, a wepaon that can be charged up for massive, successive shots. In the single-player campaign, someone could take out a shielded enemy from the front with this weapon, though it will take quite a few hits and bit of ink. The Splat Dualies were shown as well, to highlight their maneuverability. In specific, the dodge roll was shown off with the Ride Rails. Using one there lets you quickly get off of it. This was mentioned as being advantageous for speed runners, while also noting that each level may have certain weapons that may make it possible to get through them faster.
The live stream ended with a boss fight against the Octo Samurai, a bike-riding Octarian that wields a giant Roller. Both Marie and Sheldon offer tips during the fight. This boss can charge in on his bike, as well as use Roller the roller to fling paint or use rolling attacks. At one point after taking damage, he will “power up” the roller and smash it down on the ground like it is a hammer. His eyes will also flash before he performs a spin attack.
Splatoon 2 will come to the Nintendo Switch on July 21, 2017.
