Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion Review *No Spoilers
The Octo Expansion experienced a sudden debut just last week. I was very excited to get my hands on it, and I ended up finishing it quickly.
As a general note, I do include some end-game information at the very end of this article. However, it is centric on gameplay and will not ruin the plot for you. I marked that section as "Minor Gameplay Spoilers for when Octo Expansion is Beaten" just in case.
Who is this game for?
This expansion is single player only. In addition, it is more difficult than the original single player mode in the game. The following types of gamers are most likely to enjoy Octo Expansion.
- Gamers who want to get better at playing Splatoon 2. It can be daunting to go online and get better. Nintendo made a good call creating a much harder single player mode so there is little need fro feel self-conscious while you are building more skill.
- Gamers who want to play as an Octoling. This DLC includes this ability, but players will have to go through all the levels to unlock this playable character. (Levels can be skipped, so don't worry about getting trapped by a challenging level.)
- Gamers who want to get offline. I have personally noticed that during peak times (especially Splatfests and weekends) there seems to be more connection issues. Sometimes this can lead to a match being loss entirely. This can be extremely frustrating, so an offline single player campaign is welcome.
- For anyone who wants a little more backstory for Marina and Pearl.
Just how difficult is this expansion?
Personally, I am a gamer who does not play any other shooters besides Splatoon 2. As a result, I am not very good with the ranged weapons. Since there are Rollers and other items that can compensate for this, I would call myself a lower-to-middle range average player for this specific game.
The first five or so challenges were brutal. However, after that I started to get used to the levels. I personally really loved the challenge since it could only help me become a better player. I feel that Octo Expansion definitely helped me in that regard.
How long does it take to beat?
I finished this expansion in about 5 hours with mixed play at my skill level. "Mixed play" here means there were stages I could complete, stages I had to fight to complete, and stages I gave up on entirely and skipped.
I did feel satisfied at the end of my play since I gave all the stages I found an honest shot. In addition, I ended up finishing a lot more stages than I thought I would be able to, and I felt like I got a great experience and content for this DLC.
How does Octo Expansion work?
At the beginning of the game, your Octoling character gets on a train and rides different lines. There are a variety of challenges on each of the lines, varying depending on how long the line is.
To discover new paths, try and aim for the square icons on the map. Those markers indicate a stage that will also unlock a new line with more trials.
What kind of stages does Octo Expansion have?
The following are more or less the types of challenges players will face. Luckily, virtually all stages have checkpoints. If your Octoling is defeated in some way, they may not have to go to the very beginning of the course.
Many times the game also lets you select the weapon you want for the course. The one marked with "Rec" indicates the weapon recommended for a particular course.
Target Practice
These kind of stages require your Octoling to hit various targets, usually with a time limit in place. There are many stages where if you miss even one target your character automatically fails the whole level.
These stages are great for people who are comfortable with shooters, or especially with Chargers.
Get to the Goal
These challenges seem very simplistic to start. All your Octoling has to do is successfully make it to the end of the stage to complete it. However, in practice this can be hard to accomplish due to enemies or environmental hazards.
Most players should feel somewhere between comfortable or mildly challenged by these levels.
Defeat all Enemies
These stages require all enemies to be destroyed. In many cases, there is a time limit to accomplish this. If all enemies are not defeated in the time allowed then the Octoling automatically fails and has to try again.
The levels seem to vary in difficulty for this challenge.
Guide the 8-ball to the Goal
These stages give your Octoling a big 8-ball to guide to the end of the course. The 8-ball can be accidentally rolled off course or even hit off course by other enemies. If the ball falls off the stage at all, the Octoling automatically fails and has to start again. There is usually no time limit.
This challenge requires players to focus and to have a good deal of patience. It also requires a bit of strategy to decide where specifically to hit the ball to have it go in the right direction. If players are willing to put in the patience, these challenges are not very difficult.
Other Stages
There is an occasional battle with other Octolings, but this does not happen very often. Later there are bosses as well.
There is also a stage that requires switches to be painted at just the right time.
Music
I played Octo Expansion with headphones on initially, and I recommend players try that at least once. TV speakers and the speakers on the Switch do not do the new music in this expansion justice. The music was just fantastic and really fit the "feel" of the environment.
Final Thoughts
All in all, for approximately $20 Octo Expansion is more than worth its price. There is a great deal of content and challenges to explore. I didn't touch on it much here, but the story is also great. All in all, I feel like anyone who plays Splatoon 2 should give this expansion a shot.
Minor Gameplay Spoilers once Octo Expansion is Beaten
If players decide to plow through to unlock the Octoling character, don't worry. The game does allow you to go back and play any of the levels the train can access.
HINT: When the game asks you a variety of times if you are sure you want to leave the train and continue your journey at a certain place in the game, there are levels beyond that. Those levels cannot be reached again once the story is over. Only skip over these stages if you are absolutely certain you would not regret it.
The Vending Machine
The vending machine is a fantastic way to get new items after the story has been beaten.
At the end of the game, the Octoling can also access a vending machine at the Central Station. You can get special tokens from C.Q Cumber for visiting specific places, or spend 15,000 test currency to get an item. I got a food ticket, a drink ticket, and 20,000 of the test tickets. The rewards are definitely worth it.
So it seems that now players have a better chance at being able to utilize Crusty Sean. I really liked this addition for the end game.
All in all I would like to thank the wonderful creators at Nintendo for adding this great gameplay to an already great game. I make no money off of any of my reviews. Thanks for reading!
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