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Parents' Guide to

Splatoon 2

By David Wolinsky, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Colorful multiplayer shooter is captivating, can melt hours.

Game Nintendo Switch 2017
Splatoon 2 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

Community Reviews

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age 8+

Based on 15 parent reviews

RealName00
RealName00 Adult
November 11, 2018
age 5+

Its amazingly fun and good for at least 5 up!

Splatoon 2 is a very good game and there is not really much violence, consumerism (accept for paid DLC which is optional) Not at all any sexual content, swearing, drinking/drugs/smoking, you don't really have to worry about the safety and privacy and there aren't any good "role models" or "great messages" People might complain about the art in the square (main spawn area) or one of the character's clothing but 1, (you can disable art by following these steps, 1. Open your menu with X, 2. Go to the "Options" or "Settings" tab. 3. Go to "other" 4. click off on posts. If you don't want your kids playing the online multiplayer or don't want to pay for Switch online every year or 3 months you can just get them the Octo Expansion and they will have 2 great offline single player modes to play! Overall this game is really good and doesn't deserve all the negative reviews because of what content is hardly even part of the full game!
wizardortitan
wizardortitan Parent
October 20, 2019
age 6+

A nonviolent shooter? It's possible!

This addictive must-have for the Nintendo Switch stands out in how despite being a shooter, it goes out of its way to never make violence the objective. Goals include covering turf, gathering eggs, etc., but never just "shoot all these people." Shooting fellow players with paint is apart of the game, but it's hardly 'violence', as all that really happens is that they regenerate at the start point. Highly recommended for anyone with a Switch.
See all 15 parent reviews

What’s It About?

SPLATOON 2 doesn't have much detail for its story, but instead focuses on Inkopolis and the efforts you must take to regain balance between two warring factions. In single-player, you seek to wrest control back from the Octarians, who are stockpiling zapfishes. It's essentially a context for you to learn the game's controls and various gameplay mechanics. The more you play, the more gear and weapons you unlock, and the more adept you'll become at painting levels with your arsenal and traversing all kinds of terrain. The online modes, where most of the gameplay lies, let you compete against other players in timed matches, which are variations on capture the flag, king of the hill, or most territory captured wins matches.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (15 ):
Kids say (122 ):

This kid-friendly shooter is an absolute blast to play and can easily get players covering their opponents in ink for many hours. This is especially true online, where you can join friends and enjoy either facing off against them or teaming up. Easily the best online mode is turf war, where two teams of four have three minutes to splat ink on as much territory as possible while strategically submerging themselves in their team's color and blasting enemies. It's also a prerequisite to play this mode for a while, as horde mode and league battle don't open up until after you've won enough games and leveled your character up sufficiently. While these modes have a certain mystique and prestige due to the difficulty in unlocking them, the reality is they're variations on capture the flag and king of the hill. Fortunately, new events, weapons, gears, and stages are all promised as free roll-outs postlaunch.

That said, what's here is a lot of fun. The game has an innate ability to melt hours, having you vow to play "just one more game" until it's 1 or 2 a.m. before you know it. That said, the game is probably best experienced in short bursts, because even though it's hard to put down, it'll easily start to feel repetitive. Still, there's no beating just how fun turf war is. The levels in all online modes get swapped out depending on the hour, and the sheer amount of gear and weapons you can unlock, level up, and invest time into learning all invite you to test multiple strategies out so that you can get better. Sometimes you'll want to hang back and play defense; other times you will understand why and how offense can be more important. If you're looking for a fun, addictive, and engaging shooter that the whole family can enjoy, Splatoon 2 has easily got you covered.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about "kid-friendly" violence. Are games like Splatoon 2 a gateway to younger players to eventually crave or be curious about more "mature" shooters?

  • Why do you think the main characters in this game are kids who can turn into squids? Do you think it's just silly and weird, or does it say something about a part of us all as human beings, wanting to hide or turn into something else to face problems or confrontations?

Game Details

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