There is going to be a HUGE influx of newcomers to Splatoon 2 now that it has released on the Nintendo Switch, because let’s face it, the first installment was a great game on a console that not many people owned. With the Switch taking the gaming world by storm, now is a great time to buff up on those skills and be the best competitive Splatoon 2 player you can be.
Always Keep Moving
In Splatoon 2, your main goal is usually to cover the playing field in ink, and regardless of what weapon you have you’re going to need to make sure that you don’t stop in one spot to cover it. Strafing keeps you on your toes and helps cover areas as you move forward, and ensures you’ve also got all sides covered as you splash your colours around.
BUT, for those of you who aren’t aware, your weapons and special attacks rely on that ink to keep working! Not only do you move faster as a squid compared to your Inkling form, but you charge up your valuable ink reservoir when you do this, meaning you’re always ready for an attack! Just make sure you’ve got your eyes forward though, because if the opposition catches you out in this form, you’ll get splattered and have to respawn!
Lock And Load
Until you reach Level 4, you’re stuck with a fairly basic blaster. Once you surpass this though, the choices open up and a whole range of weapons are available to you! When you make the decision to upgrade, test your weapons first before you buy them – that way you can get a good feel for whichever weapon suits your playstyle! Each weapon also has a secondary function such as the type of bombs that can be thrown, so don’t be fooled by the power of a weapon alone! Personally I’m a fan of running and gunning, so the Tentatek Splattershot suits me perfectly.
No Motion In The Ink Ocean
This one will come down to personal preference, but I’m going to throw it out there anyway – motion controls are not the way to go! If you’re accustomed to FPS and TPS games where your actions are mapped out by analog sticks rather than motion controls, your experience is going to be totally jarring if you leave motion control on. Some players may grow accustomed to it and choose to leave it, however I found myself more often than not trying to shoot in front of me and just staring at the ground, even after resetting my view.
Campaigning Is Training
Want to be the best from the moment you step into the arena? Play through the campaign first! Splatoon 2’s campaign offers the chance to learn all the skills required to play competitively online, without the hassle of seasoned veterans splatting you every five seconds! Plus, in this mode you also get to trial all the weapons and learn some valuable skills along the way
Go Team!
When you play online, your teammates can piggyback off you and vice versa when you cover the map with ink. Use this for the team’s advantage – make sure there’s enough space around for your teammates to latch on and jump over, as this will help you dominate the map faster! Alternatively, help out your teammates by jumping to their location to give them a hand!
Working as a team is the best option in any situation, so make sure you’ve got each other’s backs!
But most importantly, you just gotta have fun. Get in, play around and get a feel for the game, and play how you want. The game gets even better with friends, and is sure to be a massive hit, so get in and start splatting!
