Splatoon 2: Octo Expansion
Publisher: Nintendo Developer: Nintendo Platform: Switch Release: 2018 Genre: Third-Person Shooter / 3D Platformer Rating: 9.2 \ 10.0: Excellent
Above is one of the standard "Get to the goal" challenges
While many people that purchased Splatoon 2 did so primarily to play its multiplayer, I was excited to play its Octo Canyon campaign as well, and while it was great, the mode's short length left me wanting more. The Octo Expansion DLC delivers exactly that and manages to surpass the base game's single player in nearly every way.
You assume the role of an Octoling, the octopus counterpart to the Inklings who, unlike the other Octarian enemies you face, are humanoid. This anonymous Octoling is found in an abandoned subway by Captain Cuttlefish from the original Splatoon, who gives them the code-name Agent 8. The Octoling lost their memory after encountering the first game's protagonist Agent 3 and now has no desire to fight the Inklings. The Captain and Agent 8 are told by a malfunctioning AI in the form of a phone that if they wish to reach the promised land and escape the subway, they must take acquire four "thangs" and assemble an object that will lead them to this paradise. In order to find these thangs, Cuttlefish and Agent 8 must board a train conducted by the mysterious C.Q. Cumber and complete various missions as you travel throughout the subway.
Unlike Octo Canyon in which the objective of nearly every level was to get from point A to point B , the levels in this expansion tend to be shorter and while there are some levels in which you simply get to the goal, there are others in which you break targets while timed, guide an 8 ball to a goal, survive an onslaught of enemies, carve a pile of crates to match the appearance of a statue, and more. Additionally, you receive guidance from Pearl and Marina of Off the Hook rather than Marie from the Squid Sisters. There are 80 of these missions in total, but not all of them need to be completed in order to acquire the four thangs. Each stage requires a payment of CQ Credits, which are earned by completing levels, to play. If you lose all your lives while playing a stage, you will have to pay the admission fee again to restart from the last checkpoint. Many of the levels will give you a choice between multiple weapons before you begin, and they each reward you with a different number of credits for finishing the challenge while using them in accordance with how difficult they are to use in that situation. Some of these stages are disappointingly short, mildly frustrating or lack creativity (specifically the handful of levels that place you in an unmodified multiplayer map and have you complete a Ranked mode objective while fighting Octolings), the vast majority are incredibly fun. Octo Valley's levels were already creative, but this expansion easily surpasses them by placing you in situations in which you must use weapons and special abilities in unexpected ways that left me genuinely surprised. They are also far more challenging, but rarely frustrating.
Upon completion of a level, you will receive a mem cake, an tiny figure of a character or object from the Splatoon universe containing a small poem which representing Agent 8's memory of the person or thing. Collecting all of the an entire set of related mem cakes (of which there are 10 sets) will grant you a new clothing item upon speaking to the humorously named and sharply dressed Iso Padre. For every handful of levels you beat, you will also gain access to a chat session between Pearl, Marina, and Captain Cuttlefish. On top of being incredibly humorous, these provide interesting backstory for Pearl and Marina and provide context for some of the lore seen in Octo Valley's hidden Sunken Scrolls.
Octo Valley's presentation was one of its strongest aspects, and Octo Expansion meets that high bar of quality. The new music tracks, especially those by Off the Hook, are fantastic and as catchy as ever, with the music from the DLC's final level being especially outstanding. The visuals are also fantastic and varied. The subway and the various bizarre creatures that inhabit it create a delightfully shady and mysterious atmospheres and the levels contain wonderfully detailed skyboxes with odd details such as massive Nintendo consoles and household items floating throughout them.
The high point of Octo Expansion is its final level, which remains entertaining throughout the entirety of its significant length and is sure to greatly please people who have been fans of the series since its beginning. I was enjoying my time with the DLC greatly up to this point, and the finale is easily my favorite piece of single player content in the entire series.
My only gripe with the Octo Expansion other than its handful of less-than-stellar levels is that only the final level's tracks have challenges to complete in the Squid Beatz rythm minigame. It is a shining example of DLC done well, and it is an absolute must-have for anyone that enjoy's Splatoon's single-player content.
Ups
Numerous levels
Great variety in objectives
Fantastic new music and great visuals
An excellent finale
Humorous dialogue with interesting lore explanations
Downs
Several merely average levels
Only some of the new music is playable in Squid Beatz
ESRB: E10+ Content: Cartoon Violence Price: $19.99 (Download)
