Splatoon 3 is on the way, and with it we have the Splatfest World Premiere. The demo is out now to download on your Nintendo Switch for free, along with a 7-day trial to Nintendo Switch Online. Whilst the Splatfest doesn’t begin until Aug 27., we’ve played the demo and found everything you can possibly do in the game now. There’s not a whole lot, but it’ll tide us over.
1. Create your Inkling or Octoling
The demo starts with a customization screen for your character. You can choose whether they are an Inkling or an Octoling, as well as their hair styles, eyes, eyebrows and pants. You will also be able to choose a hairstyle for your adorable little buddy. Even your Smallfry in Splatoon 3 gotta stay fresh.
After they have been created, continue on. You can come back and change your character later, so don’t feel too much pressure. Make your way through the simple tutorial section and you’ll be on your way to Splatsville. The tutorial requires the use of motion controls, but you can turn them off afterwards. As soon as you reach Splatsville, navigate to the ‘Options’ tab from the menu and tweak whatever controls you want.
2. Choose your Splatfest team
Splatfests are now split into three teams rather than two, so you’ll have more options to choose from. The first Splatfest theme is a simple rock, paper or scissors question, so go with your gut feeling. I’m a full-time Shiver fan, so I went for Team Rock. This game also introduces the ability to change Splatfest servers, so if you wanted to join another region, you can!
You’ll see a huge glowing arch in the plaza, and underneath it is a merchandise stall and digital screen. Interact with either of these to select your team. Once your choice is selected, you’ll be given a Splatfest t-shirt to represent your team in battle and in the plaza.
3. Dress up your character
By pressing the + button you can enter your equip screen and put on your new Splatfest shirt. The demo provides you with a huge choice of weapons, headgear and shoes, so go to town making your coolest Squid Kid. The upper body clothing options are relatively limited for now.
What you see is all you can get at the moment, as none of the Splatsville vendors are willing to sell you any items. You’re just not fresh enough. We will be able to access these stores once we can begin battling and levelling up in the full game.
One more element you can customize now is the title and banner on your Splat Tag. Mix and match combinations of available words until you find one that really represents you. In the full game we will also be able to add badges to our tags.
4. Make a community post
Much like the Miiverse posts of old, Splatoon 3 lets you write and share community posts. Simply look for the red mail box pictured above and interact with it to start creating. Your posts will be shared across other players’ worlds, and you can even share them to social media. You never know who will read your posts, so behave!
5. Enjoy the Splatsville scenery
Whilst a lot of content is still locked away, you can wander around the entire plaza now. You’ll find strange inhabitants and colorful community posts all over the hub areas. Wander further to find staircases tucked away in tight spots that you can climb up and enjoy the views of Splatsville as it prepares for a show.
That’s all there is to do now in the Splatfest demo. Join the Splatfest from Aug. 27, and play the full game release on Sept. 9. Are you playing the Splatfest World Premiere? Which team will you be supporting? Let us know in the comments below, and keep your eyes on GameLuster for more Splatoon coverage.
