What's new in Splatoon 2? (Splatoon 2 Direct recap)

The Splatoon 2 Direct just aired, and it gave all of the information we could ever need about the game pre-launch. If you're new to Splatoon, I suggest watching the Direct above. As a seasoned veteran of the first game, my recap will mainly cover what's new in this sequel. Without further ado, let's dive right in!

The Direct begins by explaining the core concept of the game, but it then quickly moves on to customization. After showing how you can now choose your hairstyle and leg wear, the Direct showcases the Galleria, which is Inkopolis Square's version of Booyah Base. The first of the shops is Headspace, a headwear shop run by a sea slug named Flow. Next door is the clothing boutique Ye Olde Cloth Shoppe, which is run by Jelfonzo, who apparently learned to speak Inkling from ancient literature. The final clothing store is the shoe shop Shella Fresh, which has Bisk, a laid-back spider crab, as its owner. There is one more shop in the Galleria, the weapon store Ammo Knights, which returns from the first game. It's still run by Sheldon, but the Direct shows that you can now speed up his chatter.

As for the weapons he sells, the Direct proceeds to cover those next. The segment starts by explaining how the weapons work, and then confirms the return of all the types of weapons from Splatoon. Its next move is to show the new functionalities for old weapons: the chargers can store a charge while swimming in ink, and rollers can be swung vertically. This is also where the Dualies are showcased with their dodge roll ability. More weapons for old types are then showcased; these include a roller and charger that take advantage of their new functionalities. After that, they show some new sub weapons, namely the autobomb, which hunts down enemies after being thrown, and the toxic mist, which drains the ink of opponents inside (this was not discussed in the Direct, but rather, was shown at last E3's Splatoon 2 World Inkling Invitational). They also said that more sub weapons were on the way, but gave no further details.

There is one more part of the weapons discussion: specials. None of the specials from Splatoon will be returning, but they are replaced by new ones. The Tenta Missles, after locking on even to distant enemies, rain down upon their targets from above. With the Inkjet, you can fire explosive blasts from high above the battlefield. The Stingray fires a high-powered blast can go through walls (so it's basically a more focused Killer Wail). As for the Splashdown, it inks everything around you, like an Inkstrike with you as the center. Meanwhile, the Inkstorm literally rains ink on your foes (or in whatever direction you want). With the Bomb Launcher, you basically have a bomb rush. As for the Bubbler, which is arguably the most infamous of the specials from the first game, the closest thing to that is the Ink Armor, which increases the team's defense to the point where they can endure any attack (though are not invincible). Finally, the Baller is a giant, explosive hamster ball that you can roll around in for a while.

Moving on, the Direct also confirms that all previous modes will be returning, but there are a couple of changes. Namely, Tower Control now has checkpoints, where the tower stops for a time, and in order to proceed, the team with the tower needs to be able to defend it while it's stationary, and the Rainmaker now has a different attack; it launches an exploding projectile, as opposed to an Inkzooka-esque vortex of ink. Another change is that your rank is now mode-specific. Splatoon 2 also introduces League Battles, where you assemble a team and fight in ranked battles over a two-hour period, and you may receive an in-game medal if you perform well enough.

During this segment, the game's stages were showcased. The Reef is a stage set in the streets. Musselforge Fitness is a sports club where battles go down and climbers go up (there are climbing walls all over the background). Inkblot Art Academy is a place where the ink from matches is a work of art. At Starfish Mainstage, battles likely begin because the inklings got bored waiting for the concert to start. Humpback Pump Track is a racetrack where the only races happening are races to the center at the beginning of ranked matches. There's also Sturgeon Shipyard, which looks to be an active stage with moving platforms. Finally, Port Mackerel also returns with the addition of ink sponges, and Moray Towers has new ink rails.

The Direct then shifts gears to discuss gear abilities. New abilities include Thermal Ink, which allows you to track enemies you have hit with your main weapon, albeit for a short time. The Object Shredder is also a new ability; it allows you to deal more damage to non-player targets, such as Splash Walls. A strange new ability though is the Respawn Punisher, which makes you take longer to respawn and increases the special gauge penalty upon doing so. The only apparent upside is that anyone who splats you all gets an increased special gauge penalty. Finally, the Drop Roller allows you to do a roll immediately upon landing a super jump, which is handy against anyone trying to take you down upon landing. As for Murch, a sea urchin, he can add or remove abilities to gear, which can help anyone trying to get a better set of gear.

Next, the Direct shows more of Salmon Run, the co-op mode to be introduced in Splatoon 2. In this mode, you have to work as a team of four to splat Salmonids, a new type of enemy, to collect power eggs. However, playing this mode online is restricted to certain times. Multiple boss Salmonids, which drop golden eggs, are then showcased. Different conditions were shown as well, such as fog, which allows Salmonids to attack from all sides, and nighttime, where Salmonids become much faster. The segment wraps up by stating that some items can only be earned in this mode.

The Direct also discussed a mobile app for Splatoon 2, called Splatnet 2. In this app, you can look at in-depth stats on your last fifty matches, look at the current stages, or check out when the next Salmon Run session is. It even shows the amount of ink you have spread total, and it has milestones which compare it to real-world places, such as the Great Pyramid of Giza. There is an option to buy gear through the app as well. Finally, the Switch Online App, which Splatnet 2 is housed within, allows you to invite friends to play, chat, and form lobbies.

Next, the Direct discusses a grab bag of features. You can save outfits to Splatoon Amiibo. To some degree, Miiverse has returned, as you can post drawings in Inkopolis Square, and those drawings might appear on stages or in other peoples' games. The old shoe store owner, Crusty Sean, has opened a food truck, and eating there will help you get more out of battles. The Shoal allows you to get some Switches together for intense local play. Finally, they showed that Squid Beats 2 is in Inkopolis Square, so you can listen to the game's music and play a neat little mini game as well.

After a brief segment showing off the single-player mode, the Direct winds down by talking about future updates. A new weapon class will be added, the Splat Brella. This weapon acts not only as a weapon, but as a launch-able shield as well. There's also promise of a new special weapon, the Bubble Blower, which sends out multiple ink-filled bubbles, which can pop to cover a lot of ground. There will also be new gear and stages, though they were a bit less in-depth on those. Finally, the Direct draws to a close by confirming the return of Splatfests, introducing us to Pearl and Marina, who will be filling the roles of Callie and Marie from the last game, and announcing a Splatfest Premiere on July 15th.

All in all, Splatoon 2 looks to be filled to the gills with new content. As a fan of Splatoon, I can say that this game looks good. I can easily see myself spending hours upon hours playing this game. Splatoon 2 launches in a mere two weeks, on July 21st. At the end of the day, two question remain: will you be team cake, or team ice cream in the Splatfest Premiere, and will you be getting the full game?

*All screenshots taken from the Splatoon 2 Direct