The latest trailer for Nintendo's forthcoming downloadable content (DLC), Side Order, designed for Splatoon 3, presents a host of gripping solo-roguelike action. Slated for release on February 22, this is the second installment of DLC included in Splatoon 3’s Expansion Pass. Players will return as Agent 8 - the Octoling protagonist from Splatoon 2’s Octo Expansion DLC - finding themselves in a barren, colorless version of Inkopolis Square vaguely termed as a “world of order.”
The game unveils a journey where our octopus-themed hero rises through the Spire of Order layer by layer, partnered with his Inkling buddy Pearl, who curiously inhabits a drone. Ascending requires accomplishing certain tasks, such as taking down foes or directing balls towards a target. These tasks offer various levels of difficulty and rewards. Players will also get to boost their stats like shooting speed and damage with temporary “color chips” that they can equip when initiating said challenges.
However, losing means starting anew both from the base of the towering Spire of Order and with a clean slate, having lost all accumulated color chips. There’s a silver lining though: players receive a new form of currency – pearls, which can be redeemed for permanent stat boosts to smoothen their subsequent climbs. Nintendo points out that the Side Order offering is meant to be an ever-engaging experience.
The “world of order” environment explored in the trailer likely ties into the theme of Splatoon 2’s final in-game voting contest or Splatfest, prompting players to choose between “order” and “chaos.” Given the win for Team Chaos, it only seems fitting that the theme gets some attention in Splatoon 3. While the main narrative of Splatoon 2 had the player ally with Marie, the victorious Squid Sister from Splatoon’s final Splatfest, we can only wait and see how the story of Side Order unfolds.