• Hey, guest user. Hope you're enjoying NeoGAF! Have you considered registering for an account? Come join us and add your take to the daily discourse.

Splatoon | Review Thread

NotLiquid

Member
So can we start quoting all the folks saying the game would bomb and laugh yet or do we need to wait for a few weeks for numbers that have dollar signs instead of numbers that reflect how good the game quality is?

Don't think there's really that much crow to be served in terms of reception when people did say it would be marked down a bit for content (even though some people expected most reviewers to "tear it apart" they were overall the minority).

The jury's still out on whether the game will be a commercial flop. Which personally going by the trends I think is impossible at this point but I could be wrong.
 

Exile20

Member
Very weird release. Holding back so much content for DLC on a system with a very small storage space. Seems like a rush release but why rush in summer?

Most likely a great game but on the wrong system. I really hope at E3 they announce a better online system support. One made for 2015.
What the hell?

Holding back? The maps and modes aren't done. Simple.

All online feature were design decisions not system draw backs.

This post is wtf.
 

th4tguy

Member
Well, since people are saying it will bomb financially, I think it'd be a good idea to wait until, you know, the sales come out.

Nintendo games hardly ever go on sale for good prices. And by the time it does go on sale (if it did), the online pop would be horrible. What would be the point of playing?

I'm not arguing against wait and see policy, but if you HAVE to play this game, play it at launch as it's your best chance.
 
Very weird release. Holding back so much content for DLC on a system with a very small storage space.

Game itself is 1.5 gb. I doubt a couple extra maps are going to take up that much extra space.

And that's assuming the maps aren't actually already on the disk.
 

Einbroch

Banned
Nintendo games hardly ever go on sale for good prices. And by the time it does go on sale (if it did), the online pop would be horrible. What would be the point of playing?

I'm not arguing against wait and see policy, but if you HAVE to play this game, play it at launch as it's your best chance.

Sales as in sales figures, not dollarzz/britbux/yencoins off.
 

atr0cious

Member
Wow, if they waited to release this a few months from now when all the features are available, this could've gotten 10's across the board and be a GOTY front-runner.

It still could be, and is in my book. A true GotY doesn't need only rely on quantity of it's content, as that could be subjective to the person who just simply wants more. Especially if it picks up steam with the supposed map complexity updates.
 
So can we start quoting all the folks saying the game would bomb and laugh yet or do we need to wait for a few weeks for numbers that have dollar signs instead of numbers that reflect how good the game quality is?

If a game bombs it usually doesn't reflect on the quality of the game. Good games can bomb, bad games can sell millions of copies.
 

NateDrake

Member
Don't think there's really that much crow to be served in terms of reception when people did say it would be marked down a bit for content (even though some people expected most reviewers to "tear it apart" they were overall the minority).

The jury's still out on whether the game will be a commercial flop. Which personally going by the trends I think is impossible at this point but I could be wrong.

Depends expectations people have. If it sells 250k over the weekend in NA-only, will people say it flopped because it didn't sell 300k?
 

wildfire

Banned
ncn0n0s.png

Time to get that chalk board.
 

-Horizon-

Member
Depends expectations people have. If it sells 250k over the weekend in NA-only, will people say it flopped because it didn't sell 300k?
"Splatoon sold X. That seems pretty good."
"Nope, that is failure for this game, it should've sold Y. Say good bye to ever seeing a sequel to this game ever again. I blame the Wii U."
 
I think Splatoon will be successful. It has online multiplayer. The best selling games every year always have multiplayer functionality of some kind. Look at Mario Kart. Look at Smash Bros. People want to play games with their friends.
 

NateDrake

Member
Even if it sells 2 million people will say it's a flop. And if it sells 400k lifetime people will say it's a success.

Which is why people saying they expect a flop or a game will be a flop is pointless. We don't know the budget of the game. Unless the game only sells 30k or some Wonderful 101 type figure, saying whether it flopped or was a success is baseless.
 

samred

Member
I'm curious exactly what they mean by this, because I'd feel that using non-motion controls would make quick responses harder, but there might be a context I'm not considering.

Since I wrote this review for Ars Technica, here's the corresponding explanation (also in the review) -

"You'll want to switch to joystick-only controls as quickly as possible for one reason: the motion controls will frequently turn your joystick off in the heat of battle, effectively making it impossible to quickly turn around when, for example, a paint-rolling opponent is about to run you down."
 

Mesoian

Member
"Splatoon sold X. That seems pretty good."
"Nope, that is failure for this game, it should've sold Y. Say good bye to ever seeing a sequel to this game ever again. I blame the Wii U."

"I'll only buy one when it's 99 Dollars and doesn't come with a gamepad"

Since I wrote this review for Ars Technica, here's the corresponding explanation (also in the review) -

"You'll want to switch to joystick-only controls as quickly as possible for one reason: the motion controls will frequently turn your joystick off in the heat of battle, effectively making it impossible to quickly turn around when, for example, a paint-rolling opponent is about to run you down."

