Parents' Guide to Splatoon 2

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.