Post Script
Why Splatoon 3’s singleplayer is a missed opportunity
Anyone who played the original Splatoon on Wii U will recognise the change in one of its returning maps. Indeed, had it not been one of the first game’s finest multiplayer stages, you could be forgiven for thinking Hammerhead Bridge had been brought back purely for narrative purposes. Back in 2015, it was still in the process of being built, with several elevated grated sections. Now it’s all solid ground. Its purpose in the Splatoon universe is to connect Inklandia – where you’ll find Inkopolis Plaza and Square – to the Splatlands where the new city hub, Splatsville, is situated. This thriving Kowloon-inspired metropolis is larger and more diverse than its predecessors and offers more reminders that time passes in the Splatoon universe as it does in the real world. That’s most obvious when you encounter ability-chunk dealer Murch – aliteral street urchin – who has grown significantly in stature in the five years since Splatoon 2. The world has evolved. So why does Splatoon’s singleplayer component refuse to follow suit?