Wait what? It didn't do that for me. I was using the sticks for large wide motions, generally anything above 90 degrees, and then the motion controls for fine/short motions.
 

Sendou

Member
Splatoon is a success if it becomes a franchise.

Since I wrote this review for Ars Technica, here's the corresponding explanation (also in the review) -

"You'll want to switch to joystick-only controls as quickly as possible for one reason: the motion controls will frequently turn your joystick off in the heat of battle, effectively making it impossible to quickly turn around when, for example, a paint-rolling opponent is about to run you down."

Weird. Don't recall anything like that during the Testfire sessions.
 

NotLiquid

Member
Depends expectations people have. If it sells 250k over the weekend in NA-only, will people say it flopped because it didn't sell 300k?

I think 250k in NA over the first weekend would be pretty impressive for a new IP on Wii U, if only because coupling that with Japan's evident opening performance means it ought to have an easy ride in crossing the 500k threshold within it's first two weeks. Since Nintendo is in it for the long haul I think that would be a good success in and of it's own.

As anecdotal as it is there's a bunch of people who openly admit to only choosing to buy the game later in the Summer once the content rolls around, if that's indicative over potential legs if Nintendo continues support, Splatoon should outperform the minimum baseline of Nintendo's own expectations. Depending on how Nintendo continues to develop it, the answer ought to be easy to suss out. And hell, if we ever see it become more of a franchise, that should be a good indicator that the game was anything but a flop.

Admittedly it's not that easy to gauge game development "budgets" and returns, but Splatoon was developed by a smaller initiative at first for the Wii U in a time when it was kind of clear that very little was going to resuscitate Wii U sales in a big way, so chances are they had their expectations fairly set from the start.
 

jariw

Member
What the hell?

Holding back? The maps and modes aren't done. Simple.

All online feature were design decisions not system draw backs.

This post is wtf.

There's no logic that frequent map additions can be available just a few weeks from day 1 and not before, if the game discs were pressed a month ago (with just 5 maps).

This is a planned draw back, in the same way as Ranked Battles isn't available from start.
 

USC-fan

Banned
What the hell?

Holding back? The maps and modes aren't done. Simple.

All online feature were design decisions not system draw backs.

This post is wtf.

So not done why rush release? I can understand holiday but it a dead period now. This is not a "normal" type of release.

Yeah like across game group chat. Design decision....SMH that have nothing to do with the game itself. It just make playing with friend terrible and you have to use outside ways of contact. We had countless thread about this. Again its the system holding back the game. really no reason not have these system level features.
 
Wow, nice reviews. Disappointing to see that the game's distribution model is still such a point of contention, knocking the aggregate score down a few points. It would be nice if the reviews that complain about the lack of content came back and rereviewed the game in August when all of the content is out, but I doubt that'll happen.
 

Apathy

Member


Got a good chuckle.

On a more serious note though, I'm surprised by reading some of the reviews or watching some of the videos how the lack of content on launch is not seen as bad thing. If someone else did this they would get lambasted, but seems people want to give Nintendo a free pass on it. The gametrailers video specifically goes out of its way to mention how lacking the game seems and how monotonous it gets so quickly replaying the same stuff over and over near the end, and still give the game a 8.4. Seems the text and the score really don't match up.
 

Sendou

Member
Got a good chuckle.

On a more serious note though, I'm surprised by reading some of the reviews or watching some of the videos how the lack of content on launch is not seen as bad thing. If someone else did this they would get lambasted, but seems people want to give Nintendo a free pass on it. The gametrailers video specifically goes out of its way to mention how lacking the game seems and how monotonous it gets so quickly replaying the same stuff over and over near the end, and still give the game a 8.4. Seems the text and the score really don't match up.

Yup, it's that Nintendo bias at play.
 
I agree that they probably should have waited until august to release the game as relasing it so incomplete is pretty shitty despite the free updates, but I'm assuming they need something to fill this gap in software at least in north America and it probably will benefit the online community and keep it more active by having content come out nearly each week

Still should have had more content day 1 though especially for a multiplayer focused game
 
pass on it. The gametrailers video specifically goes out of its way to mention how lacking the game seems and how monotonous it gets so quickly replaying the same stuff over and over near the end, and still give the game a 8.4. Seems the text and the score really don't match up.

I could play the same arena and same mode for days.

The game is THAT fun.

(I could also play a few other shooters that are that good like that without it getting stale)

You don't need 500 arenas and 17 modes to have a good time.

It just seems the core of the game is so good that it still is scoring well in the state it's in.
 

Danny Dudekisser

I paid good money for this Dynex!
Such scores with only 5 maps!?

Gosh, it's almost like there's more to a game than the bullet points on the back of the box.
 
The gametrailers video specifically goes out of its way to mention how lacking the game seems and how monotonous it gets so quickly replaying the same stuff over and over near the end, and still give the game a 8.4. Seems the text and the score really don't match up.

