Splatoon 3 Expansion Pass Side Order trailer looks into its campaign

Can you believe it’s been about a year since Splatoon 3’s Expansion Pass became available for purchase? Until now, buyers have only had Inkopolis Plaza to provide value for their dollar, but on February 22, 2024, the Side Order campaign will release.

In anticipation of the new campaign, Nintendo has served up a solid slice of Side Order gameplay in the form of an explainer trailer. It dives into what the campaign entails, going deep into the main loop of its roguelite gameplay.

Inkopolis Square, the hub from Splatoon 2, is suffering from some pretty harsh coral bleaching and is devoid of color. Partnered with Pearl in drone form, Agent 8 (that’s you) must climb the Spire of Order to… fix it, I’m assuming.

You ascend the spire, floor by floor, collecting color chips that will enhance your abilities. Your goal is to climb the tower as far as you can before expiring. Then, you get points (pearls) for your collected chips and can use those to give Agent 8 a good buffing.

It’s pretty much roguelite trappings at their most basic. However, I can dig it. Splatoon has experimented with different approaches to turn its competitive focus into a single-player experience, and the typical campaign format tends to leave me a bit cold. While I’m not a huge fan of the roguelite formula, I think that, as an excuse to play by your lonesome, it can work in Side Order. Plus, I’m digging the more muted color palette that the expansion has. It really contrasts the usually bright inks of the main game.

Splatoon 3 is available on Switch. The Expansion Pass is already available, but the Side Order campaign portion of it will launch on February 22, 2024.