Well, for $60 people expect a lot more, but don't think people can't have fun with only a few maps for a long time. BF 1943 had 4 maps and that kept me playing for years. At least we know a hell of a lot more maps are coming for free.
 

Nightbird

Member
Got a good chuckle.

On a more serious note though, I'm surprised by reading some of the reviews or watching some of the videos how the lack of content on launch is not seen as bad thing. If someone else did this they would get lambasted, but seems people want to give Nintendo a free pass on it. The gametrailers video specifically goes out of its way to mention how lacking the game seems and how monotonous it gets so quickly replaying the same stuff over and over near the end, and still give the game a 8.4. Seems the text and the score really don't match up.

Yep. I mean it's great and everything that they want to deliver more stuff later on, but that doesn't change that it's missing now, and the Game is being reviewed in it's actual state, wich is lacking.

What Reviewers are doing is correct, the fact that stuff comes later should not play into the scores, since there is no 100% gurantee that in the End things will come exactly as planned. So rate whats available.
 

jariw

Member
I agree that they probably should have waited until august to release the game as relasing it so incomplete is pretty shitty despite the free updates, but I'm assuming they need something to fill this gap in software at least in north America and it probably will benefit the online community and keep it more active by having content come out nearly each week

Still should have had more content day 1 though especially for a multiplayer focused game

Even if this game was released in August, Nintendo would still roll out the features gradually.
 

watershed

Banned
Got a good chuckle.

On a more serious note though, I'm surprised by reading some of the reviews or watching some of the videos how the lack of content on launch is not seen as bad thing. If someone else did this they would get lambasted, but seems people want to give Nintendo a free pass on it. The gametrailers video specifically goes out of its way to mention how lacking the game seems and how monotonous it gets so quickly replaying the same stuff over and over near the end, and still give the game a 8.4. Seems the text and the score really don't match up.

I think its pretty clear that the lack of content is a major reason these scores are in the 8 range. From the reviews, it sounds like a fantastic game that would have scored in the 9-10 range if it weren't for the lack of content.
 

DrWong

Member
Reviews are very good. Game should do 500K ww or close in its first week, something like 130K JP, 210K US, 160K EU. It could be more. It will have legs clearly, and will be pushed as a first class evergreen title by Nintendo. Could clear the million this year. I see growth, I see crows.
 

foxuzamaki

Doesn't read OPs, especially not his own
In other words, buy it used in 6 months or later whenever one's backlog has shrunk. Cool, never expected otherwise.
Now it makes sense that they limited the demo. It already featured a big chunk of the unpatched game :lol
Talk about low hanging fruit
 

Exile20

Member
There's no logic that frequent map additions can be available just a few weeks from day 1 and not before, if the game discs were pressed a month ago (with just 5 maps).

This is a planned draw back, in the same way as Ranked Battles isn't available from start.

Yes because why balance a map. Ofcourse you can make a map in a month. Come on man you have to know making proper maps is not easy.

So not done why rush release? I can understand holiday but it a dead period now. This is not a "normal" type of release.

Yeah like across game group chat. Design decision....SMH that have nothing to do with the game itself. It just make playing with friend terrible and you have to use outside ways of contact. We had countless thread about this. Again its the system holding back the game. really no reason not have these system level features.

They have zero third party support, they thought they needed a game out during this time period.

I sincerely doubt that they are purposely holding back maps.

Anyway Monster Hunter has game voice chat.
 
Got a good chuckle.

On a more serious note though, I'm surprised by reading some of the reviews or watching some of the videos how the lack of content on launch is not seen as bad thing. If someone else did this they would get lambasted, but seems people want to give Nintendo a free pass on it. The gametrailers video specifically goes out of its way to mention how lacking the game seems and how monotonous it gets so quickly replaying the same stuff over and over near the end, and still give the game a 8.4. Seems the text and the score really don't match up.

Maybe 8.4 is the lowered score. There's no magical formula as to what content is worth on a point by point rate.

Besides, this isn't a matter of Nintendo not delivering on what was promised. They've been pretty upfront as to what will be released at a later date, and giving time frames.
 

JDSN

Banned
Got a good chuckle.

On a more serious note though, I'm surprised by reading some of the reviews or watching some of the videos how the lack of content on launch is not seen as bad thing. If someone else did this they would get lambasted, but seems people want to give Nintendo a free pass on it. The gametrailers video specifically goes out of its way to mention how lacking the game seems and how monotonous it gets so quickly replaying the same stuff over and over near the end, and still give the game a 8.4. Seems the text and the score really don't match up.

Lol, this crap again.
 

jariw

Member
Yes because why balance a map. Ofcourse you can make a map in a month. Come on man you have to know making proper maps is not easy.

If they are going to release 9 new maps until August (as shown in the Splatoon Direct), they are either already completed or very easy to do/balance.
 
Top Bottom